Country Programme Director at NIFDEM Global Consulting Ltd

Location- LAGOS, NIGERIA (WITH some amount of travel)

Renumeration- N4.8M- N6.0M PER ANNUM (Total cost to company)

Job Summary:

As a Country Director at NIFDEM Consulting ( where you will spend 60% of your FTEs), you will be a part of a team of highly skilled and experienced consultants who provide valuable insights and recommendations to our clients in the areas of public health ( infectious diseases, Non-communicable diseases and climate change), health care, cybersecurity, digital health technology. You will also be responsible for leading and managing the NIFDEM team and developing and maintaining relationships with clients. In this role, you will also be responsible for contributing to the company's growth by identifying new business opportunities and developing proposals for potential clients.

Additionally, in your role as the Country Director for NIFDEM, you will be expected to support the strategic and business development of our partner NGO ( Medela), where you will spend (40% of your FTEs). The Country Director will set the overall strategic framework within which all other programme elements occur and provides leadership, coordination, representation, supervision, and management in relation to all staff and services. In addition to consulting experience, the Director will be experienced and possess an understanding of working in the NGO space, especially in Nigeria and, more desirably, in the NGOs that work in public health- infectious and non-communicable diseases.

For the consulting aspect of this role, the ideal candidate for this position will have at least 7 years of consulting experience, with a minimum of 3- 5 years in a management role. He or she will also have a proven track record in business development and proposal writing. In addition, the ideal candidate will have excellent communication and presentation skills and the ability to think strategically and analytically.

For the NGO support of this role, the ideal candidate for this position will have at least 7 years of NGO experience, with a minimum of 5 years in a management role. In addition, the ideal candidate will have excellent communication and presentation skills and the ability to think strategically and analytically. You will create processes, teams, and partnerships that enable the achievement of short-term goals (i.e., funding targets and annual KPIs) and create the conditions for long-term growth. You must be able to harness resources from the partnerships, data & tech, finance, and operations verticals, equally being accountable to both the NGO recipients and donors for delivering an excellent and commendable service. You must be able to translate strategic concepts into workable practices under challenging environments. You must be able to analyse and coordinate humanitarian safety and access services.

This role is being offered as a 12-month contract with an extension based on performance against key metrics.

Duties & Responsibilities ( NIFDEM Consulting 60% of FTEs)

• Serve as the primary point of contact for clients, providing expert guidance and thought leadership for NIFDEM
• Define project/business goals and objectives, and develop detailed work plans to meet client expectations
• Manage a team of consultants, analysts, and specialists to deliver high-quality results on time and within budget
• Conduct regular status meetings with clients to keep them updated on project progress and address any concerns
• Oversee all aspects of the project lifecycle, from initiation through closeout
• Identify and mitigate risks associated with the project, escalating issues as necessary
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with clients, ensuring they are satisfied with the direction of the project and the quality of the deliverables
• Write proposals and scope documents for new projects in collaboration with business development
• Review and approve all project deliverables before they are released to the client
• Monitor project financials, including invoicing and billing, to ensure accuracy and compliance
• Provide input on staffing needs for new projects, and manage consultant utilisation across multiple engagements
• Stay abreast of industry trends and best practices, and share knowledge with clients and team members
• Experience with start-ups or small businesses

Duties & Responsibilities ( Medela 40% of FTEs)

• Coordination of staff and resources to include host government regulatory registration, internal coordination, grants management, donor reporting, and advocacy for Medela and its stakeholders.
•  Provide technical assistance and direct contributions to the delivery of services at Medela, including the generation of information and its analysis (quarterly and special reports)
• Participate in high-level engagement and briefings, surveys, training, and capacity building.
• Manage Medela NGO programmes, including annual funding strategy, budget management, and contractual compliance.
• Ensure compliance with Medela's global policy in operational and administrative areas.
• You will conduct feasibility studies on the proposed solution and conduct an analysis of the risk and benefits of the proposed solution.
• Provide analysis to support the development of business cases and expert inputs to grant writing.
• Identify problems concerned with business strategy, policy, organisation procedures, methods, and markets.
• Provide appropriate advice based on business research findings.
• You will work collaboratively with the management team to Identify, assess, and document business requirements, recommending business priorities, and advising best solutions.

QUALIFICATIONS, REQUIRED SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE

• 7+ years in a management consulting role in consulting sectors and NGOs
• Experience leading and managing large, complex consulting engagements
• Proven ability to develop and execute business strategy
• Strong analytical skills and experience developing quantitative models
• Excellent communication, presentation, and writing skills
• MBA or other advanced degree with work experience in a relevant field
• Previous experience working with an NGO at the senior management level
• Analytical skills: analytical editing, writing and analysis of reports
• A very good understanding of the principles and practices of NGO safety and risk management
• Experience managing programmes on infectious diseases, non-communicable diseases, and global health security.
• Experience with management of multi-donor projects. Knowledge of donor policies and procedures ( for example, CDC, USAID, Global Fund, BMG, etc.).

ESSENTIAL SKILLS

• Consensus-builder and networker.
• Excellent interpersonal skills
• Programme management skills
• Time management skills
• Excellent written and communication skills
• Advocacy skills
• Business development and management experience

• Possess a high degree of autonomy and resilience
• Problem-solving ability employing data-informed analytics and iterative mindset, with a strong framework for prioritization and robust analysis to inform management and programming decisions.

DESIRABLE SKILLS/EXPERIENCE

• MBA and MPH
• Industry expertise in one or more of the following:  public health (infectious diseases, climate change), healthcare, digital health technology, cybersecurity
• Functional expertise in one or more of the following: health care, marketing, operations, finance, or human resources
• Good understanding and basic fluency of the three main native languages in Nigeria- Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo.
• Experience as a country director
• Previous dealings with donor agencies such as USAID, CDC, Melinda, and Bill Gates foundation etc.

This position is an exciting and rewarding role with a high level of external representation and networking.

KEY PERFORMANCE AREAS

Fundraising and Partnership Development

• Identify awards and apply for awards in a time-specific manner.
• Successful candidates will be expected to organise and identify fundraising opportunities and build and manage high-quality relationships with donors.
• Develop and leverage an in-country network of funders and partners
• Identify strategic partnership opportunities and build a robust and viable pipeline of projects to enable growth
• Develop ambitious work plans and accompanying budgets.

Program Management

• Ensure operational excellence across all programs
• Manage, and guide an operations team. Ensure necessary planning, implementation of the work plan, overcoming rising challenges and delivering results.
• Accountability for annual KPIs associated with recipients' experience and operational efficiency.

Internal Audit

• Collaborate and coordinate with NIFDEM and MEDELA's Recipient implementation team to prevent misconduct, including designing appropriate controls.
• Provide leadership and oversight aimed at preventing alleged misconduct, putting safeguards in place and a zero tolerance of fraud

Relationship Management

• Engage with national and local government officials to secure permissions for the maintenance and expansion of programs.
• Communicate about Medela to donors, media, and other partners.

Team Management

• Motivate and coach NIFDEM's and MEDELA's implementation team, including direct management of its management team.
• Capacity building of all levels of management and leadership by ensuring that they have clearly defined metrics for success and regular supervision and feedback on progress
• Promote NIFDEM's and MEDELA's core values and corporate culture.
• Take reasonable steps to ensure the safety and security of NIFDEM's and MEDELA's team
• Provide strategic oversight of staffing needs within every department of NIFDEM and Medela.

Strategic Planning

• Lead strategic planning for NIFDEM and MEDELA.
• Set and manage NIFDEM and MEDELA's goals, which create a roadmap for our success in Nigeria

DIVERSITY AT  NIFDEM

We understand and seek to harness the richness a diverse workforce provides. We believe that differences can inspire a better, healthier world. We are committed to fostering an environment of mutual respect. And equal employment opportunities are available to every applicant.