State Program Manager PMTCT Project 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.

Pathfinder International is recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: State Program Manager PMTCT Project - Nigeria

Job Ref: 15-41-E2A
Location: Lagos, C/River and Akwa Ibom, Nigeria

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 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 State Program Manager is responsible for providing technical and management support for the implementation of the E2A Nigeria Private Sector PMTCT Plus Project in the respective State. H/She will supervise and monitor project implementation to ensure quality technical programming and ensure that activities follow the project’s strategic objectives and approved work-plan. There are 3 positions, one each in Akwa Ibom, Cross River and Lagos.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide technical, operational, management and financial oversight of the state project office and its activities.
• Responsible for coordination of project activities, development and implementation of project activities, in liaison with state and other stakeholders especially the lead implementation partner.
• Develop and maintain effective project implementation relationships with key personnel at state private sector partners as well as with lead IP in the assigned state.
• Provide technical assistance and supportive supervision to the state and local government offices, local partners and to project staff.
• Monitor achievement of program objectives on a monthly basis through technical reviews; and provides updates including key indicator analysis of data to the Project Director and Senior Advisor (MERL).
• Facilitate and coordinates systems for processing and monitoring fixed obligation grants to provincial, district and health zone bureaus on a monthly and quarterly basis in liaison with the Senior Finance and Operations Manager and the PD.
• Review and monitor alignment of state project budget with programmatic objectives and outcome and ensure provincial level activities and results contribute to the achievement of the project goals and objectives.
• Collaborate with local partner organizations to form, expand, and/or strengthen state/community planning and action groups, build and sustain alliances or coalitions, and promote dialogue to assess and prioritize needs; design, implement and monitor project specific activities.
• Provide guidance and quality oversight to facility on collection and utilization of performance data to improve programming.
• Monitor the continuous availability of essential supplies for effective project implementation and take action required to ensure uninterrupted supply.
• Coordinate and support the central office in procurement process of both short-term technical assistance to the province and other procurement processes. This may include: assistance in the identification, recruitment, and administration of independent contractors to meet technical assistance needs preparation of agreements, monitoring of payments, and facilitation of travel arrangements; reviews distribution and follow-up of technical reports.
• Represents E2A/Pathfinder field program activities to state and local government officials, other implementing partners and other stakeholders as assigned .​
• Perform any other duties as required by the Project Director.

Basic Requirements

• Medical or advance degree in social sciences degree combined with 5-8 years field experience in the design, implementation, monitoring or management of primary health care, HIV/AIDS, TB, family planning/ reproductive health.
• Experience in implementation and management of community based programs, project management and training/capacity building within the Nigeria.
• Good advocacy skills and strong ability to build and maintain relationships with government and community counterparts.
• Strong program management skills.
• Ability to problem solve, work independently and under pressures.
• Experience in community mobilization and community service delivery.
• Excellent written and oral communication aptitude and strong interpersonal skills.
• Strong interest in capability building of community and government partners.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, written and oral and ability to communicate in English and in the major local language of the state.
• Excellent computer skills with proficiency in Microsoft Office especially, Excel , Word, PowerPoint.
• Ability and willingness to travel within and beyond the assigned province.

Preferred Qualifications

• Experience working with the private sector.
• Working experience in the particular state for which the candidate is applying.

Application Closing Date
13th October, 2014

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