Associate, Project Operations at Palladium Group

Position Overview and Role

• The UK Support to Health transformation in Nigeria through the Lafiya Programme is a flexible, demand-led strategic partnership with the Nigerian Federal and targeted State governments designed to address equity, improve and sustain health outcomes for the most vulnerable States with the worst health statistics.
• The desired objectives of the programme included fostering an enabling environment for UHC policy reform and implementation, institutional management capacity building and health system strengthening. This required the full engagement and participation communities with a view to contributing to ending preventable maternal and new-born deaths.
• The programme operated at the Federal level; and geographically in five states of - Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Yobe. Following the ODA cuts, from 0.7% to 0.5% and the spend review handrails, the FCDO reprioritisation and business planning exercise beginning in the last quarter of 2020 and first quarter of 2021 the programme had to scale down some key interventions and consider reviewing the geographic scope going into the next financial years.
• The programme now focuses on contributing to two outcomes (1) Morbidity amongst women, newborns, children, and adolescents significantly reduced in targeted states; and (2) Covid-19 transmission and vaccine hesitancy reduced including improved plans and capacity for emergency preparedness and response in the targeted States:
• Output 1: Advocacy & Accountability - Leadership and Governance of primary health care services structures or planning and delivery teams are functional in targeted states (through partnership)
• Output 2: Adequate health workforce for primary health care including RMNCAH service delivery and BHCPF available and sustained in targeted states
• Output 3: Health information management systems capacity to support decision-making for primary health care including RMNCAH and BHCPF service delivery in targeted states increased
• Output 4: Health financing and public financial management to strengthen and sustain access to high quality and affordable primary health care in targeted states increased
• Output 5: Health security and epidemic preparedness and response (EPR) plans developed and operationalized within the targeted states (by addressing social norms/behaviour change).

Primary Duties and Responsibilities

• The Operations Associate serves as part of the project’s operations team. This team is responsible under the leadership of the Director of Finance and Admin for the management and support in the delivery of projects.
• The specific purpose of the position is to support the management and implementation of effective and efficient operational, financial and compliance activities to deliver projects in accordance with contractual obligations, company policies, Group Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and Guidelines and client rules and regulations.

Scope of Work

• The LAFIYA Operations Associate will be expected to provide support to the corporate operations team as well as the project teams in the execution of the day-to-day operational activities and provide surge support around the period of key deliverables required by both FCDO and Palladium.
• LAFIYA staff work as part of an integrated team and as such, the Operations Associate will be expected to contribute in other ways as directed by his/her line manager to the overall success of team/programme activities.

Specific Responsibilities

• Serve as one liaison point between corporate services and the project.
• Prepare Payment Approval Request forms.
• Review project Field Vouchers on a weekly basis.
• Where applicable support the operations team with training of project staff on company policies, SOPs and Guidelines and client rules and regulations.
• Support the monitoring and maintenance of compliance with head/prime contracts.
• Support the development and presentation of internal and external reporting (for example: Project Highlight Reports (PHRS), quarterly Internal Project Reviews (IPRs), project risk assessments, annual reviews, and client deliverables) and ensure these outputs are fit for purpose.
• Assist with project financial / cash-flow planning, process funding requests from the field, and process monthly Funds Transfer Requests (FTRs).
• In collaboration with Finance establish project account codes, ensuring they are fit for purpose and meet client’s and project’s requirements for cost allocation, monitoring and evaluation, and
• Support HR Manager while recruiting, contracting and onboarding.
• In collaboration with Programme HR Manager maintain project data on relevant HR systems for short-term and long-term staff and consultants.
• Support in the updating of the asset register and any disposal process of items.
• In collaboration with Security, ensure safety and security procedures, including Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) requirements, are in place and adhered to.
• Support the Director of Finance and Admin with procurement, spots checks and due diligence when required.

Required Qualifications

• A relevant Bachelor’s Degree.
• Relevant work experience.
• Project management of administrative support experience with FCDO, DFAT, USAID or other donor client(s).
• Key competencies and professional expertise required.
• Understanding of Project Management.
• Financial acumen and the ability to interpret and analyses financial reports for wider audiences.
• Demonstrates sound problem solving and decision-making skills.
• Flexible and adaptable. Keen to be involved in several aspect of project operations.