Federal Team Advisor at Palladium Group

Palladium is a global leader in the design, development and delivery of Positive Impact - the intentional creation of enduring social and economic value. We work with foundations, investors, governments, corporations, communities and civil society to formulate strategies and implement solutions that generate lasting social, environmental and financial benefits.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Federal Team Advisor

Job ID: req19550
Location: Abuja
Reports to: Technical Lead 

Project Overview and Role

• The UK Support to Health transformation in Nigeria through the Lafiya Programme is a flexible, demand-led strategic partnership with the Nigerian Federal and targeted State governments designed to address equity, improve and sustain health outcomes for the most vulnerable States with the worst health statistics.
• The desired objectives of the programme included fostering an enabling environment for UHC policy reform and implementation, institutional management capacity building and health system strengthening. This required the full engagement and participation communities with a view to contributing to ending preventable maternal and new-born deaths.
• The programme operated at the Federal level; and geographically in five states of - Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Yobe. Following the ODA cuts, from 0.7% to 0.5% and the spend review handrails, the FCDO reprioritisation and business planning exercise beginning in the last quarter of 2020 and first quarter of 2021 the programme had to scale down some key interventions and consider reviewing the geographic scope going into the next financial years.
• The programme now focuses on contributing to two outcomes (1) Morbidity amongst women, new-borns, children, and adolescents significantly reduced in targeted states; and (2) Epidemic prone diseases transmission reduced, including improved plans and capacity for emergency preparedness and response in the targeted States:
  • Output 1: Advocacy & Accountability - Leadership and Governance of primary health care services structures or planning and delivery teams are functional in targeted states (through partnership).
  • Output 2: Adequate health workforce for primary health care including RMNCAH service delivery and BHCPF available and sustained in targeted states.
  • Output 3: Health information management systems capacity to support decision-making for primary health care including RMNCAH and BHCPF service delivery in targeted states increased.
  • Output 4: Health financing and public financial management to strengthen and sustain access to high quality and affordable primary health care in targeted states increased.
  • Output 5: Health security and epidemic preparedness and response (EPR) plans developed and operationalized within the targeted states (by addressing social norms/behaviour change).
• Lafiya is delivered at federal level, as well as with a focus on targeted states (Borno, Jigawa, Kaduna, Kano and Yobe) with activities tailored for each specific state instead of a “one size fits all” approach.
• The Federal Team Advisor - has technical and programmatic responsibility for the delivery of the Lafiya programme at the federal level.
• The role reports to the Technical Lead based in Abuja and support the team of technical and administrative Consultant at federal level ensuring that programme objectives and deliverables are met in accordance with the client reporting requirements and programme TORs.  The Federal Team Advisor is a member of the Lafiya Senior Leadership Team.
• The Federal Technical Advisor (FTA) will deliver technical assistance to Federal MDAs, states’-based program colleagues, and spend time to influence, conduct advocacies and internal initiatives at the discretion of his/her supervisor that include active participation in different TWGs. This is full-time role and requires in-person engagement with room for hybrid TA delivery.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities
The Federal Team Advisor will be responsible for:

Programme delivery and oversight:

• Lead on programme technical and related budgeting and financial management and accountability of the implementation of all federal level activities and results under each of the programme outcomes and outputs.
• Lead the preparation of federal annual strategic plans, technical and operational work plans and budgets, TA plans, performance improvement plans, and other plans as required.
• Quality-assure all federal level TA reports, including review and updating of implementation of technical strategies, interventions and activities and ensuring alignment to key government priorities and Lafiya’s theory of change, results framework and annual workplans.
• Assume overall responsibility for the effective implementation of Lafiya federal work plans and ensure timely delivery, within budget, meets client and stakeholder expectations and is contractually compliant.
• Responsible for forecast management at the federal level including working with the team to minimize monthly forecast variance and annual budget variance.
• Monitor federal implementation progress and progress toward milestones, maintain up to date log of issues and risks, works to resolve issues, manages, and mitigates risks, and escalate material issues and risks as appropriate.
• Ensure Lafiya’s federal TA and programme delivery continue to demonstrate good value for money.

Team management and leadership:

• Assume overall responsibility for the effective and professional management of Lafiya’s federal engagement ensuring integrity and professionalism in line with Palladium Code of Conduct.
• Lead, guide, mentor and manage the performance of assigned direct reports and ensures appropriate leadership, guidance, mentorship and management of consultants.

Stakeholder management:

• Provide strategic and technical representation of the programme at key federal level fora, meetings and coordination platforms, donor meetings, inter-agency working groups, and various key fora as assigned by the supervisor.
• Establish and maintain effective and collaborative working relationship with other FCDO funded programmes, Federal Ministry of Health, National Primary Health Care Development Agency, National Health Insurance Agency, Federal Ministry of Budget and Planning, National Population Commission, Nigeria Centre for Disease Control and other key government ministries, departments, and agencies; and key stakeholders including civil society organizations, community structures and development partners.

Internal:

• Close working relationship with the State Team Leads. Regular communication with technical and operation teams.
• Close relationship with other Palladium programs, keeping them informed, leverage and learn lessons.

Required Qualifications

• Advanced Degree or Higher in Public Health, Policy and Governance, Health Economics, or other relevant fields required.
• Demonstrated years of experience in managerial/coordination positions with Health International Organizations.
• Demonstrated experience working with donors, project design, proposal development, and monitoring and evaluation with the ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action.
• Strong interpersonal (verbal and written) communication skills and ability to facilitate collaboration.
• Outstanding capacity to understand the Nigerian context, portfolio, and overall programmatic needs, and coordinate the relevant technical assistance from within and outside the health sector.
• Ability to transfer technical knowledge and skills and demonstrate commitment to staying informed and up to date with the best practices.
• Demonstrated problem solving, analytic, financial, and evaluative skills.
• Ability to work with multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Experience in specified technical areas including health systems strengthening, Policy support, health security, demography, technical tools and materials development, and monitoring and evaluation is desired.
• Experience in strategy development and working across sectors or disciplines is highly desired.
• Attention to detail and ability to perform multiple tasks and balance competing priorities effectively and efficiently within a required timeframe.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online