Vacancy Announcement: Social & Behavior Change Specialist, P3, TA, Abuja, Nigeria #137178 (364 days)

Vacancies Current vacancies Explore our current job opportunities Vacancy Announcement: Social & Behavior Change Specialist, P3, TA, Abuja, Nigeria # [Click the Apply button below to see the contact details] days) Apply now Job no: 592916 Contract type: Temporary Appointment Duty Station: Abuja Level: P-3

Localisation

Categories: Social and Behavior Change 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. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

Autres informations

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package. Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF. For every child, Commitment. Organization Context Nigeria remains one of the countries with the largest zero dose populations globally, with persistently low routine immunization (RI) coverage across several northern and hard to reach states. These challenges are driven by a combination of behavioral and social factors—including low caregiver confidence, ongoing vaccine hesitancy, competing household priorities, gender dynamics, mobility constraints, limited awareness of RI schedules and benefits, and weak community structures with inconsistent engagement of volunteers. In addition, humanitarian barriers in insecure states and the high concentration of zero dose children in rapidly growing urban slums and peri urban settlements continue to constrain equitable access to immunization services. Routine childhood immunization coverage further declined during and after the COVID 19 pandemic due to disruptions in health services, reduced caregiver access, mobility restrictions, and the reprioritization of resources toward outbreak response. In light of these setbacks, the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMHSW) and the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) have renewed efforts to restore and strengthen RI by addressing both system wide and behavioral barriers that influence vaccine availability, caregiver demand, and equitable uptake—particularly in zero dose and low coverage LGAs. These efforts include investments in cold chain expansion, supply chain management, supportive supervision, human resource capacity, and improved service delivery, alongside demand generation strategies such as advocacy, interpersonal communication, social mobilization, and revitalization of community engagement structures, including in insecure and underserved rural and urban communities. How can you make a difference ? UNICEF Nigeria supports the Federal Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (FMHSW), the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA), and State Primary Health Care Boards to strengthen both operational and demand components of the national immunization programme, with the goal of boosting routine immunization (RI) coverage and reducing zero dose prevalence. To accelerate progress, a dedicated Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Specialist is required to support the implementation of the zero dose reduction agenda, enhance the RI demand components of the Annual Operational Plan (AOP), and promote evidence driven, community led approaches across priority states. The role will focus on addressing the behavioral and social determinants of low immunization uptake, strengthening community engagement systems, and advancing equity by targeting zero dose and under immunized children in Nigeria.

Responsabilités

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks: The SBC Specialist (TA) will provide technical leadership, coordination, and programmatic oversight for SBC interventions that contribute to improved RI outcomes, ensuring that social data, community insights, and evidence‑based strategies inform routine immunization programming at national and subnational levels. Particularly, the SBC Specialist will:

• 1. Social and behavioral Data for Immunization Support generation and use Design and implement Behavioral and Social Drivers (BeSD) studies to generate a deep understanding of the cognitive, emotional, social, and structural factors shaping caregivers’ decisions to vaccinate or not vaccinate their children. Apply standardized global tools, mixed‑methods approaches, and rigorous sampling methodologies to gather high‑quality qualitative and quantitative data, and synthesize this evidence to produce comprehensive analyses of demand‑ and supply‑side barriers within the immunization programme. Use the social and behavioural findings to strengthen national and global evidence on reaching zero‑dose and under‑immunized children in line with GAVI’s equity and zero dose agenda. Translate insights into targeted, context‑specific SBC strategies that inform government and partner decision‑making at national and state levels, ensuring RI interventions remain evidence‑driven, people‑centered, and responsive to the needs and preferences of communities.
• 2. Evidence Based Social and Behaviour chan

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