Social & Behavior Change Officer, NO-1, Buea, Cameroun # 136424

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Education,

UNICEF’s mandate is to promote and protect the rights of every child, everywhere and in all circumstances. Equity is central to this mandate and guides UNICEF’s efforts to prioritize the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families. Equity means ensuring that all children have the opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination or exclusion. Persistent disparities in access to services and opportunities constitute violations of children’s rights and undermine sustainable development. Addressing these inequities accelerates progress towards the realization of the Convention on the Rights of the Child and contributes to more inclusive, stable and resilient societies.

Social and Behaviour Change (SBC) is a core, cross cutting programme strategy within UNICEF, applied across development, humanitarian and fragile contexts. SBC analyses and addresses the behavioral, social, cultural and structural determinants that influence individual practices, social norms and collective outcomes. Drawing on applied social and behavioral sciences, SBC strengthens understanding of people’s beliefs, motivations, power dynamics and lived realities, and supports their meaningful engagement in the design and adoption of solutions for change.

Within UNICEF’s corporate results framework, SBC is integral to achieving outcomes across sectors, including immunisation, health, nutrition, WASH, education and child protection. SBC contributes to improved uptake and continuity of essential services, particularly in contexts affected by insecurity, displacement and public health risks, and supports transformations required to make systems more inclusive, accountable and responsive.

UNICEF’s SBC approach combines evidence generation, community engagement and human centered processes with a range of complementary modalities, including risk communication and community engagement, applied behavioral science, demand generation, systems strengthening, social mobilization and policy advocacy. Through these approaches, SBC advances child survival, development, protection and participation, while reinforcing trust, accountability and resilience at community and system levels.

Purpose of Assignment

UNICEF Cameroon operates in a complex humanitarian and public health environment where insecurity, population movements, disease outbreaks and climate related shocks continue to affect children and communities. Delivering on UNICEF’s Core Commitments for Children requires the systematic integration of Social and Behaviour Change approaches, including Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE) and Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP), across emergency preparedness, response and recovery, as well as across immunisation programming.

The purpose of this assignment is to support the design, implementation and monitoring of SBC, RCCE and AAP interventions at field level, with a specific focus on strengthening demand for immunization, addressing misinformation, reinforcing trust in services and ensuring that community perspectives inform programme adaptation in real time. The position provides technical and operational support to sectoral programmes, including immunization, health, nutrition, WASH, education and child protection, to ensure that interventions are context sensitive, coordinated and results oriented.

The assignment contributes to the strengthening of community engagement and feedback mechanisms, enabling the systematic collection and use of community insights, rumors and concerns to improve programme effectiveness. Through close collaboration with government counterparts, partners and community structures, the role supports more accountable, people centered and resilient humanitarian and immunization responses in the Southwest and Northwest Regions.

How can you make a difference?

Key function, accountabilities, and related duties/tasks

1. Field leadership on evidence generation and use for SBC

2. Leadership on Design, Planning and Implementation of SBC, RCCE and Demand Generation

3. Coordination and Field Leadership on SBC, RCCE and AAP

4. Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP) and Digital Engagement

5. Capacity Strengthening, Learning and Systems Reinforcement

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: ToR SBC Officer NO-1 Buea.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: social and behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, communication, public relations, or another relevant technical field.
• Work Experience: A minimum of three years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: social development and social and behavior change program planning, communication for development, public advocacy, or another related area.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and French is required. Knowledge of a local language is an asset (Pidgin English).

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others

[add the 8th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role].

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.