Program Officer at Jhpiego - John Hopkins University

 Overview:
Project Officer needed to coordinate day-to-day implementation for an upcoming UNITAID project to expand access to preventive chemotherapy for pregnant women in Nigeria. This project aims to scale up an innovative, community-based approach to expand coverage of intermittent preventive treatment in pregnancy (IPTp), with quality assured sulfadoxine-pyrimithimine (SP), for pregnant women. The project will operate over a five-year period.
The Program Officer will have the overall responsibility to program and coordinate implementation of IPTp activities in-country alongside District Health Management Teams (DHMTs) and relevant facility-based personnel and especially CHWs. S/he will provide technical leadership in development of annual work plans and budgets to ensure that project design is in line with project and MOH strategies. Coordinate annual phasing in of activities and track achievement of project objectives.

This position is contingent upon award from UNITAID. Nigerian nationals are strongly encouraged to apply.
Responsibilities:

• Provide day-to-day leadership to ensure smooth implementation of project activities to meet project goals, objectives and targets
• Program and coordinate implementation of IPTp activities in-country alongside DHMTs, relevant facility-based personnel and CHWs.
• Assure quality data collection and participate in analysis.
• Draft formal and ad hoc reports requested by the donor and Jhpiego.
• Design and oversee the annual phasing in of activities within the work plan and designation of scopes of work for short-term technical assistance.
• Report project issues to the Project Manager and troubleshoot as needed to ensure smooth implementation of project activities.
• Contribute to project communication plan activities and document best practices, success stories and challenges for sharing both internally and externally.
• Monitor progress of project activities in relation to achievement of stated project objectives and strive for continual quality improvement through the application of best practices.
• Provide technical leadership in development of annual work plans and budgets to ensure that project design is in line with project and Ministry of Health strategies.
• Steward the transition of project activities to local counterparts according to project handover plan.
• Ensure that project interventions are as low-cost as possible while optimizing implementation feasibility and achievement of results.
• Facilitate resolution of bottlenecks in supply-chain management of SP with national stores personnel and technical agencies providing assistance.
• Work with the Project Manager to obtain necessary programmatic and technical inputs, and determine operation needs based on plans.
• Communicate regularly with the Community Officer and provide technical assistance when needed to ensure quality service and performance of CHWs.
• Contribute to the writing and review of programmatic components of materials and publications related to the project.
• Ensure resources for project implementation are available.
• Work with the Finance Officer to develop annual budgets that reflect technical design and planned activities.
• Ensure compliance with UNITAID operational policies and regulations.
• Develop and maintain strong working relationships and alliances with the Nigeria Ministry of Health and other implementing partners, private sector partners and other key stakeholders in-country to maximize resources, avoid duplication of effort and ensure continued local support of the project.
• Represent Jhpiego’s interests and present progress, achievements and lessons learned to key Nigerian stakeholders and implementing partners in public and professional circles through meetings, conferences, and presentations.

Required Qualifications:

• Advanced degree in public health, health administration, international health or a related field.
• 5+ years' experience successfully supporting the implementation of large, multi-year international health sector development projects (approximately $10M per year) that have implemented successful activities in areas such as maternal, newborn and child health, malaria prevention, care and treatment and health systems strengthening
• Demonstrated experience and knowledge in establishing systems, implementing project start-up and using project management tools
• Understanding of the Nigeria social and political context, and developments in the health sector
• Excellent diplomacy skills and a proven ability to establish and sustain interpersonal and professional relationships with host-country counterparts and representatives from other key stakeholders such as NGOs, PVOs, the private sector and international donors
• In-depth knowledge of donor projects, regulations, compliance and reporting.
• Programmatic experience in maternal, newborn and child health, malaria prevention, care and treatment, or health systems strengthening
• Expertise in research to practice—identifying best practices and adapting them to project realities
• Proven understanding of key monitoring and evaluation principles and the ability to analyze and utilize data to direct project activities and track project progress.
• Previous experience working in Nigeria, with intimate understanding of local health systems, malaria prevention, care and treatment, and maternal, neonatal and child health care gaps and opportunities. Established relationships with government agencies, key health personnel, and health partners
• Excellent skills in facilitation, team building and coordination
• Experience managing a budget
• Excellent verbal, written and presentation skills
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Demonstrated programming, management and technical skills
• Experience developing strategic and tactical plans in cooperation with others who represent a wide range of interests and needs
• Strong change management, results oriented and decision making skills
• Proven expertise in providing technical assistance
• Ability to coach, mentor and develop technical capacity in national programs and technical staff
• Ability to work in a complex environment with multiple projects/tasks, short deadlines, competing deadlines and intense pressure to perform
• Ability to coordinate activities with multiple project partners, MOH staff and CSOs.
• Ability to interact with established networks of senior level international health professionals, donors, universities and other partners
• Appreciation for socio-cultural differences in countries, preferably having lived and worked in one or more low resource settings
• Awareness of, sensitivity to, and experience working in multiple socio-economic settings and with multi-cultural staff and groups
• Ability to develop productive working relationships with counterparts in other agencies and organizations nationally
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office
• Fluent in written and spoken English
• Ability to travel nationally

Jhpiego offers competitive salaries and a comprehensive employee benefits package including: medical and dental plans; paid vacation, holidays and sick leave; personal accident insurance; 403(b) retirement plan; life and disability insurance; travel insurance; education assistance plan and more.

Note: The successful candidate selected for this position will be subject to a pre-employment background investigation.