Program Officer at Lafiya Nigeria

Position Overview

• The Program Officer (PO) is Lafiya’s lead representative and manager in Rivers State. You will launch and oversee Lafiya’s programme in Rivers, ensuring that women have reliable access to family planning services and commodities. You will be responsible for managing Lafiya Sisters, liaising with government stakeholders, overseeing programme data and logistics, and ensuring effective and timely delivery of activities. This role requires strong leadership, operational management skills, and close engagement with communities, health facilities, and the Central Medical Store.
• Given that Lafiya’s model is centred on female health providers, we have a strong preference for female candidates for this position.

What You’ll Do

As the Program Officer for Rivers State, you will:

• Lead the launch and day-to-day management of Lafiya’s programme in Rivers State, ensuring activities are delivered on time, to standard, and within budget.
• Build and maintain strong working relationships with government stakeholders, including the State Primary Health Care Management Board, Central Medical Store, and LGA Family Planning Coordinators.
• Recruit, train, and supervise a network of Lafiya Sisters, ensuring they deliver high-quality counselling and contraceptive services in their communities.
• Oversee all programme data collection, entry, and reporting in the state, ensuring accuracy, completeness, and timely submission.
• Conduct routine data quality checks and generate simple analyses to inform decision-making and programme adjustments.
• Manage contraceptive supply chain activities within the state, including:
• Liaising with the Central Medical Store to track the stock of DMPA-SC and other family planning commodities
• Conducting weekly cycle counts together with the CMS head pharmacist
• Reconciling distributions and stock balances, and escalating issues when needed
• Support distribution logistics, including transport arrangements, record-keeping, and ensuring no diversion or misuse of commodities.
• Monitor programme risks in the state, including safeguarding, data protection, and compliance with Lafiya policies, and act promptly when issues arise.
• Represent Lafiya at relevant technical working groups, government meetings, and partner convenings in Rivers State.
• Prepare regular progress updates and reports for Lafiya’s central team.
• Work flexibly, spending significant time in the field (CMS, facilities, community outreach) and working remotely from Port Harcourt when not in the field.

Who You Are

Education and Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, social sciences, management, or a related field (or equivalent professional experience).
• Minimum of 3 years of relevant work experience in programme management, public health, or development in Nigeria.

Skills & Personal Qualities

• Strong experience working with government stakeholders, especially in the health sector.
• Proven ability to manage teams and provide supportive supervision.
• Demonstrated skills in data collection, data quality assurance, and using spreadsheets (Excel or Google Sheets) for analysis.
• Hands-on experience working with data collection tools such as SurveyCTO.
• Experience managing logistics, stock records, or supply chain processes.
• Excellent organisational and time management skills, with the ability to prioritise and deliver results under pressure.
• Strong communication skills in English, both written and spoken.
• Proficiency in at least one local language spoken in Rivers State.
• High standards of integrity and commitment to safeguarding and compliance.
• Willingness to travel frequently within Rivers State, including rural areas, and to work flexibly (including evenings/weekends where needed).