Strategic Planning Adviser at Mannion Daniels Limited

Mannion Daniels Ltd, a UK consulting and project management company (www.manniondaniels.com) is part of a consortium led by GRM Futures Group.The Maternal, Newborn and Child Health Programme (MNCH2) is a country led programme which aims to reduce maternal and child mortality in Northern Nigeria and it is funded by the Department for International Development (DFID), the programme is being  implemented by a consortium comprising of Futures Group, Society for Family Health (SFH), Options, Mannion Daniels (MD), Association for Reproductive and Family Health (ARFH), Axios, and Marie Stopes International (MSI). On behalf of

MNCH 2, Mannion Daniels Ltd is seeking for a Strategic Planning Adviser to contribute and work within this dynamic five (5) year programme.

Job Title: Strategic Planning Adviser

Location: Kano
Contract Type: Permanent -Full Time

Job Summary
The MNCH2 programme is being implemented in six states in northern Nigeria: Jigawa, Kaduna, Katsina, Kano, Yobe and Zamfara States.

In return we offer:

• A friendly and team-based working environment
• Opportunity to work with national and international colleagues
• Vital contribution to improving maternal and newborn services in Northern Nigeria
• The opportunity to truly "make a difference"
• A competitive salary with benefits

Job Description

• Mannion Daniels Ltd seek to employ a Strategic Planning Adviser for MNCH 2 programme.
• The main purpose of the position is to lead the programme's efforts to work with State partners to increase the amount, frequency (i.e. multi-year) and actual release of funding.

Key Responsibilities
The role will have two main responsibilities:
1.) To provide technical leadership to a team of 6 Strategic Planning Coordinators who are members of the State Teams and will be based in the project states will involve the following tasks:

• Designing a results-based programme of technical support to State Ministries of Health and/or State Primary Health Care Development Agencies and LGAs to improve planning, budgeting, governance and Accountability in support of the programme's objective to achieve effective and efficient delivery of essential health care for pregnant women, new-borns and children, alongside routine immunization.
• Collaborating with the State Team Leaders to plan and implement technical support to State Ministries of Health and/or State Primary Health Care Development Agencies and LGAs.
• Supporting the Planning Coordinators in providing technical assistance to States and LGAs to strengthen health system coordination through improved health sector planning and financing.
• Supporting the Planning Coordinators in setting performance targets and assessing the performance of the programme States and LGAs in meeting these targets.
• Designing a programme of capacity development to local CSOs to improve State and LGA governance, transparency and accountability by enabling them to monitor the amount, frequency (i.e. multi-year) and actual release of funding for MNCH services.
• Recruiting and supervising short-term technical assistants, particularly at LGA level.

2.) Contributing to the planning function of the MNCH project supporting the Senior Management team:

• Contributing to programme plan/budget sessions, regular plan/budget updates and supporting State Offices to reflect the programme's plans in their own operational plans.
• Contributing to programme reporting requirements such as quarterly progress, VFM, budget variance and financial reports

Qualifications
The successful applicant for this job will possess:

• Senior level experience in strategic planning and budgeting I the health sector, preferably in performance/results based planning and budgeting.
• A thorough understanding of the principles of Value for Money and methodologies for measuring this I the context of a DFID programme.
• An excellent technical understanding of approaches to delivering responsive maternal, neonatal, and child health services, including immunization, in Nigeria and/or another African country.
• Excellent training, management and coaching skills and the ability to interact comfortably with all levels of international and Nigerian staff and consultants.
• Top class networking and facilitation skills and a successful record of collaboration with government officials and CSOs in Nigeria.
• A demonstrated ability to operate successfully as a team in a fast-paced international consulting environment.
• A willingness to travel to rural north-west Nigeria to work at LGA level.

Application Closing Date
9th October, 2014.

How To Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should send their briefly cover letter and CV to: recruitment@mnch2.com specifying the position on the subject line. For example "Strategic Planning Adviser - Kano"

Note: Only applicants shortlisted will be contacted. There are no relocation allowances available for the position.