Early Childhood Development – ​​Behaviour Change Communication Programme Manager ToR – United Arab Emirates

SBC Campaign Manager – Early Childhood Development Program

Scope of work

Location:

Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates

Reporting Manager:

MAGENTA Team Leader

Length of time

18 months

Start date

September 2025

About MAGENTA

MAGENTA is a social and behavioral change research and communications agency operating globally from the Middle East to West Africa. MAGENTA specializes in understanding human decision-making processes to develop communications solutions for sustainable and scalable positive change in fragile and conflict-affected environments.

Using the latest principles of behavioral science and a rigorous approach to research, strategy, campaign design and implementation, MAGENTA designs and implements social and behavior change communication (SBCC) interventions to support development actors in achieving their goals. MAGENTA’s services range from formative research, strategy development, creative development, campaign management to monitoring and evaluation and capacity building.

Our clients include UN agencies, international NGOs, governments and the private sector. We aim to amplify the voices of local actors while bringing international expertise and methodological rigour. To do this, we partner with civil society, creative agencies, media and academics to develop innovative, relevant and impactful solutions to some of the most challenging problems of our time. Whether we are looking to change parenting practices to improve child development or understand how social norms encourage corruption, we always go the extra mile to ensure we have a positive impact on some of the world’s most disadvantaged populations.

MAGENTA has been operating in the region since 2019, conducting innovative and challenging behavioral research to design and implement social and behavior change interventions to address challenges related to social cohesion, health practices and environmental protection.

background

MAGENTA will support Abu Dhabi’s Early Childhood Authority in implementing a social and behavioural change strategy for early childhood development (building parental behaviours and practices for early stimulation, attentive care, play and self-care) developed by MAGENTA in 2023. In parallel, MAGENTA will lead the delivery of the flagship campaign ‘Why ECD Matters’, identifying synergies with the SBC campaign and ensuring key child protection messages are included throughout.

MAGENTA will also support the design and implementation of community-based activities to increase general awareness and advocacy in key areas such as the importance of the early years of life (“Why early childhood developmental disorders matter”) and child protection.

Goals

MAGENTA is recruiting an SBC Campaign Manager who will be seconded to the ABU DHABI GOVERNMENT ENTITY to support all communications activities on-site at the office.

The SBC Campaign Manager oversees the development, implementation and evaluation of the two campaigns above. The role includes strategic planning, coordination and execution to ensure the campaign achieves its objectives and delivers measurable impact.

The SBC Campaign Manager will be supported by a local Creative Director who worked on previous phases of the project and will also work with a remote team of international MAGENTA experts, including a team leader, senior SBC consultant, program owner and M&E team.

Tasks

The SBC Campaign Manager will be the face of the project in Abu Dhabi and will interact with a wide range of stakeholders at the highest levels of government and their government partners.

He/she will lead all aspects of stakeholder engagement, attend all meetings with the government agency and its partners, facilitate workshops and events in Abu Dhabi, and oversee all aspects of campaign design and implementation.

Research and analysis:

• Look at existing research to understand the target audience, including their behavior, attitudes and media consumption habits.
• Analyze data and insights to develop campaign strategies and messaging.
• Plan existing strategies, programs and key messages to be included in campaigns to ensure internal alignment.

Campaign strategy and planning:

• Design strategic communications plans that align with campaign objectives.
• Develop the creative brief and select a suitable production agency
• Manage the production agency and oversee the development of creative and compelling campaign materials, including messaging, images and multimedia content.

Community involvement:

• Conducting workshops for parents using public facilities such as libraries, parks

Implementation and coordination:

• Coordinate with internal teams and external stakeholders, including community leaders, partners and media, to ensure effective dissemination of campaign messages.
• Work with the production company to guide them through the implementation and oversee the production and distribution of campaign materials across multiple channels.
• Identify collaboration opportunities with stakeholders (government and private) to maximize public outreach, such as the AD Sports Council to organize a series of activities in the AD Emirate or the Ministry of Health to disseminate the messages in hospitals and clinics.
• Foster partnerships and collaboration with the media: Meet with media outlets, opinion leaders and journalists to educate them on the campaign’s key messages, sensitivities and ethical issues.

Monitoring and evaluation:

• Set measurable goals and regularly evaluate the impact of your advocacy and awareness-raising efforts.
• Analyze campaign data and metrics to assess impact and effectiveness.
• Make data-driven adjustments to optimize campaign performance.
• Participate in campaign effectiveness evaluation to learn what worked well and what could be improved in future campaigns.

Reporting and Compliance:

• Prepare detailed reports on campaign progress, results and lessons learned.
• Ensure compliance with project objectives, funder requirements and organizational policies.
• Manage the campaign budget and ensure efficient use of resources.

Requirements and competencies

Requirements:

• Educational background:
  • Bachelor’s degree in communications, marketing, social sciences, healthcare or a related field. A master’s degree is preferred.
• Experience:
  • At least 5 years of experience leading social and behavioural change campaigns or similar initiatives in the UAE or similar context.
  • Proven track record in designing, implementing and evaluating SBC campaigns.
  • Understanding SBC programming and how it can contribute to improving ECD outcomes in Abu Dhabi
  • Experience working with diverse stakeholders including community groups, media and partners.
  • Proven experience in project management and budget management.
  • Knowledge of early childhood development is an advantage.
• Technical skills:
  • Good understanding of social and behavior change theories and practices.
  • Competence in strategic communication planning and implementation.
  • Experience with digital and traditional media channels.
• Language skills:
  • Excellent written and oral knowledge of English and Arabic.

Competencies:

• Critical thinking
• Interpersonal skills:
• Ability to think critically and strategically about communication and behavior change.
• Creative thinking to develop compelling and innovative campaign materials.
• Strong project management skills, including planning, execution and monitoring.
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and set priorities effectively.
• Strong analytical skills to interpret data and derive insights for campaign optimization.
• Ability to engage and influence a broad range of stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work in a team.
• Cultural sensitivity:
  • Awareness and sensitivity to cultural differences and the UAE context.
  • Ability to adapt messages and approaches to be culturally appropriate and effective.
  • Good sense of humor, personable demeanor and proven ability to build networks.
• Flexibility and adaptability:
  • Ability to adapt to changing circumstances and deal with uncertainties.
  • Ability to work independently with a remote international team

INSTRUCTIONS

Applicants should have a two-page CV And Motivation letter HereIn your cover letter, you should explain your motivation for joining the MAGENTA team and specifically explain how you can enrich MAGENTA’s work with your experience and skills.