Community Engagement Officer

The Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN)

We seek a dynamic, innovative individual passionate about increasing access to quality care and improving health systems in Vietnam. If you want to partner with physicians and researchers from Harvard Medical School and apply your knowledge of the healthcare system to public health programming, this could be the right job for you. At the Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN) we work with HIV clinics, the Ministry of Health, local health authorities and the community to reduce barriers to HIV treatment and optimize a people-centered approach to healthcare. To do this, we hire bright individuals who are eager to engage with our team and our partners and apply evidence-based solutions to health care.

The Partnership for Health Advancement in Vietnam (HAIVN) is a project of Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) with Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School. Through a cooperative agreement with the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (US CDC), our team brings clinical and technical backgrounds to expand, standardize, and integrate the Vietnam National HIV program at the national level. We collaborate with the Vietnam Administration for HIV/AIDS Control (VAAC) and provincial Departments of Health to build the capacity of health workers in HIV prevention and treatment and improve the quality of care provided to people living with HIV. Our work supports the goal of ending AIDS by 2030.

Community Engagement Officer

HAIVN is seeking a Community Engagement Officer, based in Hanoi, responsible for planning, monitoring, and coordinating activities related to LGBTIQ community engagement, empowerment, and capacity building. We seek candidates with knowledge and experience working with LGBTIQ populations and community-based organizations.

Job Location: This position will be based in Hanoi with travel to project sites in (primarily Northern) Vietnam.

Overall Responsibilities:

The Community Engagement Officer will have a large network and trusted relationship with the LGBTQ community in the north of Vietnam, particularly young men who have sex with men (MSM). They will understand the needs of the community, and will plan project activities, provide technical assistance, and support partners to respond to the needs of the community.

Specific Responsibilities:

1. Collaborate closely with provincial CDC, health staff of local outpatient clinics, and community-based organizations (CBOs) on the planning, design, implementation, coordination, and monitoring and evaluation of programs and interventions aimed at improving HIV care and reducing HIV transmission by scaling up pre-exposure prophylaxis (PrEP), in US CDC-supported provinces (Hai Phong, Thai Nguyen, and Hanoi)
2. Engage and communicate with LGBTIQ community in Vietnam, particularly young MSM, to understand their needs, build relationships, and grow HAIVN and partner CBO community networks
3. Provide technical assistance and oversight to Community Advisory Boards (CABs) through support for Community Scorecards (CSC), Community-led Monitoring (CLM) and other approaches to empower the community in improving HIV services
4. Liaise with and provide training, technical support and oversight to community-based organizations (CBOs) working in CDC/PEPFAR priority provinces
5. Support HAIVN Communication officer and CBO-partners to design and implement communication strategies that reach MSM and transgender populations in Vietnam
6. Contribute to the development of training materials and tools for CBOs
7. Translate project, curricular, and other materials from English to Vietnamese and vice versa
8. Provide English-Vietnamese interpretation at training courses and in communication with partners

Required Experience

• University degree required; public health degree preferred
• At least 3 years of experience in HIV prevention and/or public health implementation
• Experience working with LGBTIQ community (for example, as a peer health worker, community engagement specialist, or as a community leader)
• Experience working with international donor-funded projects preferred

Required Qualifications

• Fluency in Vietnamese and English including reading, speaking and writing
• Able to work effectively in a complex international environment
• Well-organized and able to handle multiple tasks and changing priorities
• Good computer and information technology skills
• Good interpersonal, communication, and presentation skills
• Able to work both independently and as a team member
• Able to work under pressure, to meet deadlines
• Able and willing to travel within Vietnam
• Passionate about empowering the community and improving the lives of people living with HIV

Direct reporting:  HIV Team Director (Hanoi)

Position Type: Full-Time

To apply for this position, please send a cover letter and curriculum vitae to Ms. Dam Thuy Huong at [email protected] no later than August 25, 2023.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for an interview.