Position Summary:
The role of the Community Liaison Officer is to facilitate relationships between community members and Baylor-Tanzania. The Community Liaison Officer will play a critical role in raising community awareness of and access to the range of services provided by Baylor-Tanzania to support children and families infected and affected with HIV/AIDS within the Centre’s catchment area. The role is responsible for developing relationships with a range of community groups, agencies and service providers, delivering information sessions, attending and conducting relevant community events, undertaking stakeholder consultations and promoting referrals and pathways into services.

Duties and Responsibilities
• Communicates with the community on behalf of Baylor-Tanzania for the purpose of ensuring that ongoing partnerships between Baylor-Tanzania and the home based care (HBC) activities are continuous and any barriers removed
• Conducts community meetings for the purpose of gaining information and and/or discussing needs of the children and families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS
• Coordinates and engages community members in activities to improve health care and treatment associated with children and families infected and affected by HIV/AIDS
• Supports development and implementation of capacity building programs for community members to increase their knowledge and awareness of health care and treatment for HIV positive children and adolescents and best practices in communication to empower them to engage and mobilize communities and relevant care and treatment partners and support agencies
• Identifies opportunities for Baylor-Tanzania staff/community members to engage directly with each other e.g. community events
• Maintains regular communication between Baylor-Tanzania staff and community members as well as other stakeholder representatives
• Seeks and engages with community groups that need to access Baylor-Tanzania’s focus services and assist with cultural issues that may otherwise hinder full participation in care and treatment
• Updates the Baylor-Tanzania team members and other relevant stakeholders of any cultural or social issues that may affect individual and/or community members participation in care and treatment
• Assists in coordinates setting up Baylor-Tanzania community events
• Coordinates and implements the Lost-to-Follow Up tracking program and DBS call back programs together with psychosocial and M&E teams
• Maintains records of contacts and community activities
• Supports the development of media / communication briefs and events that provide information to the general public and key stakeholders
• Monitors media reports concerning pediatric and adolescent HIV/AIDS treatment and care, and brings any issues of concern to the attention of management
• Develop public information and educational materials on pediatric HIV/AIDS and the services offered by Baylor Tanzania in line with Baylor Tanzania’s strategic objectives
• Review and implement advocacy strategies that will promote a vibrate civil society that promotes pediatric and adolescent HIV/AIDS preventative measures and adherence to care and treatment for the HIV/AIDS families in line with Baylor-Tanzania’s advocacy and communications guidelines
• Works closely with other Baylor programs (e.g. PHFS and UNICEF) to help develop, implement and monitor the various community-level aspects of these programs

Qualifications / Skills
• A degree in social work or community development with at least three years experience in a similar role
• Excellent English and Kiswahili written and oral communication skills
• Ability to manage confidential and sensitive information appropriately
• Demonstrates strong ability to clearly communicate, with strong people coordination, assessment and negotiation skills, problem solving and conflict management skills, and the ability to quickly create rapport
• Demonstrates an appreciation of differences in culture, customs, religions, and practices and a willingness to work respectfully and flexibly with such differences
• Ability to conceptualize and clearly communicate complex ideas–using varied communication sources–to a variety of stakeholders
• Ability to work independently, demonstrating good judgment and maturity in thought and action
• Well developed time management and organizational skills, with attention to accuracy and detail a must

HOW TO APPLY:
Send your application with the subject COMMUNITY LIAISON OFFICER to hr baylortanzania.or.tz

Or

Address to:
Senior Administrator and HR,
P. O. Box 2663,
Mbeya.
Deadline for applications is 10th June 2015