Senior Specialist - Community System Strengthening at The Center for Clinical Care and Clinical Research

Job Summary

• We require qualified candidates to fill the position of Senior Specialist - Community System Strengthening for a 5-year USAID award known as Transforming Health and Resilience for Individuals Through Vibrant Empowerment (THRIVE) South Project, implemented in the five states of Akwa Ibom, Bayelsa, Cross River, Edo and Lagos. 
• The Senior Specialist, Community Systems Strengthening will play a pivotal role in the THRIVE South project. 
• This position will focus on enhancing community-level systems with a linkage to the government and health systems strengthening to improve the well-being of orphans and vulnerable children and their households. 
• The senior specialist will lead efforts to enhance local health, social services, and community-based support systems. 
• The Senior Specialist will work closely with community stakeholders, local governments, and other partners to design, implement, and monitor community systems interventions that promote sustainable, child-centered services and other matters of concern.

Specific Responsibilities

• Building and Strengthening Community Systems, Collaboration and Coordination, Advocacy, Resource Mobilization and Sustainability:
  • Contribute to the design and lead the implementation of community systems strengthening strategies in support of OVC THRIVE South project objectives.
  • Identify key gaps and opportunities within community systems and services, such as healthcare, child protection, education, and social welfare, and lead in the programming,
  • Collaborate with local stakeholders to develop sustainable community-level responses for vulnerable children and families.
  • Provide technical assistance to local partners to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of community-based services.
  • Conduct assessments to identify gaps and strengths in existing community systems, services, and resources available for OVCs.
  • Assess and build the capacity of local organizations, community workers, and service providers to deliver high-quality services to OVC.
  • Design and deliver training programs aimed at strengthening community systems and building local ownership of OVC services.
  • Develop and disseminate tools, guidelines, and best practices to improve service delivery at the community level.
  • Collaborate with the Senior Advisor Systems Strengthening & Resource Mobilization to identify ways to strengthen, align, and link formal and informal social service systems to support OVC and their household, quality service delivery, and a sustained OVC response.
  • Support the establishment and functioning of community-level coordination mechanisms (e.g., CIT, CPC, networks, task teams etc).
  • Assist in identifying and mobilizing local resources (financial, human, or material) to support OVC programs.
  • Design and deliver training programs aimed at strengthening community systems and building local ownership of OVC services.
  • Develop and disseminate tools, guidelines, and best practices to improve service delivery
  • Ensure that systems-strengthening interventions are designed for sustainability, focusing on local ownership, resource mobilization, and scalability.
  • Guide the integration of community systems strengthening activities within broader national and regional OVC programming.
  • Other duties as assigned.
• Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting, Research and Innovation:
  • Support the development and implementation of monitoring and evaluation frameworks to track progress on community systems strengthening activities.
  • Collaborate with the SI team to ensure that community-level data is collected, analyzed, and used to inform decision-making.
  • Regularly report on community systems strengthening activities and outcomes to the Systems Strengthening lead, State Program Manager, project management, and donor stakeholders.
  • Document best practices, lessons learned, and case studies to improve future interventions and share knowledge within the organization and with stakeholders.
  • Contribute to the generation of evidence on effective community systems strengthening models through research, assessments, and learning activities.
  • Innovate and adopt new approaches to address evolving community needs, leveraging lessons learned and best practices from the field.
• Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement:
  • Cultivate strong relationships with government MDAs, non-governmental organizations, community leaders, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment with national strategies and programs and seek opportunities to enhance collaboration and leverage resources among critical stakeholders to support an HIV-sensitive child protection system.
  • Advocate for policies and resources that support community systems strengthening for OVC at local, regional, and national levels.
  • Provide technical and programmatic leadership to develop an approach to sustainability plan development and implementation that increases the ability of relevant State institutions (e.g., SMWASD, SMOH) to fulfill their mandate and support an HIV-sensitive social service system.
  • Represent the Systems Strengthening unit and THRIVE South in meetings, forums, and other engagements to promote community systems-strengthening initiatives.

Minimum Requirement Education, Experience, and Skills

• Degree in Social Work, Public Health, International Development, or a related field.
• Minimum of 7 years of experience working on OVC programs, child protection, community development, or health systems strengthening.
• Demonstrated experience in community-based service delivery, with a strong understanding of local governance and service systems.
• Proven expertise in designing and implementing capacity-building initiatives at the community and local government levels.
• Strong knowledge of monitoring and evaluation methodologies, particularly in community-driven development programs.
• Experience working with diverse stakeholders, including government, NGOs, and community groups.
• Ability to work in a complex, multi-stakeholder environment and manage competing priorities.
• Strong written and oral communication skills.
• Experience with large-scale OVC programs or similar projects.
• Familiarity with child protection frameworks and policies.
• Proficiency in local languages and cultural competency.
• Ability to innovate and adapt to local contexts.
• Strong leadership and mentoring skills.