Placement Organization: Banja La Mtsogolo (Marie Stopes International)
Placement Location: Blantyre, Malawi
Eligible Citizenship: Malawian
Placement Location: Blantyre, Malawi
Eligible Citizenship: Malawian
About: Established by Marie Stopes International (MSI) in 1987 and now a senior partner of the MSI Global Partnership, Banja La Mtsogolo (BLM) is the largest sexual and reproductive health organisation in Malawi, delivering clinical services at 31 fixed sites and over 500 sites on an outreach basis. With family planning services as a core business, BLM provides healthcare to over 700,000 Malawians annually.
Banja La Mtsogolo socially markets Manyuchi branded condoms as its core product, along with Misoclear, Pregnancy Test Kits, Oral Contraceptive Pills (OCPs) and Injectollete as additional products, under its Contraceptive Social Marketing (CSM) programme. CSM has a network of over 200 outlets, including clinics, drug stores and pharmacies that buy and distribute these products across the country. BLM also supports a network of private healthcare providers with training and procurement support for family planning products and services in Southern and Central Regions as part of the Blue Star Healthcare Network. BLM, as a senior partner of the Marie Stopes International Global Partnership, is a pro-choice organization driven by its mission to ensure access to family planning methods and the eradication of unsafe abortion. It is essential that fellows considering these roles are able to demonstrate commitment to these values.
Position Overview: The Social Marketing Specialist is expected to provide practical guidance on the promotion, placement, and pricing of CSM products (4 Ps). They will work with the BLM team to assess and redesign the wholesale distribution systems for all the products. The Social Marketing Specialist will also provide technical support to the Social Marketing Manager and a team of three sales reps. Specifically they will provide support for the development of a market strategy for each of the three core products (Manyuchi, Misoclear and Pregnancy Test Kits) on the market now. The specialist will also be involved in the registration of Smart Lady emergency contraceptive and the rebranding of the generic pregnancy test kit to Smart Lady branded test strips.
Responsibilities:
- Increase the capacity of BLMs marketing teams to better understand how to incorporate total market approach strategies within the social marketing plans
- Provide marketing teams with international best practices in advertising and communication interventions
- Develop guidance documents and tools for marketing best practices and approaches including the communication, promotion, and market strategy for whole CSM programme
- Advise technical health services teams regarding the marketing aspects of developing and launching new products
- Improve the Company’s knowledge management; collect examples of excellent marketing from the field and share with the rest of the Company
- Develop a customer strategy for Manyuchi, Misoclear, Pregnancy Test Kits and the yet to be registered Emergency Contraceptive
- Evaluate, develop and help implement a feasible and cost effective sales system and distribution channel for all the products
- Assist in concept/proposal development for a business case to introduce Emergency Contraception and rebrand pregnancy test kits
Required Skills and Experience:
- Experience with marketing and qualitative & quantitative research studies
- Ability to combine an entrepreneurial attitude with grounded, evidence-based decision making
- Creative and innovative thinking coupled with strategic, analytic and practical skills to develop and implement marketing strategies that generate tangible outcomes
- Evidence of ability to work independently and to lead small groups to consensus
- Ability to present information persuasively to a wide variety of audiences
- Results oriented, with a high degree of personal initiative and leadership, in a minimal resource environment
- Consumer and/or pharmaceutical experience, with proven ability to translate insights into winning marketing plans
- High degree of creativity to find new, compelling ways to reach and communicate to consumers
Preferred Skills and Experience:
- Experience in concept and proposal development and writing
- Experience in supply chain management
- MBA in marketing or related subject preferred with at least 2 years of relevant experience in Africa, especially southern Africa or any country sharing Malawi’s economic status
- Experience in private sector consumer and/or pharmaceutical marketing, preferably in emerging economies
Living Conditions: Fellows will be provided with housing, health insurance and a living stipend of $650/month. Fellows will receive an award of $1500 upon successful completion of the fellowship year. Flights to and from the placement site and all other costs associated with GHC programming are included, including $600 in professional development funds.
*Note: the living stipend and completion award may be paid out in USD or local currency, as determined by the placement organization
To apply to this position click here: http://ghcorps.org/fellows/apply/application/
