Youth Engagement Coordinator

Position

Youth Engagement Coordinator

Department

Public and Community Engagement (PCE)

Location

Oxford University Clinical Research Unit, Ho Chi Minh City, Viet Nam

Hours of work

Full-time. Working hours are 37.5 hours per week.

Tenure

Initially for 01 year, including a 02-month probation period, with possibility of extension based on annual performance appraisal and funding.

Reporting to

Vice-Head of PCE

Vacancy reference

JD-1021-033

Background

The Oxford University Clinical Research Unit (OUCRU) is a large-scale clinical and public health research unit, with sites offices in Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi in Vietnam, Jakarta in Indonesia and Kathmandu in Nepal. In Vietnam, we are hosted by the Hospital of Tropical Diseases (HTD) in Ho Chi Minh City, and the National Hospital for Tropical Diseases (NHTD) in Hanoi. OUCRU-Nepal is hosted by the Patan Academy of Health Sciences, and in Indonesia we exist in partnership with the Eijkman Institute as the Eijkman-Oxford Clinical Research Programme (EOCRU). As a Wellcome Africa Asia Programme, we have received considerable support from Wellcome since our establishment in 1991.

OUCRU’s vision is to have local, regional and global impact on health by leading a locally driven research programme on infectious diseases in Southeast Asia. Priority is given to health issues important to the hospitals where we work, and to the countries as a whole where we operate: Vietnam, Indonesia and Nepal.  All work is intended not only to benefit the patients seen daily at our host hospitals, but also to help improve patient care throughout Southeast Asia.

Dedicated to research excellence, OUCRU has a commitment to promote its research findings internationally and locally in Vietnam. OUCRU has a dynamic and innovative Public and Community Engagement team responsible for promoting the image and science of OUCRU in Vietnam, and designing and implementing training and public engagement activities. The PCE department has a strong focus on youth involvement, and accessibility of science to school-aged children. In addition, it has a research and engagement interests around vaccination uptake, in the context of underserved communities and understanding vaccine hesitancy, supporting healthcare workers.

Please see more information on OUCRU Website: www.oucru.org [1]

Job summary

The Youth Engagement Coordinator will be committed to youth empowerment and participatory approaches to working with youth and other stakeholders.  The position holder will be responsible for leading youth engagement projects, working closely with young science enthusiasts, health researchers, universities and youth-serving organisations and engagement practitioners on the following:

• Training and mentoring small groups of science enthusiasts from university and research institutes, the OUCRU Engagement Ambassadors, to carry out regular engagement activities for young people, using both OUCRU existing youth engagement models and development of their new initiatives.
• Engagement activities to build involvement of young people in OUCRU health research and responses combating global crises affecting human health such as Climate Change and Mental Health.
• Involvement in activities for wider engagement with young people and scientists at national level, using both online and in-person platforms.
• Inputs to development of new projects and direction for Public and Community Engagement as a whole.

This position will require weekend work when needed.

Key responsibilities and tasks

Engagement Ambassadors programme

• Lead the OCURU Engagement Ambassadors programme, including recruitment strategy, training design and youth-led engagement models for the Engagement Ambassadors groups.
• Provide supervision and guidance to the Engagement Ambassadors on their implementation of activities involved with OUCRU.
• Provide training activities to build capacity on engagement and communicating science to the public.
• Facilitate co-creation platforms that the Engagement Ambassadors can work together to develop their own engagement initiatives;
• Manage the Youth Engaging Science (YES) Facebook Group and its interactions with young people in relation to public engagement and science communication to the public.
• Meet reporting and budget management requirements.
• Produce an evidence-based report, document successful models and provide recommendations about the Engagement Ambassadors model which can be presented at universities, national and international conferences to promote this model of youth-led engagement in science.

Youth involvement in health research and science

• Propose ideas to build involvement of young people in OUCRU research and working together with others to respond to global crises affecting human health, such as Climate and and Mental Health, using both digital and non-digital approaches.
• Engage the involvment of OCURU researchers and wider scientists in joining young people to communicate their research and science to the public.
• Organise training for researchers to work with young people and the public about on engagement and science communication.
• Establish and faciliate meetings of Youth Advisory and Working Groups.
• Evaluate implementation of youth involvement, and provide recommendations for future platforms.
• Meet reporting and budgetary management requirements.

Engagement conference

• Propose ideas to bring young science enthusiasts and young researchers across the country for national and regional engagement networking and training.
• Collaborate with the team and relevant stakeholers to plan and organise national and regional engagement conferences.
• Evaluate implementation of events, and provide recommendations for future ones.
• Meet reporting and budgetary management requirements.

General coordination

• Prepare MOUs, contracts, letters, budget required for the development and delivery of prject activities.
• Identify relevant stakeholders, including trainers, health researchers, scientists, local partners, event speakers and volunteers, service providers… to implement project activities.
• Be responsible for organisation and logistics arrangements of all project activities in charge.
• Claim financial request after each activity conducted.
• Prepare annual reporting requirements for OUCRU and funding partners.
• Translate and proof reading documents related to work.
• Other tasks: requested by Head of PCE and Vice-Head of PCE.

Selection criteria

Essential criteria

This person should be dynamic, innovative and enthusiastic. The Youth Engagement Coordinator will be committed to youth empowerment and participatory approaches to working with youth and other stakeholders.  She/he is expected to have the followings:

• BSc, BA (Development, Communication, Public Health or equivalent qualifications).
• Be innovative and confident to take projects forward.
• 5 years minimum experience in education or community development projects, design and delivery of activities and training for young people.
• Understanding of participatory and visual methods, media and digital engagement tools.
• Experience in mapping youth involvement platforms.
• Experience in working with young people, youth-serving organisations, universities and academic group.
• Experience and knowledge about action against climate change and/or supporting mental health would be an advantage.
• Experience in conducting and analysing evaluation activities.
• Ability to present work plans in English and prepare reports written in English.
• Excellent communication and interpersonal skills in cross-cultural settings essential.
• Ability to work with a high degree of autonomy, and yet be a team player.
• Willingness to perform other tasks requested by Head of PCE and Vice-Head of PCE.

Benefits

• Contracted salary:  Negotiable (depending on actual experience and education).
• Optional insurance: In-patient and out-patient medical coverage; Personal accident insurance coverage
• Two months’ salary for annual bonus and clothes 
• Annual leave 18 days each year for the first year.
• Other responsibilities and benefits are based on Viet Nam Labour Law.
  

How to apply

Interested, qualified candidates are invited to send their detailed resume and cover letter in English, including copies of relevant degrees, certificates, either by email or by post to the following address:

Oxford University Clinical Research Unit

Laboratory of Clinical Science

Hospital for Tropical Diseases

764 Vo Van Kiet, Ward 1, District 5, HCMC

Tel: 39237954

Email: [email protected] [2]

*** We thank all applicants for their interest but only short-listed candidates will be contacted for interview.

Contact person

Ms. Nguyen Thi Hong Phuc

Deadline for submission

31^st October 2021