Senior Advisor, Demographics and Policy Support at the Population Council

The Population Council is an international, non-profit, non-governmental institution that seeks to improve the well-being and reproductive health of current and future generations around the world and help achieve a humane, equitable and sustainable balance between people and resources. The Council’s major program areas are HIV&AIDS, Reproductive Health and Poverty, Gender, and Youth. The Council conducts biomedical, social science and public health research and helps build research capacities in developing countries.The Population Council works in collaboration with a broad range of Nigerian institutions.

We are seeking professionals to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Advisor, Demographics and Policy Support

Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Job Type: Contract Full-Time

Job Description/Programme Summary

• The Population Council is seeking a senior demographer to support a new DFID-funded initiative, the Lafiya programme, which is designed to improve health outcomes for the poorest and most vulnerable in Nigeria, through encouraging the Government of Nigeria to increase resources invested in health; ii) improving effectiveness and efficiency of public and private basic health for services; and iii) reducing total fertility rate in Nigeria. Activities will be conducted in Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa, Yobe and Borno states (as access permits) and lessons learned and findings will be culminated at the federal level.
• The family planning (FP) component includes increasing demand for, utilisation of, and acceptance of FP as well as analysing and communicating the wider impact of demographics.
• This senior researcher will analyse demographic data (including economic, migration, urbanisation, and health data) and produce results that can be readily communicated to policy makers at the Federal, state and community levels, programme planners, academics, opinion leaders and the general public.

Responsibilities

• Work with Nigerian and international researchers to conduct demographic research and analyses, including political economy analysis, and gather and synthesise the data to help government strengthen its policies and programmes to increase demand for and ensure voluntary, quality FP services.
• Collaborate with the Lafiya project team and Nigerian institutions to develop and implement communication and advocacy strategies to a range of stakeholders to develop or strengthen programs that address population growth and its effects on other aspects of the country’s economic and social development.
• Lead technical assistance and capacity-building efforts for Nigerian researchers to strengthen their skills to conduct demographic and political economy analyses and to disseminate this information effectively to stakeholders.
• Take a lead role in the development of dissemination, advocacy, and research uptake strategies, identifying influencers and leaders to encourage adoption of evidence for policy formulation, planning, and resource allocation.
• Use evidence on demographic trends to identify key messages and potential policy levers to encourage the voluntary use of family planning and other women’s health services.
• Provide technical support and supervision to demographers and population and health scientists in select project states to conduct demographic and policy research, develop and implement research uptake strategies at the state level, and work with policy makers and planners to strengthen family planning services and population planning at the state level.

Qualifications

• A PhD in demography, public health, social sciences, or equivalent field.
• At least 10 years of conducting research in demography, population planning, reproductive health and/or public health, preferably in Nigeria.
• Expertise in political economy analysis.
• Expertise in a range of quantitative research methods including the collection, quality assurance, analysis, interpretation and use of data for decision-making.
• Demonstrated ability to establish and sustain professional relationships, to manage and work collaboratively with government agencies, civil society and community-based organisations, and donors.
• Ability to develop and communicate a common vision to diverse target audiences ranging from governments to NGOs and civil society organisations.
• Strong oral and written communication skills in English, including evidence of high-quality report writing and presentations.
• Excellent diplomatic and representational skills and ability to communicate with high-level donors, government agencies, non-governmental organisations, civil sector society, and organisational counterparts, and to discuss the project’s research, analyses, and lessons learned in a compelling and articulate way.
• Proven ability to lead, motivate, and supervise technical staff to achieve high quality performance and project vision.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

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

Note: Dependent on funding.