Social Medicine Coordinators

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT@

Partners in Health (PIH)

POSITION: SOCIAL MEDICINE COORDINATORS (2 POSITIONS)

Location: Upper Neno and Lisungwi

ORGANIZATIONAL PROFILE:

Partners in Health (PIH) is a non-profit organization based in Boston, Massachusetts, USA, whose mission is to provide a preferential option for the poor in health care. Through service delivery, training, advocacy and research, PH works globally to bring the benefits of modern science to those most in need and to serve as an antidote to despair. PIH has programs in Haiti, Peru, Mexico, Russia, Rwanda, Lesotho, Malawi, Sierra Leone, Liberia, Kazakhstan and Boston.

PIH began working in Malawi in 2007, where today we support the Ministry of Health (MOH). Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (APZU) has its headquarters in Neno District with operations across the country.

We therefore seek to recruit suitably qualified and experienced candidates for the following positions;

Position: Social Medicine Coordinators (Two Positions)

Department: Primary Health Care Department

Reports to: Social Medicine Officer

Second Line Reporting: Social Medicine Manager

Commitment: Full Time (Monday-Friday)

Working Hours: Regular Office Hours (40Hrs/Week)

Location: Upper Neno and Lisungwi

POSITION SUMMARY

The Social Medicine Coordinator is a front-line implementation role, working in collaboration with the Social Medicine Officer & Livelihoods Officer, providing direct field-level support to patients, households and communities. This ensures continuity of support for patients and households as they move between clinical settings and community life and strengthens the integration that is central to APZU’s social medicine approach.

CORE RESPONSIBILITIES

Patient Social Support Service Delivery

Conducts initial social screening conversations with patients at health facilities and during home visits using screening tools and report findings to the Social Welfare Officer for formal assessment and action planning.

Accompanies vulnerable patients to health facility appointments, referral visits, and follow-up consultations to reduce transport and navigation barriers, in coordination with the Social Welfare Officer and clinical teams.

Supports the distribution of food parcels, nutrition supplements, and other in-kind social support resources to eligible patients, maintaining accurate distribution records and obtaining required beneficiary acknowledgements.

Coordinates patient transport logistics for enrolled patients, by working with the APZU operations team, motorbike ambulance drivers, and community transport mechanisms to facilitate timely travel to and from care.

Conducts home visits for patients who have missed appointments, are on home-based care, or have been identified as socially vulnerable by clinical teams, and report observations and patient status to the Social Welfare Officer. Provides basic psychosocial support and active listening to patients and family members experiencing distress, while recognizing the limits of the coordinator’s scope and escalating complex cases to the Social Medicine Officer promptly.

Develops Monthly Activity Plan

Livelihood and Community Resilience Service Delivery

Supports the implementation of livelihood activities for APZU-identified vulnerable households, including agricultural inputs support (seeds, fertilizer, tools, Goats), kitchen gardens, and house renovations/ construction and support to small income-generating group activities, as directed by the Livelihood Officer

Supports delivery of emergency social protection measures during shocks (floods, droughts, disease outbreaks, economic crises), such as cash transfers, food assistance, and temporary shelter support for disaster-affected patients and communities

Promotes nutrition-sensitive social protection by collaborating with multi-sector nutrition programs and government nutrition departments to support prevention and management of malnutrition among vulnerable groups (children under 5, pregnant and lactating women, PLHIV).

Assists the Livelihoods Officer in facilitating ELIYA (Economic Literacy and Income-Yielding Assets) sessions and other community economic empowerment or agricultural resilience training activities, including mobilizing participants, preparing materials, and supporting facilitation.

Conducts community-level mapping activities to identify vulnerable households, particularly those that may benefit from livelihood support or social protection program linkages and share findings with the Livelihood Officer.

Supports communities during disaster response and emergency social protection activities, including assisting in beneficiary identification, distribution of emergency supplies (food, non-food items), and post-distribution monitoring, under the direction of the Livelihood Officer.

Mobilizes and maintains relationships with community volunteers, village health committees, community-based organizations, and traditional leadership structures (Traditional Authorities and Village Chief Committees) to support livelihood and social support program delivery at the grassroots level.

Plans and coordinates school/college support program including verification, update data, fees payments and distribution of scholarly materials Plans and schedules home visits for identified vulnerable households in collaboration with Finance department

Program Linkages to Social Protection Programs/Services

Assists patients and households to access government social protection programs, including supporting them to understand eligibility, complete registration processes, and navigate referral steps, under guidance from the Livelihood Officer.

Facilitates linkages between patients and community-based social support services, including those offered by NGOs, churches, government social welfare offices, and community-based organizations, as mapped and maintained by the Social Medicine Officer.

Supports community awareness activities on available social protection programs, patients’ rights to services, and how to access support, (during community meetings, facility health talks, and individual conversations).

Programs Collaboration and Social Medicine Awareness

Works closely with APZU Community, Public and Environmental Health team to identify patients with social support needs during household visits, receive referrals, and ensure continuity of social support between community and facility levels.

Participates in review meetings, community health forums, and facility health talks to contribute the social support and livelihood perspective, helping to raise awareness of social determinants of health among community-level health actors.

Models and promotes APZU’s social medicine principles in all community and patient interactions, treating patients with dignity, understanding their social context, and recognizing the connection between poverty, social conditions, and health outcomes.

OTHER RESPONSIBILITIES

Data Management, Documentation & Reporting

Maintains accurate and up-to-date records for all assigned cases, activities, and field visits using APZU Integrated Social Support registers, activity logbooks, distribution records, and any other documentation tools prescribed by the Social Medicine Officer.

Submits weekly activity reports to both supervising Officers, summarizing patient social support activities, livelihood field activities, household visits, linkage outcomes, and any issues or observations from the field.

Collects and reports patient and community feedback on social support and livelihood program activities to supervising Officers, contributing to program learning and quality improvement.

Supports data collection activities for monitoring and evaluation, including household surveys, beneficiary interviews, and program assessments, assigned by the Social Medicine Manager or Officers.

Program Planning & Operational Management

Supports the Social Medicine Officer with logistical preparation for program activities, including procurement coordination, materials preparation, vehicle booking, venue arrangement, and participant mobilization.

Manages and accounts for small program resources (food parcels, agricultural inputs, hygiene kits, emergency supplies) held at field level, maintaining stock records and reporting usage to the supervising Officers.

Contributes to departmental budget management by providing accurate field expenditure records and supporting Officers in tracking activity costs.

EXPECTED COMPETENCIES, ATTRIBUTES, AND BEHAVIORS

Core Competencies

Knowledge of social determinants of health

Monitoring and evaluation skills

Strong coordination and partnership skills

Data analysis and use for decision-making

Knowledge of Malawi’s social protection architecture

Behavioral Attributes

Teamwork & Collaboration

Flexibility & Resilience

Service Orientation

Integrity & Accountability

Leadership Competencies

Execution & Follow-through

Problem Solving

Communication

Supportive Supervision

Leadership Competencies

Execution & Follow-through

Problem Solving

Communication

Supportive Supervision

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE

Diploma in Social Work, Community Development, Agriculture, Public Health, or a related field,

Bachelor’s Degree in the above fields will be an added advantage.

Training in social support, community health, or livelihood programming

Basic literacy in social protection and government programs 3-5 years’ experience in social support, community development, Agriculture, public health, or development programs

3-5 years’ experience in project management and health systems strengthening

3-5 years’ experience working with government and partners

BENEFITS AND REMUNERATION

An attractive remuneration package will be offered to the successful candidates commensurate with experience and qualifications.

Qualified and interested persons should apply strictly to the email address below, enclosing their cover letter; copies of relevant certificates and Curriculum Vitae indicating three names of traceable referees (including direct supervisors) with valid telephone numbers and email. addresses not later than 15th May 2026. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for interviews.

Email: apzurecruitment@pih.org with the title of the position indicated on the subject of the email addressing;

The Director of Human Resources and Administration

Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU)

P.O. Box 56

NENO

NB: Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU) is is an equal opportunity employer, so, all qualified applicants will receive consideration for employment without regard to race, colour, religion, gender, tribe, disability status, or any other characteristic protected by law. We strive to provide an inclusive and supportive working environment.

The ideal candidate must be willing to be based in a rural district and travel regularly to facilities and communities.

Partners In Health/Abwenzi Pa Za Umoyo (PIH/APZU) is committed to safeguarding staff, children and communities with whom we work with. We are committed to ensuring that those who benefit from our work-including our patients, families and community members -as well as our staff are treated with dignity and respect and are protected from sexual exploitation, abuse and sexual harassment. Therefore, any offer of employment is conditional upon the successful completion of applicable background checks.

The Organisation does not charge any fees at any stage of the recruitment process. If you are asked to make a payment at any stage of the recruitment process, please contact apzuhr@pih.org and speakup@pih.org.