Position Title:                        Youth Coordinator

Location:                                PANAH Secretariat, AFIC-NIHD, The Mall, Rawalpindi.

Reporting to:                         Project Manager/Director Operations PANAH
Duration:                               12 months with potential for renewal based
Application Deadline:           1^st Nov, 2024

Background

The Pakistan National Heart Association (PANAH) is at the forefront of public health advocacy, focusing on combating non-communicable diseases (NCDs) and advocating policies to reduce the consumption of unhealthy diet. As part of its "Promoting Healthy Food Choices Among Youth of Pakistan" project, PANAH aims to mobilize over 5,000 youth, aged 18-30, to advocate for policy changes, particularly increasing taxes on ultra-processed products (UPPs) to reduce their consumption and enactment of mandatory front of nutrition labelling and warning signs to empower consumers to adopt healthier choices. To strengthen youth engagement in this campaign, PANAH seeks a dynamic Youth Coordinator to lead and manage youth-focused advocacy initiatives.

Objective of the Role

The Youth Coordinator will spearhead efforts to engage youth institutions, universities and organizations across Pakistan, mobilizing youth in advocating for increased taxes and enactment of front of pack nutrition labeling and warning signs on UPPs, and other public health measures. The role will involve coordinating youth-led projects, organizing sensitization sessions and strengthening capacity of young advocates in driving public health campaigns.

Key Responsibilities

1. Youth Engagement & Mobilization

• Identify and recruit youth from universities, colleges, youth institutions and civil society organizations working to enhance youth participation for policy change aimed at reducing consumption of ultra-processed food and beverage products.

• Develop and execute a comprehensive youth engagement strategy to educate and mobilize over 5,000 youth on the health risks of UPPs and the importance of policy changes to reduce their consumption.

• Facilitate youth in leading advocacy campaigns and implementing small-scale projects focused on raising awareness and mobilizing public support for UPP tax increases.

2. Coordination of Sensitization Sessions

• Organize quarterly sensitization sessions with youth institutions, focusing on equipping youth with data, knowledge and advocacy tools related to UPPs and public health.

• Engage youth in discussions to generate ideas for mobilizing public support through creative and impactful advocacy strategies.

• Work closely with project partners to ensure the success and effectiveness of these sessions.

3. Project Support & Oversight

• Support the design, development and execution of youth-led advocacy projects aimed at advancing policies to reduce consumption of UPPs.

• Review and provide guidance on youth-led project proposals, ensuring they align with PANAH’s advocacy goals and objectives.

• Monitor and track the progress of these projects, offering support as needed to ensure their successful implementation.

• Build capacity of young advocates on project management and leading advocacy campaigns.

4. Digital Advocacy Campaigns

• Coordinate youth-led digital advocacy initiatives across social media platforms, leveraging digital channels to raise awareness and generate public support for increasing taxes and enactment of front of pack nutrition labelling and warning signs on UPPs .

• Support youth in content creation for digital campaigns, including posts, videos and other media.

• Track the impact of digital campaigns, reporting on engagement metrics and providing insights to improve future efforts.

5. National Conference & Youth Recognition

• Support the Project Manager in organizing a national conference to celebrate the successful completion of youth-led projects, showcase achievements and distribute awards to the top 10 youth campaigns.

• Encourage continued youth participation in PANAH’s advocacy initiatives.

• Gather feedback from participants to improve future youth engagement strategies.

6. Reporting & Documentation

• Prepare monthly reports on the progress of youth engagement activities, including successes, challenges and lessons learned.

• Document key milestones, events and outcomes from youth-led projects and sensitization sessions for future reference.

• Provide recommendations for continuous improvement in youth advocacy efforts.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Nutrition, Social Sciences, Youth Development or a related field (Master’s degree preferred).

• A minimum of 3-5 years of experience in youth engagement, advocacy or project management, with a focus on public health or social change initiatives.

• Proven experience in leading youth-centered projects and advocacy campaigns, particularly those related to policy change and health promotion.

• Familiarity with digital advocacy, including the ability to design and implement social media campaigns.

• Strong leadership, communication and interpersonal skills with a demonstrated ability to work with diverse youth groups and stakeholders.

• Ability to manage multiple tasks, meet deadlines and deliver high-quality outcomes in a dynamic work environment.

• Knowledge of public health challenges related to UPPs and NCDs, particularly in Pakistan, is highly desirable.

• Proficiency in English and Urdu, with strong writing and presentation skills.

Competencies

• Leadership & Facilitation: Strong ability to lead, inspire and engage youth in advocacy and public health initiatives.

• Project Management: Skilled in planning, coordinating and overseeing multiple projects simultaneously.

• Digital Literacy: Proficiency in managing digital campaigns, including social media platforms, content creation and engagement analytics.

• Communication: Excellent written and verbal communication skills, with the ability to present complex health issues in an engaging way.

• Team Collaboration and Coordination: Ability to work effectively both independently and as part of a team, with strong interpersonal skills to manage relationships with partners, youth and stakeholders.