Child Health and Immunization Specialist Consultant at Save The Children

Background

• Save the Children has been working in Nigeria since 2001 in Lagos and several other states in Nigeria with a focus on child survival, maternal, newborn and child health, nutrition, education and child protection. Since 2011, Save the Children Nigeria has been supporting development activities in Lagos State, in thematic areas ranging from health system strengthening to capacity building and technical support, in partnership with the Lagos State Government through its various Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
•  In 2018, the Integrated Sustainable Childhood Pneumonia and Infectious Diseases Reduction in Nigeria (INSPIRING) project kicked off with fund support from GSK, and a focus on the prevention and control of childhood Pneumonia in two project states, Lagos and Jigawa State. In Lagos state, the project focuses its implementation primarily in Ikorodu Local Government Area.
• As the project implementation draws to a gradual close, there is a need to fill the gap with a Child Health and Immunization consultant to steer the clinical and child health sub-component of the project for the next 6-month.

Scope of the Role

• The Child Health and Immunization Consultant will provide leadership and oversight for the programmatic, technical and research aspects of the clinical program.
• He / She will oversee the day - to - day implementation of the project’s clinical component, and will be accountable for the quality of interventions, and for the capacity building of health workers at State and LGA levels.
• He / She will support the State Program Manager to ensure that planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation, as well as donor reporting functions are executed efficiently and effectively so that the project achieves its purposes and objectives.

Key Areas of Responsibilities

The Child Health and Immunization Specialist (Consultant) will be responsible for the following:

Programme Quality:

• Provides advanced technical expertise and oversight to ensure programs are of high quality and develops new state of the art approaches
• Supports the Chief of Party and State Program Manager in the development of high quality programming, quarterly plans and budgeting processes for the program as and when necessary.
• Support the government in planning and delivering the MNCH weeks and other important child health events
• Strengthening relevant health systems for effective delivery of the pneumonia related interventions
• Support in procurements of clinical activities
• Prepare quality quarterly and annual reports and timely submission of deliverables.
• Any other duty assigned by the Chief of Party or the state project manager

Capacity Building:

• Develop the capacity of health workers in Integrated Management of Childhood Illness, Nutrition, Immunization and possibly Oxygen trainings.
• Conduct post training supervision and on the job monitoring.

Representation & Advocacy & Organizational Learning:

• Represent the program on all health technical working groups, partners and stakeholders’ forums.
• Create partnerships with Ministries of Health and other relevant organizations, WHO, and UNICEF to maximize program impact and harmonize agendas.
• Ensure that Save the Children's work is coordinated with efforts of other agencies and Government, and take a leadership role within the Health Sector, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed.
• In collaboration with the Advocacy Advisor, assist in advocacy activities that target decision-makers at all levels.
• Liaison with SMOH, HSC, PHCD Board
• Engagement with MOH and Ikorodu LGA officials.

General:

• Comply with Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Requirements, Qualifications and Experience

• Required Master's Degree in Public Health required; a health professional (MD or nurse) with clinical training skills (pre-service and/or service clinical training) preferred.
• Minimum of 5 years’ experience implementing and delivering technical assistance to maternal, newborn and child health programs in developing country settings.
• Demonstrated expertise in program development and management child survival and strong experience in PHC and ICCM program design and implementation required; must have experience facilitating clinical training, supportive supervision.
• Conversant with evidence-based child health approaches such as the Integrated Community Case Management, Integrated Management of Childhood Illness, etc.
• Ability to lead and produce project proposals, implementation plans, monitoring frameworks, and write succinct reports on program success; excellent writing and oral communication skills.
• Ability to travel 35-40% of time.