Social Behavior Change (SBC) Strategy Advisor - remote

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.

The Program / Department / Team (Program / Department Summary) MC signed an agreement with the United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) to implement the Graduating to Sustainable Agriculture, Income, Nutrition, and Food Security (GAINS) Program. GAINS is a five-year Resilience Food Security Activity (RFSA) which began in October 2023 and will conclude in September 2028. GAINS, locally knowns as Tuya Kumpala (“Lets advance together” in Tshiluba) aims to sustainably improve food, nutrition, and economic security (FNES) in selected areas in the Kamonia and Luebo territories in Kasai Province. MC is leading the GAINS consortium in collaboration with World Vision, AVSI Foundation, International Institute of Tropical Agriculture, International Potato Center, Action pour la Paix et la Concorde, Inter-Actions, Social Development Center, Soins de Santé Primaires en Milieu Rural (SANRU) and VIAMO.

The Position (General Position Summary)MC is seeking a Short-Term Assignment (STA) Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Strategy Advisor to provide technical leadership on and ownership of the design and implementation plan of GAINS’ SBC strategy. This work builds on the results of a Behavioral Barrier Analysis (BBA) and related assessments completed through the program’s Refine and Implement phase (which concluded in October 2024). SBC components under GAINS are intentionally cross-cutting. The SBC Strategy Advisor (STA) will be responsible for identifying the SBC entry points across sectors and stakeholder groups. They will play a leading role in finalizing the design of an SBC strategy to achieve the following priority behaviors:

• Households plan for and increase savings. (GAINS Purpose 1)
• Agricultural producers use productive and environmentally friendly farming technologies. (GAINS Purpose 1)
• Mothers exclusively breastfeed infants for the first six months. (GAINS Purpose 2)
• Household members—particularly pregnant and lactating women (PLW) and young children—consume safe, diverse, and nutrient dense food. (GAINS Purpose 2)
• Households adopt hygienic food and water handling, preparation, and storage. (GAINS Purpose 2)
• Households properly use and maintain new and improved sanitation infrastructure. (GAINS Purpose 2)
• Communities protect, maintain, and properly manage water points. (GAINS Purpose 2) The Advisor will be directly responsible for providing technical leadership on how to sequence and layer SBC activities with the program’s investments to confront structural barriers to FNES. This includes political and market systems, conflict, and climate change. The Advisor will train other staff in SBC and support the Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) of the SBC strategy. They will also make recommendations for ongoing capacity building and the program’s learning agenda. Finally, the Advisor will directly collaborate with other USAID implementers working on similar programs in Kasai and across the DRC.This position is open for both international and national recruitment.

  Essential ResponsibilitiesSTRATEGY AND PLANNING

  • Lead the finalization of a robust, evidence-based and contextually appropriate SBC strategy that builds upon completed assessments and other project learnings.
  • Assist in the development of a work plan of activities to implement the SBC strategy during Years 3, 4 & 5 of the project. HUMAN RESOURCES
    • Assist with the on-boarding of the SBC Specialist, a national staff position in the process of being recruited, ensuring they are set up for success to oversee the implementation of the GAINS SBC Strategy. PROGRAM MANAGEMENT & EXTERNAL RELATIONS
      • Share real-time updates to program team and global support staff on progress related to SBC activities, in writing and through regular meetings
      • Provide capacity building — through training and refresher sessions to team members through the “Make Me A Change Agent” course
      • Actively participate in coordination meetings with GAINS SBC partners and stakeholders
        • Assist in responding to donor requests for technical information and guidance FINANCE, OPERATIONS AND COMPLIANCE MANAGEMENT
          • Contribute to quarterly and annual donor reporting, alongside other team leads
          • Ensure the filing and archiving of relevant technical, administrative and financial documents
            
            ACCOUNTABILITY TO PROGRAM PARTICIPANTS
            • MC team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries, and adhere to all standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in designing, monitoring, and evaluating our projects.
            • Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC's policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.

              Supervisory ResponsibilityNone.

              Accountability Reports Directly To: Deputy Chief of Party - TechnicalWorks Directly With: Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party – Technical, P1 Lead, Governance Lead, GYSI Lead, MEL Director, CLA Advisor

              Accountability to Participants and StakeholdersMercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, stakeholders, and to uphold international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

              Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills

              • Demonstrated experience designing, implementing, and measuring innovative and effective SBC strategies. Experience applying SBC approaches beyond communications and to FNES programs is a plus.
              • A systems thinker experienced in social science research methods.
              • Experience developing and delivering effective SBC capacity strengthening support for fellow team members and community partners.
              • Demonstrated success building and managing relationships with community stakeholders, development partners, and donors.
              • Excellent written and oral communication skills in English. French language skills are a plus.
              • Ability to intervene in a complex environment, adapt to stressful situations, and make quick and effective decisions with respect for procedures and deadlines.
              • Experience working in the DRC, Central Africa or Francophone countries in Sub-Saharan Africa.
              • Ability to travel for field missions in remote rural areas as needed.
              • University degree in international development, behavioral or social sciences, communication, public health, community development, or related field. Master’s degree preferred.

                Success Factors Key Behaviors, Attitudes, and Soft-Skills for an SBC Advisor on GAINSTo excel as the Social and Behavior Change (SBC) Advisor for the GAINS Activity, you need a strategic, people-centered mindset combined with top-tier interpersonal and adaptive skills. Below are the specific behaviors, attitudes, and soft skills that will drive your success:

                1. Strategic & Analytical Behaviors
                   • Systems thinking: Map how SBC entry points layer across agriculture, nutrition, WASH and governance to tackle structural barriers comprehensively.
                   • Evidence-driven planning: Translate findings from the Behavioral Barrier Analysis into clear audience segments, sub-behaviors and measurable indicators.
                   • Participatory facilitation: Design and lead inclusive workshops that co-create strategy with partners and validate approaches in both English and French.
                   • Attitudes
                     • Growth mindset: Embrace feedback, dedicate ≥5% of your time to continuous learning and adapt strategies in real time.
                     • Cultural humility: Value local knowledge, respect customs and engage communities as equal partners in every phase.
                     • Ethical integrity: Uphold transparency, mutual respect and accountability to both USAID standards and beneficiary communities.
                     • Soft Skills
                       • Communication & bilingual proficiency: Craft concise, compelling messages and reports; practice active listening to surface hidden barriers.
                       • Relationship-building & diplomacy: Forge trust across consortium members, local authorities and community champions; manage expectations tactfully.
                       • Adaptability & resilience: Thrive under shifting programmatic and security conditions; make timely decisions while respecting procedures and deadlines.
                       • Emotional intelligence: Self-manage stress, read group dynamics sensitively and maintain composure in remote rural settings.
                       • Time management & organization: Juggle strategy finalization, training rollouts, and message development with rigorous follow-through.
                       • Creative problem-solving: Innovate context-specific SBC tools (e.g., participatory theatre, radio diaries) that resonate with diverse audiences.

                         Living Conditions / Environmental ConditionsMercy Corps offers a competitive benefits package for positions based in the Kasai province, which is an unaccompanied duty station. Tshikapa is the capital of the Kasai Province, a lively rural city of 971,000 inhabitants where a number of humanitarian actors are present. Housing will be provided by Mercy Corps in either a self-contained apartment at its Guest House which includes cooking facilities, or in one of the local hotels, depending on availability. In the city center water and power are fairly stable, and small restaurants, shops and banks are reasonably accessible. There are three main hospitals which provide adequate health care services, with evacuation options to Kinshasa or Kikwit as required. Internet and mobile network capacity exist. The temperature is often between 30-35 degrees Celsius.
                         
                         Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDT to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves professionally and respect local laws, customs, and MC’s policies, procedures, and values, all the time and in-country.
                         
                         

                         Ongoing LearningIn support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development

                         Team Efficiency and Effectiveness