Project Officer - NEST MCGL QOC Project at APIN

Requisition ID: api-74637
Department: NEST360

Project Overview

• Reducing newborn deaths is a critical global health priority. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2 has a target for all countries to reduce neonatal mortality rates below 12/1,000 by 2030.
• At current rates of progress, sub-Saharan Africa will be the last global region to achieve SDG 3.2, reaching the target over fifty years or more too late.
• NEST360 (Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies) catalyzes change for newborn care, enabling African countries to meet the 2025 ENAP coverage targets and the SDG 2030 newborn survival targets.
• The NEST360 international alliance has been optimizing this multi-stakeholder, evidence-based model in Nigeria since 2019.
• Building on demonstrated evidence of impact at seven hospitals in the southwest region of Nigeria, NEST360 in Nigeria is currently positioned to scale up interventions to more public and private Nigerian hospitals with a high volume of inborn and outborn newborn rates throughout the country.
• NEST360 aims to end preventable newborn death in African hospitals by 2030. Our solution begins with the insight that saving newborn lives requires simultaneous delivery of a package of interventions that cut across the entire health system. 
• Together with African governments, educational institutions, and the private sector, NEST was created as a proven package of Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies designed to ensure that all newborns receive quality care.
• In view of this, NEST360 is now a program that delivers life-saving affordable newborn technologies; builds strong human resources to support newborn care; provides medical technology management and innovation; and shares evidence-based strategies and an investment case to scale and sustain quality newborn care.
• NEST360 program in partnership with APIN Public Health Initiatives is hiring a project officer for USAID supported MOMENTUM Country and Global Leadership (MCGL) QOC program based in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
• MCGL is a global project funded by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) to provide targeted technical and capacity development assistance (TCDA) to countries and local organizations and contributes to global technical leadership and policy dialogue to achieve global MNCH/FP/RH goals by supporting globally-endorsed initiatives, strategies, frameworks, guidelines, and action plans.  
• NEST360 MCGL QoC project will be guided by its theory of change that is hinged on strengthening the provision of quality care to newborns, especially the small and sick newborns through capacity building of health workers and institutionalization of clinical enabling environment for service delivery.

Role Purpose

• The project officer will be expected to coordinate project planning and support program operations, including ensuring compliance with grant regulations and monitoring of program implementation

Major Responsibilities

• Participate actively in managing program activities, the development and implementation of program activities.
• Contribute actively in monitoring and reporting of program activities including work plan and budget development, implementation of activities and development of activity reports.
• Work with established Quality Improvement teams in supported health facilities and with the headship of health facilities to support the establishment of QI teams in health facilities that do not have any.
• Coordinate the conduct of Health Facility Assessment in supported health facilities
• Work with the Ministry of Health and other stakeholders to develop, implement, monitor and report on program activities for quality improvement under NEST MCGL QoC project
• Coordinate in-person trainings and workshops for health workers, including developing training plans, engaging trainers, monitoring training and mentorship activities.
• Participate actively and have managerial oversight over the implementation of NEST360 program activities with high quality, meeting donor and organizational standards.
• In collaboration with the supervisor and the team, work with M&E to ensure timely data collection and data compilation, and ensure timely submission of both internal and donor reports in line with the project work plan.
• Ensure constant liaison with partners, FCTA health officials and facility heads as part of maintaining partnership and engagement with stakeholders in line with NEST360 program strategy for sustainability.
• Facilitate project activities including workshop planning, logistics planning and management, travel arrangements and other activity support to ensure smooth implementation.
• Undertake regular field visits to monitor project implementation and provide on-the-spot support to field teams accordingly.
• Perform any other relevant task as directed by the Rice360 Country Director.

Coordination and Representation:

• Participate in coordination meetings at state/FCT and facility level and ensure representation at field implementation meetings.
• Participate at relevant state/FCT TWG meetings as required.
• Facilitate field monitoring visits for internal and external stakeholders, when required.

Key Working Relationships:

• Line Manager: Rice360 Country Director
• Technical Collaboration: M&E/Training manager; Engineering training and maintenance manager; Qualitative research lead.
• Position has a Supervisory role: 1 data clerk.

Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Health-related field with a Post-graduate qualification (Preferably Master’s Degree) in Public Health, Development Studies, or any other relevant field.
• Previous Training in Project Management or Systems Strengthening.

Work Experience and technical skills required:

• Minimum of 3 years’ experience in coordination and implementation of health programs, specifically in management of newborn health programs at the state or national level.
•  Experience working jointly with national or state, and/or local health actors to strengthen the quality and responsiveness of child health services, particularly newborn health services.
• Technical expertise and working knowledge in the conduct of Health Facility Assessment.
• Capacity to work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Comfortable working in a multicultural system.
• Ability to demonstrate liaison and advocacy skills to establish and sustain productive working relationships with government agencies, stakeholders and other implementing partners.
• Experience in report writing and budgeting (organization and donor reporting)
• Ability to conduct field travel when required.

Computer / Other Tech Requirements:

• Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Language requirement:

• English Fluency (spoken and written).