Social Behavioral Change and Communication Specialist, Regular Consultant - Level II

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

9 November 2025-23:59-GMT+09:00 East Timor Time (Dili)

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ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

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WHY JOIN WFP? 

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.

• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.

• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.

• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

JOB TITLE: Social Behavioral Change and Communication Specialist
TYPE OF CONTRACT: International Consultancy (Regular Consultant- Level II)
UNIT/DIVISION: Programme Unit
DUTY STATION (City, Country): Dili, Timor-Leste
DURATION: 11 months

Role Dimension:

The SBCC Specialist will play a critical role in developing and implementing Social and Behaviour Change Communication (SBCC) strategies to enhance nutrition outcomes, strengthen social protection systems, promote sustainable food systems, and improve school feeding initiatives in Timor-Leste. The incumbent will work closely with government counterparts and key stakeholders to design and roll out effective communication interventions that drive positive behavioural changes at the individual, community, and institutional levels. The SBCC Specialist will provide technical support to ensure that SBCC strategies are evidence-based, culturally appropriate, and effectively integrated into broader food security, emergency programmes and nutrition programmes, including Home-Grown School Feeding (HGSF).

The role involves capacity building of stakeholders, monitoring and evaluating SBCC interventions, and ensuring that community-level advocacy efforts support national policies on nutrition-sensitive school feeding, food system transformation, and social protection programmes. Additionally, the SBCC Specialist will ensure that interventions are tailored to address gender and disability inclusion, particularly focusing on improving dietary diversity, maternal and child nutrition, and the adoption of sustainable food practices within schools and communities.

Key Areas of Accountability:

A. Technical Leadership:

• Lead the development and adaptation of SBCC strategies to improve nutrition awareness, dietary diversity, and school feeding participation in Timor-Leste.
• Support the integration of SBCC interventions within nutrition-sensitive social protection programmes, including cash transfers and home-grown school feeding initiatives.
• Develop and implement SBCC materials and messaging to encourage the consumption of locally produced nutrient-rich foods within school feeding programmes.
• Provide technical guidance on nutrition-sensitive behavioural change interventions to improve dietary practices among schoolchildren, caregivers, and communities.
• Lead the design of tailored advocacy messages to engage policymakers, government officials, and community leaders on the importance of sustainable food systems and school feeding.
• Develop and implement training materials to build the capacity of stakeholders, school administrators, and local government officials on SBCC methodologies.
• Ensure that SBCC strategies address barriers to access for vulnerable groups, including girls, children with disabilities, and marginalized communities.
• Collaborate with education, health, and agriculture sectors to promote nutrition-sensitive interventions within schools and households.
• Develop and implement monitoring tools to assess the effectiveness of SBCC strategies in changing community behaviours related to nutrition and food security.
• Conduct capacity building and trainings on SBCC to WFP colleagues, national SBCC focal point.

B. Ensuring Programme Quality (Design & Implementation):

• Work closely with WFP’s social protection and school feeding teams to integrate SBCC approaches into existing food security programmes.
• Provide coaching and mentoring to government and local stakeholders on gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive SBCC interventions.
• Collaborate with media and technology-based teams to ensure SBCC messages are effectively disseminated through radio, digital platforms, and print materials.
• Support the documentation of best practices, success stories, and case studies related to SBCC interventions in food systems and school feeding.
• Facilitate the development of community-driven SBCC campaigns that promote improved nutrition and local food procurement for school meals.
• Participate in joint field visits to assess the challenges and effectiveness of SBCC implementation and recommend adaptive measures.
• Contribute to the preparation of reports, technical briefs, and learning documents on SBCC implementation in nutrition and school feeding programmes.

C. Networking & External Engagement:

• Engage with government institutions, development partners, and civil society organizations to promote SBCC as a critical component of nutrition and food security policies.
• Participate in relevant national and regional working groups on nutrition, social protection, and school feeding to share insights and advocate for SBCC integration.
• Work with UN agencies, NGOs, and academic institutions to leverage expertise and resources for strengthening SBCC interventions in Timor-Leste.
• Advocate for the inclusion of gender-sensitive and disability-inclusive SBCC approaches within school feeding and social protection policies.
• Foster partnerships with media organizations to amplify nutrition-sensitive messages and promote behavioural change at scale.
• Support the development of SBCC-driven policy recommendations to enhance national school feeding programmes and sustainable food systems.

D. Perform other tasks within the technical area of work, as required.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education: Master's degree in psychology, behavioural Change, Communications, Social sciences, Marketing and Development Studies

Experience:

• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience implementing SBCC programmes or advising on social and behavioural change interventions;
• Experience designing and conducting SBCC research and Results related to social and behavior change.
• Previous experience supporting the development of behavior change strategies, materials and campaigns that delivered quality results (Particularly working on SBCC strategies for nutrition system strengthening projects)

Knowledge & Skills:

• Advocacy and networking skills with a broad range of stakeholders including government and private Sectors, media companies, civil society, NGOs, and international cooperation.
• Ability to work with minimum supervision under pressure and meet tight deadlines, while managing multiple priorities simultaneously.
• Openness to working collaboratively with a diverse team
• Experience working in a role to build capacity of others
• Strong written and spoken English ability
• Innovative, creative, flexible, and adaptive in tailoring approaches to local circumstances

Languages: Fluency (level C) in English language. Fluency or Intermediate knowledge (level B) of Portuguese and/or Tetum is an advantage

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

 

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Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

 

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

 

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact:  global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

 

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REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).

• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.

• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language

• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter

• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time

• Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application

• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.