Evidence-based Public Health Messaging and Community Engagement (EMCE) Team Leader

Job Summary:

The EMCE Team Leader drives evidence-based public health messaging and community engagement (EMCE) efforts, providing technical guidance and hands-on leadership for social and digital media across projects. The position is responsible for shaping EMCE strategies and leading the design, delivery, and ongoing improvement of community engagement and digital media activities with a strong emphasis on elevating the voices and leadership of communities most affected by health inequities.

The Team Leader ensures implementation is technically sound, aligned with organizational strategies and standard operating procedures (SOPs), and supported by data-driven analysis, learning, and reporting. Additionally, the position contributes to business development efforts, including opportunity identification, capture, proposal development, and strategic partnering.

Technical Officers (Level I – III) provide a range of technical and administrative services at increasing levels of complexity to support project implementation and proposal development. Individuals within these positions are expected to demonstrate an increasing level of proficiency with the specific relevant technical area.

Accountabilities:

Technical Requirements:

• Provide project staff and partners with technical direction and guidance on EMCE in line with expected outcomes, including capacity building on evidence-based messaging and community engagement approaches.
• Conceptualize, design, pilot, and evaluate innovative, cost-effective EMCE strategies, materials, and tools to reach key beneficiaries and service providers, ensuring adherence to global and national guidelines and SOPs.
• Synthesize evidence (literature, surveillance, program data) to inform message framing and content; conduct message testing and rapid feedback cycles to ensure relevance, accuracy, and cultural appropriateness.
• Develop or adapt curricula and training/education materials; design and facilitate trainings for government and implement partners on risk communication, community engagement, and audience-centered content.
• Establish and support community engagement mechanisms (e.g., community advisory groups, peer networks, local influencers) to amplify reach and trust and to surface insights for program improvement.
• Monitor and maintain project protocols, instruments, data sets, manuals, training materials, and reports related to EMCE and social/digital media technical areas.
• Conduct analysis of implementation quality and campaign performance to identify areas for improvement and propose technical strategies and guidelines.
• Lead strategic planning, content creation, and day-to-day management of social and digital media activity within public health messaging and outreach campaigns.
• Create and execute social/digital media strategic and tactical plans to support EMCE objectives; oversee website and digital product design, testing, and launch as needed.
• Develop evaluation plans and actively measure/monitor performance using native and third-party analytics tools; analyze data and recommend optimizations to strengthen results.
• Maintain up-to-date knowledge of platform changes, tools, channels, design, and strategy; translate trends into actionable program tactics and guidance.
• Coordinate social and digital media buys to achieve campaign goals, including budget input and vendor management.
• Lead and contribute to presentations, training, and discussions with clients, stakeholders, and internal teams on social/digital media topics.

Community Engagement & Partner Coordination

• Embed EMCE within government counterparts and partner organizations as appropriate; provide mentoring and support on both technical and programmatic aspects using suitable tools and processes.
• Represent the project (and organization when requested) to provide technical input at national/regional technical working groups and coordination meetings on EMCE and public health messaging.
• Communicate with stakeholders to keep them informed of project work and to identify changes required to ensure high-quality programming.
• Establish collaborative arrangements within the project and with community groups, donors, governments, and other organizations to ensure harmonized, effective programming and efficient use of resources.
• Provide technical and leadership support to empower communities and community-based partners to implement high-quality EMCE activities, including capacity strengthening, mentorship, and the use of participatory engagement approaches.

 Project Design & Implementation

• Develop strategies, tools, and work plans for technical components related to EMCE and social/digital media.
• Lead technical project activities and sub-activities; monitor deliverables and report progress to supervisors.
• Ensure project implementation remains technically sound and in compliance with organizational standards; identify and escalate issues to senior technical staff as appropriate.

Business Development & Client/Funder Support

• Contribute to new business development (NBD), including project design, budgeting, recruitment, and strategic partnering.
• Provide technical inputs and, as assigned, final authorization on technical portions of proposals and designs for EMCE and social/digital media components.
• Participate in meetings with partners and clients; draft proposals, budgets, and workplans.

Operations Management & Reporting

• Oversee project timelines and budgets for technical components; track technical project spend and statements of work (SOWs).
• Prepare donor/client technical reports, presentations, briefs, and knowledge products (e.g., success stories, learning summaries).
• Coordinate with suppliers for procurements related to EMCE and social/digital media activities.

Quality Assurance & Learning

• Develop and apply quality standards, processes, and procedures for EMCE and social/digital media outputs, including accuracy checks and cultural/linguistic appropriateness.
• Coordinate and direct activities to meet client/funder and regulatory requirements.
• Document EMCE processes and outcomes, including routine learning products and success stories for donors.

Applied Knowledge & Skills

• Demonstrated experience writing and executing EMCE strategies and social/digital media plans.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills; ability to communicate clearly with clients, communities, and staff.
• Strong project management, organizational, and analytical skills; ability to influence, motivate, and collaborate across teams.
• In-depth knowledge of the digital media landscape, including analytics tools, web content technologies, and paid media tools; strong knowledge of online community building and management.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office 365 and common collaboration tools (SharePoint, Teams/Zoom).
• Ability to analyze and interpret data, identify errors, and prepare reports; experience developing technical briefs, SOPs, and guidance documents.
• Sensitivity to cultural diversity and understanding of political, contextual, and ethical issues in assigned areas; Khmer and English language skills preferred for Cambodia-based roles.

Problem Solving & Impact

• Works on problems of moderate to complex scope requiring analysis of various factors and sound judgement in selecting methods and techniques. Decisions may affect work units and departmental goals; identifies and raises issues to senior technical staff as needed.

Supervision Given/Received

• Serves as a technical lead for assigned activities and may mentor junior personnel.
• Manages staff to meet departmental and organizational goals, including budgeting, strategy, and training to achieve results.
• Typically reports to an Associate Director/Director or Deputy Project Director.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or international equivalent in Communications, Public Health, Community Engagement, Digital Media, or related field; Master’s preferred.
• Project Management (PM) certification preferred.
• Or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience sufficient to successfully perform the key responsibilities of the job.

Experience

• Typically requires 10+ years of relevant experience managing EMCE programs and social/digital media for public health campaigns and/or social marketing; NGO or public health/international development experience preferred.
• Experience conceptualizing, developing, implementing, and evaluating EMCE strategies, materials, and tools; experience with analytics platforms and paid media management.
• Articulate, professional, and able to communicate in a clear, positive manner with clients and staff.

Technology to be Used

Personal Computer/Laptop; Microsoft applications (Office 365, SharePoint, Teams/Zoom); cell phone/mobile technology; and standard office equipment.

Travel Requirements

10% – 25%

**Or an equivalent combination of relevant education and/or experience sufficient to successfully perform the key responsibilities of the job. This job description summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.

Disclaimer: Note the Compensation Band that appears on the job description is associated with those jobs assigned to the US Salary Structure and employees that are paid from US payroll.

The Compensation Band for all national local employees aligns to the Compensation Structure based on the Country location of the job.

This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.

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