Technical Writer and Documentation Specialist

at  mothers2mothers

mothers2mothers (m2m) is an African Primary Health Care organisation that employs women living with HIV as community health workers across 10 African nations. These “Mentor Mothers” deliver integrated health services at clinics and in communities to ensure everyone, everywhere, has access to the services they need to be healthy and stay in care. Over the next five years, this proven, peer-led model is being scaled up to double down on ending HIV, as well as to tackle new health challenges and reach more people - all with the aim of building a fairer, healthier future. The employment of local women as community health workers means that we are delivering a model that prioritises healthcare for families who need it most, delivered by women who know them best. Since its creation in 2001, m2m has created jobs for nearly 12,000 women living with HIV in sub-Saharan Africa and, together, they have reached over 15M people with critical health services and education. In 2021, m2m reached over 1.6M people across 10 African nations, including 402,616 adolescents (ages 10-19) - 51% more than the year before. m2m also advanced the Global Goals of ending HIV/AIDS by 2030 - by achieving virtual elimination of mother-to-child transmission of HIV among its enrolled clients for the eighth consecutive year, and meeting all of the ambitious UNAIDS Fast-Track Targets among its clients four years ahead of the 2026 target date. For more information, visit www.m2m.org
Job Title
Technical Writer and Documentation Specialist
Organisation Levels
mothers2mothers -> m2m Head Office -> Programmes
Location
Cape Town - , 8000 ZA (Primary)
Type of position
Fixed Term Contract
Education
Master’s
Closing Date
19/4/2024
Job Description
We are seeking a Technical Writer and Documentation Specialist (TWDS) to help us better translate our excellent technical work into a variety of outputs for internal and external audiences, including items such as green papers and white papers, fact sheets, technical or policy briefings, donor reports or proposals, op-eds, conference abstracts and posters, and blog posts. Through this content, we will drive greater understanding of the issues underpinning m2m’s work, and our unique contribution, helping us to secure additional support and partnerships.
The Technical Writer and Documentation Specialist is a self-motivated, enterprising individual with a proven track record of producing excellent written content on public health and related issues in sub-Saharan Africa. The Technical Writer has the qualifications and experience to find and produce “stories” / material that will promote health and advance m2m’s strategy.
Working closely with a team of Frontline Health Workers, Technical Experts in Public Health, Primary Health Care, Programme Implementation, Strategic Information and Implementation Science, Communications Professionals, and with a thorough understanding of the value of including diverse voices of real people, the Technical Writer will find, develop and deliver compelling content that utilises both internal and external sources (including data) to help a diverse range of audiences gain a deeper understanding about ensuring equitable access to quality healthcare services in sub-Saharan Africa, promoting well-being, and reducing health disparities among individuals and communities.
The Public Health Journalist will investigate, analyse and report on a wide range of public health and related issues in sub-Saharan Africa to empower people to make healthy choices, inform decision makers and promote debate about best practice interventions – all in the context of a commitment to accurate, balanced and fair reporting that is based on scientific evidence.

QUALIFICATIONS:

• Post Graduate Degree in Communications or Journalism.
• Specialization in Health Journalism is a strong recommendation.
• Master’s degree in public health (MPH) is a strong recommendation.
• At least three – five years of experience as a Health Journalist / Health Reporter, or an equivalent technical writing role.
• Thorough understanding of, and the ability to undertake detailed research/reporting into Public Health, Health Systems, Primary Health Care, Community Based PHC, Universal Health Coverage, Burden of Disease in sub-Saharan Africa, barriers to uptake of health services in sub-Saharan Africa, Digital Health and related (health) topics.
• Basic understanding of empirical research design, research methodology and analysis culminating in the ability to translate scientific material into readable, relevant and compelling material for a general audience.
• Experience in science reporting is a strong recommendation.
• Strong written and verbal communication – i.e. a demonstrated ability to articulate and present verbally and in writing.
• Advanced-level professional competency and brilliant command of written and spoken English.
• Professional competency in Portuguese and / or French is a strong recommendation.

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE:

• Excellent reporting and writing skills, displaying versatility and nuance with a proven track record of finding, producing and driving compelling, evidence-based, rigorously reported Public Health material to a range of audiences.
• The ability to communicate clearly and precisely in various formats (written / text, audio, digital/social, interactive etc.) and face-to-face.
• A passion for following health trends and their impact on communities, using data insightfully to add context.
• The skillset and ambition to take on deeps-dives and detailed research work.
• The ability to pursue innovative and inclusive coverage techniques while maintaining standards for integrity and objectivity.
• The ability to question assumptions – including your own – and take the extra steps needed to construct multi-dimensional, in-depth, well researched material for multiple stakeholder groups ranging from lay audiences to technically expert audiences.
• The ability to distill complex and dense subjects into readable and relevant material for a general audience.
• Good teamwork – i.e. the ability to work within an inclusive, collaborative team environment, including but not limited to Frontline Health Workers, Technical Specialists in Public Health, in Development, Programme Implementation, Strategic Information, Implementation Science etc.
• The ability to manage multiple projects simultaneously across formats and successfully follow complex story lines.
• A perfectionist’s attention to detail.
• Excellent project-management skills.
• A proven ability to meet deadlines.
• Self-Motivated – the ability to stay disciplined and motivated.
• High degree of independent thinking and self-responsibility.
  mothers2mothers is an equal opportunity employer. We particularly encourage applications from people living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHA), people with disabilities, women and previously disadvantaged people. Competitive salary packages will be negotiable in accordance with m2m’s remuneration policies.

Please refer the Job description for details