State Immunization Consultant  at JSI Research & Training Institute, Inc

Position grade: FSN 9 

Number of Consultants required: Three (3)

SUMMARY:

The primary role of the State Immunization Consultant will be to directly support the State Primary Health Care Development Agency or Board (SPHCDA/B) team in the State of assignment in Nigeria and provide strategic leadership to ensure effective planning and implementation of national priority activities as appropriate at the state and LGA levels. The Consultant will work in close collaboration with the JSI team to support all aspects of the immunization technical assistance upon approval. This will include supporting collective efforts to identify early successes for opportunistic nOPV2 use to achieve rapid and sustainable increases in coverage among the target population; support the delivery of dependable, regular, high-quality immunization services; promote continued state ownership and accountability; and support evidence generation to inform future scale-up of opportunistic nOPV2 delivery.   

RESPONSIBILITIES:

The State Immunization Consultant will be responsible for providing technical assistance to the State PHCDA/B and its operational arm, the State Emergency Operations Center (SEOC).

• Serve as a strategic, high-level technical advisor to SPHCDA/B and represent JSI in appropriate technical working groups and sub-committees on routine immunization and polio eradication. 
• Contribute to aligning state-level support to national strategies on RI and interruption of transmission of cVDPV2 within the existing state immunization systems and structures.
• Contribute to the adaptation, dissemination, and use of operational guidelines, SOPs, and job aids at the state, LGA, health facility, and community levels.
• Support evidence generation, learning documentation, and preparation of donor reports, meeting notes, success stories, and other project reports.
• Prepare donor technical progress reports, work plans, success stories, and other technical documents as required
• Contribute to capacity building for health personnel on routine immunization and nOPV2 administration, demand generation, supportive supervision, vaccine management, adverse events monitoring and documentation in project database and NHMIS data tools.
• Support the SPHCDA/B and SEOC in the delivery of nOPV2 through opportunistic platforms based on the technical guidance provided by the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and the National Emergency Operations Center (NEOC).
• Oversee project performance management through collaboration with the SPHCDA/B and partners to collect and analyze data, monitor performance, and implement corrective actions.
• Remain in regular contact (by email, phone, Slack, etc.) with the JSI Nigeria leadership team and the JSI global Immunization practice team.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATION: 

• Advanced degree in public health, nursing, or a related field with more than five years of experience in primary health care and public health program management.   
• A strong knowledge of immunization programming, vaccinology, and maternal and child health.
• At least two years’ practical experience in a management position and demonstrated capacity to provide strategic leadership to government and partner counterparts at the subnational level.
• Practical experience in immunization programs, including polio eradication, in both urban and rural settings.
• Knowledge of the Ministry of Health and SPHCDA/B structures in Nigeria.
• Excellent work planning, documentation, and reporting skills.
• Experience in using Microsoft Office suites
• Experience working on projects supported by international immunization partners such as the Gates Foundation, US Govt, WHO, and UNICEF will be an added asset.
• Willingness to support project interventions in the high-priority geographies to achieve project results.
• Fluency in English.

JSI is an Equal Opportunity, Affirmative Action Employer committed to workplace diversity. We are committed to providing equal employment opportunities for all qualified applicants and employees without regard to age, race, color, national origin, ancestry, creed, religion, gender, disability, marital status, gender identity, sexual orientation, sexual preference, genetic