Senior Advisor, Technical Services 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: Senior Advisor, Technical Services - Nigeria

Job Ref:15-38-E2A
Location: Abuja, 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 Senior Advisor (Technical Services) will be a senior Nigerian HIV/AIDS specialist, who will work in close collaboration with the Project Director and technical staff to provide strategic inputs into program development and implementation. The SA (TS) will monitor project inputs and results and will be responsible for ensuring that the project provides high quality technical assistance and supports quality implementation of activities by local partners, facility and community-based providers. The SA (TS) will ensure that the project meets its annual targets and is maximizing positive outcomes. He/she will work closely with the State Program Managers state level project technical staff, MOH counterparts and other partners to produce/adapt and apply quality guidance and tools for program implementation. The SA (TS) will represent the project on key, technical working groups and ensure that the project contributes to and adopts up-to-date MOH guidelines and other technical guidance. He/she will contribute to program reporting and documentation and collaborate with the Senior Advisor (MERL) and Project Director in establishing project targets.

Key Responsibilities

• Provide input into strategic direction of project activities. Support the development of strategic plans, workplans, and priorities that support GON/USAID Nigeria objectives.
• Ensure up-to-date technical approaches, including application of national guidelines, standards of practice and tools, as well as Pathfinder International Quality Standards.
• Guide, build capacity for and monitor the quality of services supported by the project at all levels.
• Contribute to the development of program strategies, subproject documents, work plans and budgets.
• Assist in the provision of programmatic assistance to local partners in programming on HIV/AIDS/STI/RH activities.
• Lead and work with relevant staff to coordinate the design and implementation of technically sound facility and community based integrated PMTCT/TB/MNCH services.
• Provide ongoing technical assistance in HIV/AIDS clinical management, PMTCT, and integrated RH services for PI Nigeria programs.
• Work with technical staff at the state offices and other relevant PI staff to adapt and disseminate guidelines, tools and procedures that will support the achievement of quality service delivery.
• Participate in development, preparation, and dissemination/publication of technical papers and documents.
• Represent the project at professional meetings and events, and as directed by the PD, to senior-level donors and the leadership of cooperating agencies and other interested parties.
• Under the guidance of the PD, cultivate and strengthen positive, productive relationships with donor, partners, Ministry of Health and other governmental agencies ensuring that E2A is consistently viewed as an effective implementing partner in meeting and achieving project targets. Coordination with the MOH and the lead partner will be key.
• Provide inputs into monitoring and evaluation strategies, frameworks, progress reports, plans and indicators that capture project performance and results.
• Perform other tasks to ensure effective implementation of the project as required.

Basic Requirements

• Master's degree in public health, social sciences or related field.
• Minimum of five years of experience in implementing clinical and community based HIV/AIDS programs particularly PMTCT and anti-retroviral therapy (ART) services in resource constrained settings.
• 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.
• Knowledge of Nigerian clinical settings, including government and non-government and private for profit settings.
• Sensitivity to cultural differences and understanding of the social, political and ethical issues surrounding HIV infections.
• Strong presentation skills including the ability to present results and products to diverse stakeholders.
• Expert computer skills in Microsoft Office Suite applications, including Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
• Well-organized, with attention to detail and ability to work both independently and in teams.
• Position requires in-county travel to Lagos, C/River, Akwa Ibom and Rivers states.

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