The advocacy and communication officer provides leadership and technical oversight for social and behavior change (SBC) and communication functions under the Mjamzito na Mtoto Salama project, ensuring that community engagement, health promotion, and program visibility efforts are strategically aligned, evidence-based, and delivered to high-quality standards.

The role leads the planning, coordination, and implementation of SBC and communication strategies in alignment with program objectives, national priorities, and donor requirements, while providing technical guidance to partners and government stakeholders on effective approaches.

It oversees capacity strengthening, performance monitoring, and mentorship activities in collaboration with community leaders and local governance structures, and ensures that complex maternal and newborn health interventions, supply chain strategies, and systems strengthening initiatives are translated into clear, accurate, and audience-appropriate communication products.

The role further strengthens program positioning by promoting consistent, high-quality messaging, leads documentation and knowledge management to capture and disseminate program achievements and lessons, and establishes monitoring systems to track performance and inform adaptive improvements.

In addition, it ensures compliance with donor visibility and reporting requirements, while coordinating budget planning and resource utilization for SBC and communication activities to support efficient, accountable, and results-oriented implementation.

Key responsibilities

• Provides direction for how the program is positioned, communicated, and recognized across stakeholders and platforms.
• Ensures all communication outputs meet donor expectations while enabling structured and responsible engagement with media and public audiences.
• Transforms complex technical content into clear, high-quality materials that are accessible to diverse audiences.
• Captures, organizes, and disseminates program knowledge to support learning, accountability, and scale-up.
• Strengthens reporting processes by ensuring clear, evidence-based communication of program progress and results.
• Drives online visibility and engagement through strategic use of digital platforms and content.
• Supports alignment and effective communication across all stakeholders involved in program implementation.
• Advances policy engagement by translating evidence into compelling messages that support decisionmaking.
• Ensures effective communication planning, execution, and follow-up for program events and campaigns.
• Maintains high standards of integrity by ensuring communication adheres to ethical, legal, and donor requirements.

Qualifications and experience

The role requires strong academic grounding and relevant professional experience in communication within development or health programs.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Public Health, or a related field
• A master’s degree is an added advantage
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience in communication within development or health programs
• Demonstrated experience working with donor-funded programs and government institutions

• Provides direction for how the program is positioned, communicated, and recognized across stakeholders and platforms.
• Ensures all communication outputs meet donor expectations while enabling structured and responsible engagement with media and public audiences.
• Transforms complex technical content into clear, high-quality materials that are accessible to diverse audiences.
• Captures, organizes, and disseminates program knowledge to support learning, accountability, and scale-up.
• Strengthens reporting processes by ensuring clear, evidence-based communication of program progress and results.
• Drives online visibility and engagement through strategic use of digital platforms and content.
• Supports alignment and effective communication across all stakeholders involved in program implementation.
• Advances policy engagement by translating evidence into compelling messages that support decisionmaking.
• Ensures effective communication planning, execution, and follow-up for program events and campaigns.
• Maintains high standards of integrity by ensuring communication adheres to ethical, legal, and donor requirements.

• Bachelor’s degree in Mass Communications, Journalism, Public Relations, Public Health, or a related field
• A master’s degree is an added advantage
• Demonstrated experience working with donor-funded programs and government institutions