Program Officer at Heartland Alliance

Essential Duties and Responsibilities

• Serves as Prevention focal point for HAN activities at state/zonal level and ensure compliance with national guidelines for basic Minimum Prevention Package Intervention(MPPI) and behavior change communication (BCC).
• Prepare periodic project work plans and budgets in conjunction with the senior program Officer and other section heads to ensure appropriate utilization of project resources.
• Responsible for creating demand for services at the community and ensuring the functionality of the community center
• Support the clinical team with innovations for follow up and ensuring retention in care at the OSS.
• Support the zonal manager/senior program officer to provide assistance to sub-grant partners on a range of program management issues including work plan and budget development, program reporting, and sub-recipient monitoring;
• Ensure that activities listed in grant recipients’ sub-award are implemented
• Assist in responding to HAN and donor request and assist in preparing state level reports including work plans,
• Ensure data and report submitted pass quality standard and good enough for reporting by M&E staff
• Coordinates and support HA direct implementation at the state/zonal level, ensuring the recruitment of local community staff for implementation
• Liaise and consult regularly with the relevant local authorities, community leaders, civil society/nongovernmental, organizations, collaborating/implementing partners, and other stakeholders where appropriate, in conjunction with the zonal manager to ensure friendly environment for program implementation
• Responsible for routine advocacy and community engagement of programme gate keepers.
• Accompany other program and M&E staff for site visits to ensure program implementation and compliance at the state level;
• Support the training of field level staff and volunteers
• Represent HAN as requested in meeting with donor representatives, government, partners, sub-grantees, applicants, and the public as required in the zone;
• Keep abreast of developments in HIV/AIDS field; document methodologies and results, develop best practice papers that can inform the wider HAN community.
• Assist with the preparation and delivery of external evaluations, visits and audits. 

Training and Mentoring

• Ensure that all Program meetings and trainings hold as scheduled at the zonal level and provide leadership at these meetings.
• Serve as a resource person at Program trainings coordinated by HAN at the zonal level.
• Ensure all staff and partners understand program priorities.
• Support the planning and delivery of trainings, workshops and other capacity development interventions for HAN partners.
• Support the implementation of capacity building plans for the nascent CBOs and LIPs

Qualifications

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or competency required.

Education and/or Experience:

• First degree in social science, public health or another relevant discipline; Master’s degree in public health will be an added advantage.
• At least 3 years’ experience in international development, experience working in an HIV prevention and care program will be an added advantage.
• Demonstrated skills in training and capacity building through technical assistance and mentoring. Good interpersonal skills including ability to work with multiple stakeholders.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender responsive programming.
• Ability to work effectively with government and civil society partners and communities as well as transfer knowledge to diverse audiences through workshops, training and meetings using participatory methods and adult learning principles.
• Willingness to travel within Nigeria.

Preferred Skills:

• Experience with Building Capacity

Other Competencies:

• Time Management – Ability to prioritize tasks, manage time and complete projects in a fast-paced, changing environment with minimal supervision.
• Quality Management - Looks for ways to improve and promote quality; Demonstrates accuracy and thoroughness
• Written Communication - Writes clearly and informatively; Edits work for spelling and grammar; Varies writing style to meet needs; Presents numerical data effectively;
• Adaptability - Adapts to changes in the work environment; Manages competing demands; Changes approach or method to best fit the situation; Able to deal with frequent change, delays, or unexpected events
• Cultural Sensitivity – Respects cultural environment in which person is working and does not act in a manner that is outwardly offensive to the local community.
• Non-discriminatory- Do not discriminate persons based on sexual orientation or gender identity, age, preferred jobs or behavioral habits

Language Skills:

• Excellent oral and written English communication skills
• Knowledge of Local Language preferred.
• Demonstrated competency in public speaking
• Computer Skills:
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office, Internet Explorer, Outlook/Exchange, Windows operating systems, Power Point.
• Other software routinely used by Heartland Alliance

Work Environment:

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderate.
• The employee will be required to co-locate with local partners usually in the same office.
• The employee is required to travel regularly to often insecure and limited-resource environments.
• The employee will be required to work directly with populations that are vulnerable and at high risk of HIV and Human rights violation