Private Sector Advisor at Pathfinder International

Pathfinder International is a global leader in sexual and reproductive health. We place reproductive health care at the center of all that we do—believing that it is not only a fundamental human right, but is critical for expanding life opportunities for women, families, communities, and nations, and paving the way for transformations in environmental stewardship, decreases in population pressures, and innovations in poverty reduction. Pathfinder provides women, men, and adolescents with a range of quality health services from contraception and maternal care to HIV prevention and AIDS care and treatment.

Evidence to Action for Strengthened Family Planning and Reproductive Health Services for Women and Girls (E2A) is USAID's global flagship project for strengthening quality FP/RH service delivery and is led by Pathfinder International. The project is designed to reduce unmet need for family planning by scaling-up proven best practices (BPs) to ensure that women and girls receive and use - quality services through all stages of the reproductive life cycle. E2A promotes healthy FP/RH behaviors, gender-equality, and the application of compelling evidence for FP use. The project is in partnership with the African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC), IntraHealth International, Management Sciences for Health (MSH), ExpandNet, and PATH.

Job Title: Private Sector Advisor

Location: Lagos
Job Ref: 15-42-E2A

Program Overview
This 3 year, USAID supported project aims to contribute to the reduction in Mother to Child Transmission (MTCT) of HIV/AIDS by providing a standardized package of PMTCT and tuberculosis (TB)/HIV services integrated with quality reproductive MCH services in private healthcare facilities, as recommended by the National guidelines as well as the associated guidelines for RMNCH, and by addressing the underlying gender, youth, and HIV stigmas that impede access, provision, and sustained utilization of these services in Akwa Ibom, Rivers, C/River and Lagos states of Nigeria.

Position Purpose

• The Private Sector Advisor will be a senior Nigerian HIV/AIDS specialist with significant experience of working with the private sector, who will work in close collaboration with the Project Director and SA(TS) to provide strategic inputs into the design and implementation of private sector tailored capacity building, service delivery and demand generation activities to increase uptake and utilization of integrated HIV/AIDS, FP/RH/MNCH and TB services in the 4 assigned states. The PSA will be responsible for ensuring that the project provides effective engagement and fostering a mutually beneficial partnership that will deliver the required result with the private sector partners. S/he will have oversight of all market analyses and oversee partner implementation of promotional and branding strategies that support social marketing and private sector development. S/he will be responsible for coordinating private-public partnerships that address the long-term sustainability issues, including leveraging PMTCT and other donor support.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide private sector tailored input on the strategic direction of project activities.
• Contribute to the development of strategic plans, workplans, and priorities that support GON/USAID Nigeria objectives.
• Supports the adaption and use of up-to-date technical approaches, including application of national guidelines, standards of practice and tools, as well as Pathfinder International Quality Standards by private sector partners.
• Conduct regular site visits to review program implementation and meet with beneficiaries. Based on the information collected during field visits, communicate findings and recommendations to the project team and, as appropriate, implementing partners and HQ.
• Develop opportunities for PIN to network and foster discussion of HIV care and treatment areas of interest (ART, VCT, PMTCT, prevention of positives) among private health care providers and between public and private health professionals.
• Partner and collaborate with multi-lateral agencies (i.e. WHO, World Bank, etc.) that are currently providing support to public sector hospitals and selected private programs.
• Further strengthen initiatives with private health sector partners, including pharmacies and health shops, small private practices, and lower level private clinics and individual practitioners, to identify individuals with a higher likelihood of HIV acquisition/PMTCT case and encourage them to seek counselling, testing and/or treatment.
• Review performance reports to ensure that partner(s) are in compliance with the performance expectations outlined in their work plan and in their agreement(s) with Donor.
• Ensure that sub-grantees are in compliance with all relevant USAID regulations and procedures and communicate with them regarding donor’s rules and regulations, as well as their obligations to the donor.
• Provide technical input on annual work plans for sub grantees.
• Be responsible for the integration of GIS mapping to ensure partner coordination and analysis; market research; sustainable human resource retention modalities; and risk pooling, insurance and solidarity funds.
• Coordinate lessons learned dissemination with private sector partners.
• Identify project specific needs and/or opportunities where public-private alliances could be leveraged to address HIV/AIDS /PMTCT sustainability issues. This effort will require the advisor to have technical expertise in HIV/AIDS/ PMTCT and other pertinent areas that are being implemented and designed across multiple sectors.
• Identify potential alliance partners and develop relationships with private businesses, corporations, foundations, NGOs, and other non-traditional development organizations.
• Provide technical and program assistance (including drafting briefing papers, cables and memos for information and action) for private sector activities.
• Liaise with middle/senior level officials of the State Government, FG, NGOs, the commercial sector, and other implementing agencies in the specialized areas for which the incumbent is responsible.

Basic Requirements

• Bachelor's degree in Medicine with Master’s degree in public health or Business Administration or related field.
• Minimum of 7 years relevant experience in HIV/AIDS/PMTCT, reproductive health and community based programs with ability to deliver health services Experience in implementing, supporting and/or evaluating large, complex projects. This will include technical knowledge of clinical and community-based approaches in HIV/AIDS, FP/RH, MCH and TB as well as collection, analysis, and presentation of health and population data.
• Demonstrated experience successfully fulfilling performance objectives, including the timely implementation and reporting of donor-funded program activities.
• Demonstrated time management skills and ability to effectively meet the demands of short deadlines, multiple tasks and coordination with multiple partners.
• Excellent diplomatic, interpersonal and communication (written and verbal) skills.
• Proven ability to create and maintain effective working relations with senior government personnel, international organizations, NGO partners, governments, and U.S. Government Agencies and private sector partners.
• Knowledge of Nigerian clinical settings, including government and non-government and private for profit settings.
• Full working knowledge of the private health sector in Nigeria.
• Must be organized, creative, independent able to handle multi task, and focus with composure with capacity to meet deadlines.
• Ability to define and solve practical problems and interpret a variety of instructions.
• Expert computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Excellent interpersonal and communications (written and verbal) skills.
• Well-organized, with attention to detail and ability to work both independently and in teams.
• Position requires in-county travel to C/River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers states in addition to the FCT.

Preferred Qualifications

• Technical expertise in: Institutional capacity building, systems strengthening, quality improvement approaches, gender, monitoring and evaluation, referral systems, human resources for health, and/or commodities logistics.
• Local knowledge and ability to speak the one or two of the local languages of the project states.

Application Closing Date
13th October, 2014

How to Apply
Interested candidates should:
Click here to apply online