Project Assistant / Project Officer (Lagos) - SHOPS Plus at ABT Associates

Organization Overview
The International Development Division focuses on improving the lives and economic well-being of people in lower and middle-income countries. We command technical expertise in health, agriculture, climate change, food security and governance - as well as in international evaluation. Our multi-layered health portfolio includes policy, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management. In partnership with government clients and local experts, our high-quality programs in Africa, Asia, Latin America, and the Middle East are known for impact and innovation.

Opportunity

• Abt Associates seeks a Project Officer to support a private sector TB project under the Sustaining Health Outcomes through the Private Sector (SHOPS) Plus project, USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health. The World Health Organization declared Nigeria a high burden country for tuberculosis (TB), multidrug-resistant TB (MDR-TB), and TB-HIV. Improvements in TB case notification would contribute to an easing of Nigeria’s TB burden while also preventing the further spread of the disease.
• To improve case notification, Nigeria’s National Tuberculosis and Leprosy Control Programme (NTBLCP) is working to ensure that high-quality TB screening, diagnosis, and treatment services are available in both public and private sector health facilities.
• In support of these goals, the SHOPS Plus program is working across Nigeria to increase TB case detection and treatment through private sector approaches. In line with the International Standards for TB Care and Nigeria’s National Strategic Plan for TB Control, SHOPS Plus is mandated to increase TB case notification by ensuring high-quality TB care through the entire TB service provision cascade in the public-private mix (PPM) settings.
• SHOPS Plus aims to increase the systematic screening of attendees in clinical facilities and walk-in clients in stand-alone laboratories, community pharmacies, and patent and proprietary medicine vendor outlets.
• TB case detection will increase in private facilities with the prompt identification of presumptive TB, access to high-quality diagnostic services, and prompt treatment of diagnosed TB patients.
• The Project Officer will support implementation of a TB services expansion, which will increase TB case detection in in all or a subset of the following states: Ekiti, Kwara, Bayelsa, Katsina, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, and the FCT.

Key Roles and Responsibilities
The Project Officer will provide a full range of technical and project support to the SHOPS Plus technical team including:

• Work closely with the State Coordinators and Technical Director to implement private sector TB program in assigned locations (Ekiti, Kwara, and Bayelsa)
• Supervise consultants based in Abuja and Kano who oversee program activities in Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, and the FCT
• Develop and implement detailed action plans for activities
• Provide capacity building through trainings and on-site mentoring activities
• Plan and carry out supportive supervisory visits providers using developed checklists
• Laise among communities, facilities, and local government authority (NTBCLP, etc.)
• Support the technical team to develop and review technical resource materials (e.g., training materials, SBC plans, strategy documents, job aids) and programming tools to support meeting project objectives
• Work with administrative and finance staff to plan and organize logistics for training and other events
• Carry out administrative duties including preparing and managing schedules, official correspondence and follow up, tracking budgets and managing cash advances
• Contribute to communication, advocacy and knowledge management tasks including documentation and program report writing
• Contribute to the Activity Monitoring and Evaluation system

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites:

• Bachelor's (BS) or a Master's (MS) degree in Health Management, Public Health, Health Administration, or other relevant field. A Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) and a Master’s (MA) degree or other relevant certificates  will be an advantage
• Six years (BS) or five years (MS) of relevant work experience, especially TB or other infectious diseases
• Experience with private sector health service delivery
• Ability to write technical papers and reports
• Strong abilities to implement capacity building activities, training and workshops
• Ability to assess problems and develop solutions
• Computer skills in MS Windows, Excel, Word
• Ability to travel to all or a subset of the following states: Ekiti, Kwara, Bayelsa, Katsina, Jigawa, Zamfara, Kebbi, Gombe, Bauchi, Taraba, Adamawa, Yobe, Borno, and the FCT
• Excellent organizational skills and oral and written communications skills in English
• Previous experience in tuberculosis projects with USAID funding or other donor agencies preferred

Minimum Qualification

• ( 2+ ) years of experience OR the equivalent combination of education and experience