Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.
Under the Child Health and Immunization Specialist, the Child Health and Immunization Officer will support the implementation of the technical and research aspects of the programme within the state.
S/he will be accountable for the quality of interventions and for the capacity building of health workers health facility level.
S/he will be responsible for ensuring timely provision of high-quality technical assistance by project staff in the state.
S/he will contribute to the efficient and effective planning, budgeting, implementation, monitoring and evaluation as well as donor reporting functions so that the project can achieve its purposes and outputs.
Key Areas of Accountability
Programme Quality:
Provides technical expertise to ensure programs are of high quality and comply with the country and SCI standards.
Contributes to the identification of expertise gaps and support the mobilization of technical assistance from in-country and UK based technical advisers and external consultants as needed.
Supports the development of high-quality programming, annual plans, and budgeting processes for the programme, as and when necessary.
Contributes to the formulation of key program questions that will help to advance the evidence base and leads design of targeted evaluations.
Support the Child Health and Immunization Specialist in the coordination of the programme’s operational and analytical research, publication and dissemination of results.
Actively contribute to the process of learning, evaluation, capturing and disseminating lessons from the programme for continuous improvement of programme performance and overall outcome
Contribute to the preparation of quality quarterly and annual reports and timely submission of deliverables.
Any other duty assigned by the Child Health and Immunization Specialist
Capacity Building:
Build capacity of health facility workers to implement quality programs
Represent the programme in stakeholders’ forums at LGA and community levels.
Create partnerships with relevant community-based organizations, traditional and religious leaderships, development and other social groups at the LGA and community levels to ensure adequate community involvement and participation in project activities.
In collaboration with the Advocacy team, assist in advocacy activities that target decision-makers at all levels.
Ensure that learning, experiences, and evidence generated on the research component of the project is documented and presented to the right forum, particularly at the LGA and community levels.
Safeguarding:
Support safeguarding team in carrying out safeguarding risk assessment and develop a mitigation plan when needed.
Flag safeguarding concerns noticed during programme implementation as well as share good practices identified in the field.
All children and programme beneficiaries are provided with ongoing, age-appropriate verbal or written information in relevant languages about Save the Children’s Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.
Additional Job Responsibilities:
This position supports the Child Health Specialist in ensuring that the project team and SCI programmes in the assigned state are implemented with the highest standards and safe programming
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Qualifications and Experience
Minimum of a Bachelor's Degree in Medicine, Health, Public Health or Registered Nurse / Midwife or related field is required; a health professional (MD or nurse) with clinical training skills (pre-service and/or service clinical training) preferred.
Minimum of 3 years’ experience implementing and delivering technical assistance to maternal, newborn and child health programs in developing country settings.
Demonstrated expertise in program development and management of child survival and strong experience in immunization service delivery. program design and implementation required; must have experience facilitating training, supportive supervision.