Community Engagement Coordinator (National Position)

Shoklo Malaria Research Unit
Nonprofits / องค์กรไม่แสวงหาผลกำไร
1208
24 Aug 2021
31 August 2021

Introduction

The Shoklo Malaria Research Unit (SMRU) is a field station of the Faculty of Tropical Medicine, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand, and is part of the Mahidol-Oxford Research Unit (MORU) supported by the Wellcome Trust, UK. The main objective of SMRU is to provide quality health care to the marginalised populations living on both sides of the Thai-Myanmar border in the Mae Sot area, Tak province. This is achieved by the dual activities of research and humanitarian services, with an emphasis on maternal-child health and infectious diseases.

SMRU is based in Mae Sot where the main laboratories are based and received samples from sites along the Thai-Myanmar border.

Job title: Community Engagement Coordinator

Location: Mae Sot

Status: Full time

Probation: SMRU can terminate employment at 3 months if performance inadequate

Report to: Head of PE Department

Staff under supervision: Department of Public Engagement (PE)

Job overview

Community Engagement (CE) Coordinator is expected to work under supervision of PE head of department and senior member on assigned tasks. To support team with early engagement to target areas and engage with key stakeholders, other key members of each community and target audiences in serving area. Liaise with partners such as Office of Thai public health, CBOs, NGOs and other relevant partners for engagement plans, discussion and delivery. Represent PE department and SMRU in meetings, discussion and contribute to building partnership and smooth collaboration and coordination. Produce report relevant on engagement activities, and support team with designing engagement plan, including monitoring and evaluation plans. Regular traveling to sites to conduct engagement individually or with team.

Tasks/Responsibilities

The Community Engagement Coordinator, reporting directly to the head of PE department, will be responsible for supporting, monitoring and evaluating community engagement strategy for SMRU and Borderland Health Foundation (BHF). The post holder will be responsible for planning, training and facilitating and manage the PE team to reach out to key communities, as we seek to inform them about our work, consult with them over their direction and collaborate with them on new researches and humanitarian projects. With close supervision from the PE head of department, engage with a range of different stakeholders’ groups with interest and relationship with health-related programs. The objective of the Public Engagement Department is promoting a wider community awareness and understanding of health programs and the research and scientific processes that support them.

Plan and support delivery of engagement activities, including creating and organize events.
Support on activities to engage with the community where research and healthcare deliveries are taking place.
Assist in identification, develop and maintain partnerships with relevant internal and external organizations, participate in local and national public engagement networks as deemed necessary.
Supports the PE team to develop and manage community engagement activities, ensuring that they are appropriate to each setting, and report back to team.
Overseeing the design of tools to be used for community engagement activities, feeding back to PE team for tools improvement.
Support the community engagement team for all translations in relevance local languages, ensuring that messages are appropriately and correctly translated, and completion in timely manner.
Supports team with applications for funding for community engagement project.
Support SMRU’s media assistant by engaging through social medial and other online platforms.
Support the PE team to organize, facilitate and design training and workshops for PE team as part of capacity building and better performances.
Participate in budget planning for community engagement related activities that are deemed necessary.
Able to represent the PE department and BHF in conferences to promote SMRU and BHF’s community engagement activities.
Ensure community engagement activities compliance with SMRU’s policies and procedures e.g. health and safety, security and data protection.
Other activities related to SMRU’s community engagement or within the department as assigned by PE head of department and senior member.

Position requirement and desirable skills

Educated to degree level of equivalent in related field.
Significant relevant experience in community engagement.
Experience in strategic thinking and of initiating, managing and delivering long-term projects effectively.
Experience in delivering community engagement activities with various levels of education setting.
Understanding of the need for and benefits of community engagement with research and knowledge of effective community engagement practice.
Experience of training and facilitating workshop.
Supporting and contributing to other functions in Engagement team as well as working collaboratively with other departments across SMRU
Ability in evaluating the effectiveness of community engagement activities and reporting to relevance parties.
Excellent interpersonal skills, able to build productive relationship and partnerships within and beyond the organization including liaise and maintain relationship with partner organizations and IOs, GOs, NGOs, and skills in influencing and negotiation.
Excellent oral and written communication skills in Thai, English, including fluency in local ethnics’ languages, e.g. Karen and Burmese.
Highly self-motivated, proactive and capable of working independently as well as initiating collaborations and working as part of a multi-cultural team.
Knowledge about and skill of digital marketing, graphic design and other social medial-related software is an asset.
Good understanding of the complex situation prevailing on the Thai-Myanmar border.
The abilities to work under pressure