Patient & Family Engagement Executive

Sarawak Children's Cancer Society; Kuching; On-site; MYR 36,000 - 60,000; Full time

Job summary

Sarawak Children's Cancer Society is seeking an Executive to drive patient engagement, recreational programmes and family activities across Kuching and regional Sarawak. You will lead volunteer recruitment, training, and on-day supervision, coordinating with hospital wards, clinics, and SCCS teams.

You will develop SOPs, maintain records, and plan events while ensuring children's safety, wellbeing, and family support throughout the cancer journey.

Qualifications

• Diploma or Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Education, Child Development, Healthcare Management, Community Development, or a related field.
• Minimum 1–2 years of experience in patient support/ community programs, recreational therapy, volunteer coordination, or a related area.
• Experience in an NGO, healthcare, education or social services setting is preferred.
• Fresh graduates with strong relevant experience—internships, volunteering, or community work—are encouraged to apply.

Responsibilities

• Plan, coordinate, and implement recreational, educational play, and festive activities for paediatric oncology patients at hospital wards, clinics, and the halfway home.
• Organise and lead milestone celebrations—birthdays, end-of-treatment events, and seasonal festive occasions.
• Recruit, screen, and onboard new volunteers, including adding them to SCCS volunteer communication channels.
• Schedule volunteers for activities and supervise them on the day to ensure child safety and engagement.

Skills

Child engagement

Volunteer coordination

Event planning

Communication

English & Bahasa Malaysia

Data entry

Confidentiality

Education

Social work degree

Tools

Microsoft Office

Job description

Sarawak Children's Cancer Society (SCCS) is a non-profit organisation dedicated to supporting children with cancer and their families throughout their treatment journey and beyond. We provide a wide range of psychosocial, financial, educational, and recreational support services to ensure no family faces childhood cancer alone. bringing joy, connection, and meaningful experiences to children with cancer and their families - during active treatment and through broader community engagement across Sarawak.

About the role

This role is responsible for planning and delivering recreational activities, milestone celebrations, and educational play programs at hospital wards, clinics, and the halfway home - as well as leading SCCS's family engagement activities across Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, and Miri. The role also takes full ownership of SCCS's volunteer program, from recruitment and training through to on-day supervision.

Working at the heart of the Support Services team, this executive ensures that no child or family feels alone - and that moments of joy, normalcy, and togetherness are woven into every stage of the cancer journey.

A. Patient Engagement & Recreational Programmes

• Plan, coordinate, and implement recreational, educational play, and festive activities for paediatric oncology patients at hospital wards, clinics, and the halfway home.
• Organise and lead milestone celebrations - including birthdays, end-of-treatment events, and seasonal festive occasions.
• Participate in and support the delivery of SCCS's weekly clinic day programs at SGH.
• Procure and manage activity resources, including:
  • Craft packs and activity materials
  • Weekly treat bags and birthday gifts
  • Festive celebration and end-of-treatment packs
  • Clinic day activities for wards and halfway home
• Manage toy inventory, lending systems, and communal toy procurement - ensuring proper hygiene, safety, rotation, and storage.
• Carry out educational play programmes that support children's coping, emotional wellbeing, and treatment journey.

B. Family Engagement Activities (Regional)

• Serve as the lead planner for SCCS family engagement activities across Sarawak, covering Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, and Miri.
• Design and deliver meaningful, joyful engagement experiences for patients and families in each region - tailored to local needs, culture, and context.
• Coordinate logistics, resources, volunteers, and programme content for regional SCCS engagement events.
• Recruit, screen, and onboard new volunteers, including adding them to SCCS volunteer communication channels.
• Plan and conduct volunteer orientations, briefings, and role-specific training to ensure volunteers are prepared for child-facing activities.
• Schedule volunteers for activities and supervise them on the day to ensure child safety, quality engagement, and compliance with SCCS protocols.
• Monitor volunteer involvement and provide ongoing guidance and feedback to maintain consistent programme standards.
• Plan and manage structured volunteer programmes and coordinate CSR projects involving children and caregivers.
• Maintain volunteer schedules, activity rosters, and engagement records in coordination with the Support Services Coordinator.
• Work closely with the Support Services Coordinator, Events & Marketing Team, Halfway Home Team, and Patient Services Team.
• Assist in the planning and execution of SCCS internal events including family days, youth camps, and community engagement programmes.
• Support cross-departmental initiatives that involve patient activities, children's programming, or volunteer participation.

E. Administrative & Documentation

• Develop SOPs, activity forms, and evaluation tools for patient engagement and volunteer programmes.
• Maintain accurate records of patient interactions, activities conducted, volunteer hours, and programme statistics.
• Update the SCCS centralised database with recreational and volunteer activity records.
• Compile monthly activity reports and contribute to departmental and annual reporting.

QUALIFICATIONS

• Diploma or Degree in Social Work, Psychology, Education, Child Development, Healthcare Management, Community Development, or a related field.
• Minimum 1-2 years of experience in patient support/ community programs, recreational therapy, volunteer coordination, or a related area.
• Experience in an NGO, healthcare, education or social services setting is preferred.
• Fresh graduates with strong relevant experience - internships, volunteering, or community work - are encouraged to apply.

SKILLS & COMPETENCIES

• Warm, patient, and genuinely caring approach to working with children and families facing serious illness.
• Good organisational and coordination skills with the ability to manage multiple activities simultaneously.
• Creative and resourceful in designing activities suitable for children of different ages, conditions, and energy levels.
• Experience in volunteer coordination, group facilitation, or community engagement is a strong advantage.
• Good communication skills in English and Bahasa Malaysia; Mandarin or other local languages are an advantage.
• Proficient in Microsoft Office and comfortable with data entry and record-keeping systems.
• Ability to work both independently and as a close-knit team in a fast-paced, emotionally demanding environment.
• Emotionally resilient with a commitment to professional standards and strict confidentiality.

WORKING CONDITIONS

• Regular presence required at hospital wards, outpatient clinics, and the SCCS halfway home.
• Some travel within Sarawak is required - this role covers family engagement activities in Kuching, Sibu, Bintulu, and Miri.
• Occasional evening or weekend availability during events and regional engagement activities.
• This role involves working closely with children who are seriously ill; candidates must be comfortable in a hospital and palliative-adjacent environment.
• Exposure to emotionally challenging situations is inherent to this role; emotional resilience and the practice of self-care are important.