Job Overview

Apply for the Social Behavioral Change Lead role at MSH in Abuja. Requires 7+ years in SBC, health communication or social mobilisation.

Social Behavioral Change Lead at MSH, Abuja

Posted: August 11, 2026
Deadline: August 17, 2026
Job Type: Full-time
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job Field: NGO / Non-Profit
Qualification: BA/BSc/HND, MBA/MSc/MA
Experience: 7+ years

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) is seeking a Social Behavioral Change Lead to guide the social and community engagement component of an ITN campaign.

The role focuses on helping communities understand, accept and correctly use insecticide-treated nets (ITNs). It combines social and behavioural change (SBC), health communication, community mobilisation, stakeholder engagement, field supervision and campaign monitoring.

The successful candidate will lead the SBC strategy across the campaign cycle, working with government programmes, community structures, implementing partners and other stakeholders.

What the Social Behavioral Change Lead Will Do

The lead will develop and manage the campaign’s SBC and demand-creation strategy in line with the national malaria SBC strategy and the wider campaign plan.

Key responsibilities include:

• Develop the SBC strategy, workplan and implementation approach.
• Define SBC objectives and priority audiences for each phase of the campaign.
• Identify the behaviours the campaign needs to encourage, including ITN acceptance, hanging, correct and consistent use, care and repair.
• Determine appropriate communication channels for different audiences and campaign stages.
• Align SBC activities with microplanning, logistics and training schedules.
• Ensure communities receive relevant information before, during and after ITN distribution.

Community Mobilisation and Health Communication

A major part of the position is ensuring that campaign information reaches people through trusted and accessible community channels.

The role will oversee activities such as:

• Community sensitisation
• Social mobilisation
• Engagement with community leaders
• Religious and traditional structures
• Town announcements
• School-based sensitisation
• Community dialogues
• House-to-house mobilisation
• Radio spots and jingles
• Digital and community communication

The lead will coordinate interpersonal communication and mass-media activities so that communities are prepared for the distribution process and understand how to use and care for the nets they receive.

Developing Appropriate Messages and Materials

Campaign messages need to be understandable and relevant to the communities they are intended to reach.

The successful candidate will work with the National Malaria Programme and technical SBC partners to:

• Develop or adapt culturally appropriate messages.
• Prepare communication materials in line with national guidance.
• Ensure key messages are consistent across campaign channels.
• Provide community mobilisers and volunteers with appropriate job aids.
• Make sure information provided at distribution points is accurate and practical.

The role will also coordinate with distribution teams so that people receive demonstrations and guidance on hanging, using and caring for ITNs.

Managing Community Mobilisers and Volunteers

The position includes responsibility for coordinating people working directly with communities.

Responsibilities include:

• Support recruitment of community mobilisers, town announcers and volunteers.
• Organise training and orientation.
• Ensure field personnel understand the campaign’s key messages.
• Coordinate deployment according to campaign needs.
• Monitor the quality of community engagement.
• Provide support where implementation problems arise.

Because the campaign may operate across multiple locations, the role requires someone who can coordinate field teams and community structures at scale.

Post-Distribution Behaviour Change

SBC activities will continue after people receive their ITNs.

The lead will support follow-up activities designed to reinforce:

• Correct ITN use
• Consistent use
• Proper hanging
• Net care and repair
• Continued household use

The role will also support net-utilisation checks and contribute to post-distribution SBC activities.

Rumour Tracking and Community Feedback

Community feedback can provide early warning of misunderstandings or concerns that may affect campaign participation.

The Social Behavioral Change Lead will establish and manage mechanisms for:

• Tracking rumours
• Collecting community feedback
• Identifying concerns about the campaign or ITNs
• Coordinating timely responses
• Providing evidence-based information to address misinformation

This work will require good judgement, diplomacy and the ability to communicate clearly with different community groups.

Monitoring SBC Activities

The role is not limited to communication activities. The lead will also monitor whether those activities are reaching the intended audiences and being delivered properly.

Responsibilities include:

• Develop SBC monitoring indicators and tools.
• Track reach and coverage.
• Monitor the quality of community mobilisation.
• Conduct or commission spot checks.
• Carry out supervisory visits.
• Identify implementation gaps.
• Use monitoring information to recommend adjustments.

The officer will also compile regular progress reports and provide campaign leadership with information about risks, bottlenecks and areas requiring corrective action.

Reporting and Campaign Learning

The successful candidate will contribute to campaign documentation throughout implementation.

This includes:

• Regular SBC progress reports
• Activity documentation
• Monitoring findings
• Lessons learned
• End-of-campaign reporting
• Post-distribution findings
• Net-durability monitoring processes

The role will also provide SBC-related information to MSH campaign leadership, the African Medical Foundation (AMF), the National Malaria Programme and other relevant stakeholders.

Coordination With Government and Partners

The Social Behavioral Change Lead will serve as MSH’s primary SBC focal point within the campaign coordination structure.

The role will involve working with:

• African Medical Foundation (AMF)
• National Malaria Programme
• Health workers
• Civil society organisations
• Community leaders
• Religious leaders
• Traditional leaders
• Other implementing partners
• Public and private-sector stakeholders

The successful candidate will represent the SBC workstream during campaign coordination meetings and technical working groups, including National Malaria Programme review meetings.

Budget and Activity Management

The position also carries responsibility for managing the SBC component of the campaign budget.

The lead will need to ensure that:

• Planned activities are delivered on schedule.
• Resources are used within approved budgets.
• Expenditure follows applicable requirements.
• Activities comply with AMF grant and funding requirements.
• Implementation remains aligned with campaign priorities.

Education and Experience

Applicants should have a Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Communication, Social Sciences, Development Studies or a related field.

A Master’s degree is an advantage.

The vacancy requires at least 7 years of experience designing and managing programmes involving:

• Social and behavioural change
• Social mobilisation
• Health communication
• Demand creation

Experience in malaria programmes, ITN campaigns or other public-health interventions is particularly relevant.

Experience With Community Programmes

The employer is looking for demonstrated experience coordinating community-level structures at scale.

Relevant experience may include working with:

• Community mobilisers
• Volunteers
• Traditional leaders
• Religious leaders
• Schools
• Community organisations
• Health workers

Applicants should be able to demonstrate how they have coordinated these groups rather than simply listing community engagement as a skill.

SBC Knowledge and Technical Competencies

A strong understanding of social and behavioural change theory and practice is required.

The employer specifically values knowledge of areas such as:

• Behaviour-change frameworks
• Audience segmentation
• Message development
• Communication-material development
• Social mobilisation
• Demand creation
• Community engagement
• SBC monitoring

Experience working with national malaria programmes, Ministries of Health or donor-funded health campaigns is highly desirable.

The vacancy specifically identifies programmes and organisations such as AMF, Global Fund and PMI as relevant experience.

Communication and Stakeholder Management

The role requires someone who can communicate effectively with both community-level teams and senior stakeholders.

Important skills include:

• Strong verbal communication
• Strong written communication
• Negotiation
• Diplomacy
• Stakeholder engagement
• People management
• Coordination
• Presentation
• Relationship management
• Problem-solving

The successful candidate will need to build trust with public and private organisations while also resolving implementation issues with partners, counterparts and field teams.

Fluency in English and the relevant local working language(s) of the campaign area is required.

Analytical and Reporting Skills

Although this is primarily an SBC role, the successful candidate must also be comfortable working with monitoring information.

The position requires the ability to:

• Review monitoring data.
• Assess campaign reach and coverage.
• Identify implementation gaps.
• Use evidence to adjust SBC activities.
• Prepare regular and ad hoc reports.
• Document activities and outcomes.
• Prepare briefing materials for stakeholders.

Strong computer skills are also required, particularly with Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Field Travel

This is a field-oriented position. The successful candidate must be willing and able to travel frequently to campaign States, districts and distribution sites.

Travel may include assignments in remote or hard-to-reach areas, depending on campaign implementation requirements.

Applicants should therefore consider whether they are comfortable with a role that combines office-based coordination with regular field supervision.

About Management Sciences for Health

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) is a global nonprofit organisation focused on strengthening health systems and improving health outcomes. MSH says it was founded in 1971 and has worked in more than 150 countries. Learn more about Management Sciences for Health

Its work includes supporting governments, communities and health-sector partners in areas such as primary healthcare, universal health coverage, health financing and access to essential medicines. Explore MSH’s work

How to Prepare Your CV

This vacancy is aimed at an experienced SBC or health-communication professional, so your CV should demonstrate more than general communications experience.

Highlight:

• 7+ years of relevant professional experience
• SBC or behaviour-change programme management
• Health communication experience
• Social mobilisation
• Community engagement
• Malaria or ITN campaign experience
• Work with Ministries of Health or national programmes
• Experience managing community mobilisers or volunteers
• Stakeholder coordination
• Monitoring and reporting
• Budget or activity management
• Donor-funded programme experience
• Experience working in field settings

If you have worked with AMF, Global Fund, PMI or similar health programmes, make that experience visible.

Also include examples of campaigns or programmes where your communication or mobilisation work contributed to measurable improvements in reach, participation, awareness or behaviour. Keep the claims factual and avoid unsupported numbers.

Application Deadline

The stated application deadline is August 17, 2026.

Candidates should review the qualifications and experience requirements carefully and submit their applications before the stated deadline.

How to Apply

Interested and qualified candidates should apply through the Management Sciences For Health – MSH on msh.wd503.myworkdayjobs.com.