Job Title: Communication Officer

Reporting to: Project Manager

Location: Dodoma

Level of Engagement: Full time

Duration of engagement: One year with possibility to extend

Summary of the Position

The Health Promotion and System Strengthening Project (HPSS-Tuimarishe Afya) is a Swiss-Tanzania Corporation project being executed by the Swiss Tropical and Public Health Institute (SwissTPH) with its headquarter in Dodoma Tanzania. The HPSS project is being implemented since 2011 in phases, and is currently in its 3rd phase. The current phase 3 (exit phase) has been designed to focus on supporting the Government of Tanzania (GoT) through the Ministry of Health, Community Development, Gender, Elderly and Children (MoHCDGEC), and through the President’s Office – Regional Administration and Local Government (PORALG). The project supports the national rollout of the Community Health Fund CHF lliyoboreshwa and the Medicines Management Jazia Prime Vendor Scheme to all regions in Tanzania. In addition, phase 3 aims at facilitating the same ministries to rollout innovations in Health Technology Management (HTM) and Health Promotion and supporting the GoT’s course on digitalisation of the health system. Being the last phase of the HPSS project, a focus is also set on generating evidence-based results through operational research and systematic monitoring and evaluation (M&E) activities and on using those findings to capitalize on the project results and contribute to policy development and the decision-making process of the government for strengthening the health system.

Aim of Job

The Communication Officer (CO) will be responsible to implement and further develop the HPSS Communication Strategy. The incumbent will monitor communication needs and demands of the project, and regularly review existing materials for a maximum communication impact of the project. The CO will coordinate and manage HPSS visibility actions in workshops, symposiums and exhibitions with aim at arriving at maximum effective media coverage of HPSS achievements. The Communication Officer shall be responsible and accountable for the development, regular update and implementation of the flow of project information to showcase attainment of the Project’s goals and objectives in line with the Swiss TPH/HPSS Project mandate and approaches. The Communication Officer is accountable for the management of the communication system and to provide strategic and technical guidance, and will work closely and interact with Project Manager, Chief Finance and Administration Officer, M&E Officer and component/subject experts based in Dodoma and Basel, Switzerland.

Main Tasks

• Oversee implementation of the project Communications strategy and activities related to project outreach
• Monthly evaluation of effective media relations strategies.
• Draft press releases, editorials and scripts for educational messages.
• Organize press conferences and media round table discussions.
• On monthly basis, in collaboration with Project Technical Advisors, Experts and government counterparts write stories and feature articles in the newspapers that enlighten the public on Project’s activities.
• Coordinate and upload content on the HPSS web-sites as needed to keep these always fully up-to-date
• promote project’s visibility through digital (social media) and print communications channels, by developing and up-loading relevant and interesting content
• Work with project partner (MoHCDGEC and PORALG) to assist them in developing and implementing communications strategies for mobilizing communities to join health insurance, and develop documentaries on project processes and results
• Assist technical staff on development of public awareness campaigns
• Support technically project capitalization activities by leading processes for creating compelling materials – creatively using text, photography, audio, video and graphics to share highlights of HPSS-Tuimarishe Afya work and activities for strengthening the health system and social health insurance in Tanzania mainland.
• Collect contents for the development and dissemination of project weekly/monthly newsletter
• Manage and coordinate the planning, logistics and registration of participants for project events as requested by the PMU
• Manage the project communications budget and ensuring timely reporting
• Ensure weekly bulletin and newspaper cuttings are well pinned to the notice boards at the headquarters and in the regions.
• Preform daily media monitoring of newspaper articles, television and radio news bulleting, online TV, and social media for material substantively affecting the work of the Project
• Perform other duties as assigned by the Project Manager

Requirements

• Proven experience in a communications role in a large organization with multiple stakeholder groups, ability to work diligently and independently, bring highest standards of business and personal ethical conduct, and being keen on improving own knowledge, skills and attitudes
• Ambitious and self-motivated with the capacity to deliver high quality products under tight/pressure working schedules.
• First rate written skills with the ability to develop high quality, accurate and consistent communications materials, newsletters, leaflets, briefings and so on for non-specialist audiences
• Excellent oral communication and interpersonal skills, with a customer focus and the ability to work with staff at all levels
• Competence in Computer graphics and designing skills, management and actualizing of Websites, Intranet, and social media.
• Professional ability to take quality still and video pictures.
• Bring, build and maintain good relationships with journalists, bloggers, stakeholders and public that will help advance Project’s objectives.
• Experience in handling live social media during events
• Excellent Proficiency in Kiswahili AND English
• Proficiency with MS Office Suite (Word, Excel, Power point and Access)
• Knowledge of government infrastructure, policies and interface (optional)

Qualifications

• Preferably Master’s Degree in Journalism and/or Public Relations and/or Mass Communication or its equivalent
• Bachelor/Advanced Diploma in Journalism and/or Public Relations and/or Mass Communication or its equivalent.
• At least three years’ experience in Print and/or electronic media.
• At least three years working in the development and cooperation field or corporate environment

Application should be accompanied with:

• A well-typed CV
• Certified copies of relevant certificates
• Contacts stating name in full, physical address, telephone numbers and email addresses of the candidate
• Names and contacts of three (3) referees

Send your application to the following address:

Human Resource Officer,
Health Promotion and System Strengthening (HPSS) Project,
P.O. Box 29,
Dodoma.
OR
Online application via email: hr@hpss.or.tz

Kindly note, only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

The Deadline for submission of application is on 30^th July 2021 at 16.00 hours.