Position Title: Health Educator
Functional Area: Programme (Integrated Nutrition and Community Development Project)
Reporting To: Cluster Coordinator
Location: Punjab (Field-based)
About Smile Foundation:
Smile Foundation works for the welfare of underprivileged children and their families through programmes focused on education, healthcare, skilling and women empowerment and Empowering Grassroots. Started in 2002 by a group of young corporate professionals, today Smile has evolved into a national level development organization impacting lives of over 2 million underprivileged children and their families with project presence in 27 states across India, 10 offices in strategic locations and over 650 employees, besides volunteers, well-wishers and supporters.
The organization also holds Special Consultative Status with United Nation’s Economic & Social Council (ECOSOC), accredited with global organizations like GuideStar, United Way, CAF America, Give2Asia and many more. Furthermore, Smile Foundation has been a Great Place to Work © Certified organization for the last Six years running and is considered ‘Gold Standard’ in identifying and recognizing Great Workplace Cultures.
Currently SF is implementing projects across India directly or with the help of grassroot organizations. These are primarily CSR funded projects of varied scale in both urban and rural settings including aspirational districts in thematic areas. The wealth of knowledge emanating from our work is immense, which is curated systematically for purposes ranging from raising funds to driving programmatic change. towards creating large scale impact.
Summary of Role
The Health Educator will be responsible for planning and delivering structured health, nutrition, hygiene, and behaviour change education sessions across schools, Anganwadi Centres, community institutions, and village platforms within an assigned cluster of villages. The role aims to improve community knowledge, attitudes, and practices related to maternal and child health, nutrition, adolescent health, WASH, non-communicable disease prevention, and healthy lifestyles through participatory and evidence-based behaviour change approaches.
The Health Educator will work closely with the Cluster Coordinator, Community Mobilisers, frontline workers, teachers, and community institutions to ensure consistent implementation of health education activities and promote sustained adoption of healthy behaviours.
Key Responsibilities
Health Education and Behaviour Change Communication
- Plan and conduct structured health education sessions across schools, Anganwadi Centres, Village Health, Sanitation and Nutrition Days (VHSNDs), Self-Help Groups, adolescent groups, community meetings, and other village platforms.
- Deliver age-appropriate and culturally appropriate health education using participatory learning techniques.
- Promote positive behaviours related to:
- Maternal, newborn and child health o Infant and Young Child Feeding (IYCF) o Nutrition across the life cycle o Anaemia prevention o Adolescent health o Menstrual hygiene management o Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) o Immunisation o Prevention and early detection of common illnesses o Healthy lifestyles and prevention of non-communicable diseases o Mental well-being and psychosocial health, where appropriate
- Support implementation of community campaigns and observance of national health and nutrition days.
School Health Activities
- Conduct regular health education sessions in schools covering nutrition, hygiene, adolescent health, mental well-being, menstrual hygiene, substance abuse prevention, and healthy lifestyle practices.
- Facilitate interactive learning activities including demonstrations, quizzes, competitions, and peer learning initiatives.
- Promote healthy school environments and support school-based health and nutrition initiatives.
- Coordinate with teachers and School Management Committees to strengthen health promotion activities.
Community Engagement
- Support Community Mobilisers in organising village meetings, awareness campaigns, and behaviour change activities.
- Engage parents, caregivers, adolescent groups, Self-Help Groups, Panchayati Raj Institutions, and community leaders to encourage adoption of healthy practices.
- Facilitate community discussions addressing local health and nutrition challenges.
- Promote participation in government health and nutrition services and community-based events.
Capacity Building
- Orient and provide technical support to Community Mobilisers on key health and nutrition messages.
- Support capacity building of community volunteers, peer educators, teachers, frontline workers, and village institutions on behaviour change communication.
- Ensure consistency and accuracy of health messages delivered across project activities.
- IEC/BCC Material Management
- Use approved Information, Education and Communication (IEC) materials and behaviour change communication tools effectively.
- Support adaptation and contextualisation of IEC materials for local communities.
- Ensure appropriate utilisation and maintenance of educational aids and demonstration materials.
- Monitoring, Documentation and Reporting
- Maintain records of health education sessions, participant attendance, and community outreach activities.
- Collect and report data on health education indicators and behaviour change activities.
- Document success stories, community feedback, innovative practices, and lessons learned.
- Submit weekly and monthly activity reports to the Cluster Coordinator.
Quality Assurance
- Ensure all health education activities are delivered in accordance with approved technical guidelines and project quality standards.
- Regularly assess participant understanding and adapt educational approaches to improve effectiveness.
- Maintain confidentiality, safeguarding standards, and ethical practices during community interactions.
Other Responsibilities
- Support health camps, nutrition screening activities, community surveys, and special project events.
- Participate in training programmes, review meetings, and supportive supervision visits.
- Perform other responsibilities assigned by the Cluster Coordinator or Project Manager to support successful project implementation.
Qualifications and Experience
- Bachelor's degree in Public Health, Nutrition, Nursing, Health Education, Social Work, Community Health, Life Sciences, or a related field.
- Minimum 3–5 years of experience in community health education, nutrition programmes, school health, or behaviour change communication.
- Experience working with government health and nutrition programmes, schools, or community-based organisations is desirable.
- Experience in conducting group facilitation and community awareness activities will be preferred.
Skills Required
- Good understanding of maternal and child health, nutrition, adolescent health, WASH, and preventive health.
- Strong knowledge of behaviour change communication (BCC/SBCC) approaches.
- Excellent presentation, facilitation, and interpersonal communication skills.
- Ability to engage diverse audiences including children, adolescents, caregivers, teachers, and community leaders.
- Experience using participatory training methodologies and IEC materials.
- Basic computer skills and experience with digital reporting tools.
- Fluency in Punjabi and Hindi is essential. Working knowledge of English
- Field-based position requiring regular travel across assigned villages, schools, and community institutions.
- Willingness to work flexible hours to accommodate school schedules, community meetings, and awareness campaigns when required.
Competencies
- Planning and organizing: Establishing courses of action for self and others to ensure that work is completed efficiently.
- Analytical Problem Solving: Analyzes information to understand relationships, patterns, and causes and effects, integrate data, and check facts. This is done with both qualitative and quantitative information, making rational and timely judgments on the basis of the information that is available
- Contributes to Team Performance: Is an engaged and integral member of a group, recognizing the need for group collaboration, empathy, consensual decision-making and respect for others.
- Developing others: Planning and supporting the development of an individual’s skills and abilities so that they can fulfil current or future job/role responsibilities more effectively.
- Communication: Clearly conveying information and ideas through a variety of media to individuals or groups in a manner that engages the audience and helps them understand and retain the message. Able to give and take during a conversation in a balanced way, listening as well as speaking at appropriate intervals.
- Work standards: Setting high standards of performance for self and others; assuming responsibility and accountability for successfully completing assignments or tasks; self-imposing standards of excellence rather than having standards imposed.
How to Apply-
Share your CV/Profile with a brief note (cover letter) telling you why you find yourself a right fit for the role Smile Foundation is an Equal Opportunity Employer If you would like to apply to this position, please find the link below - https://smilefoundation.keka.com/careers/jobdetails/78583
Please Note: Candidates will be reviewed on rolling basis Only shortlisted candidates would be contacted by the Human Resources Team .