Civil Society Engagement, Rivers State Coordinator at Palladium Group

Primary Duties and Responsibilities: 

Overall Responsibilities: 

• The Civil Society Engagement State Coordinator will be responsible for leading the engagement with key civil society organizations that advocate for proper quality treatment and counseling services for those living with HIV/AIDS in Nigeria, including – but not limited to – the Network of People Living with HIV/AIDS (NEPHWAN). (S)he will coordinate and work under the guidance of the larger Abuja-based team engaged on diverse HIV activities at the national level. 

Key Responsibilities: 

• Engage with civil society organizations (CSOs) in the state to assess patients’ financial and non-financial constraints on access to HIV care and services.
• Engage with State representatives – including from the Ministry of Health, and the National and State Agencies for the Control of AIDS (NACA/SACA) - to assess the scope, execution, monitoring and sustainability of policy directives on user fees on their respective states.
• Liaise and support CSOs to advocate for effective reduction or removal of user fees for HIV services across public facilities in the state and provide overall technical assistance.
• Support HP+ in the development of a policy monitoring guide to track progress in the execution of user fee removal policies in the State.
• Coordinate with HP+ to propose and identify potential LGAs and facilities where monitoring guide can be applied.
• Document lessons learned on CSO engagement and user fee removal and make final recommendations so that the monitoring guide can be applied across other states.

Required Qualifications:

Required Qualifications and Experience:

• At least two (2) years of experience working with civil society organizations and / or on good governance issues. Demonstrated familiarity with the concepts, methods, and tools related to civil society governance.
• At least three (3) years of relevant work experience in health or health financing with a focus on HIV/AIDS.
• Master's degree in Public Health, Economics, Statistics, Social Sciences, or other related discipline, preferred. Candidates with a bachelor’s degree and two additional years of relevant experience will also be considered.
• Sound understanding of the HIV epidemic and programs in Nigeria.
• Proficiency with Microsoft Office Suite (MS Excel, Word, PowerPoint, etc.)
• Ability to meet tight deadlines and attention to detail.

• Excellent interpersonal skills.
• Strong English writing, oral communication, and reporting skills.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and resourcefulness. Ability to take initiative and respond independently to situations.