Health Adviser at the British High Commission (BHC) Nigeria

The British Government is an inclusive and diversity-friendly employer.  We value difference, promote equality and challenge discrimination, enhancing our organisational capability. We welcome and encourage applications from people of all backgrounds. We do not discriminate on the basis of disability, race, colour, ethnicity, gender, religion, sexual orientation, age, veteran status or other category protected by law. We promote family-friendly flexible working opportunities, where operational and security needs allow.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Health Adviser G7 (13/24 ABJ)

Location: Abuja
Start Date: 1 May 2024
Duration of Post: 12 months
Type of Position: Fixed Term
Working hours per week: 35 hours
Grade: Grade 7 (G7)
Type of Post: British Deputy High Commission
Job Category: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Programme Roles)
Job Sub-Category: Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (Programme Roles)

Main Purpose of Job

• FCDO Nigeria is looking for a passionate and experienced public health expert to drive our response to the UK’s commitment to work with others to end the preventable deaths of mothers, babies and children.
• The post will work in the FCDO Nigeria Health Team to lead our work to deliver on pillar three of ‘Ending Preventable Death’s approach paper: ‘healthier lives and safe environments’.
• The post-holder will work with governments at different levels (federal and state), development partners, multilaterals, and non-governmental organisations to help deliver against our collective objectives to end preventable deaths.
• The successful candidate will report to the senior health adviser and health team leader, and will work across the British High Commission with relevant teams and disciplines.

Roles and Responsibilities
The key functions of this role are as follows:

• Lead development of our objectives for delivering progress on ‘healthier lives and safe environments’ in Nigeria, with a focus on nutrition and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), but also providing support to the wider pupilar aims as necessary, such as climate and health - to help direct our positive influencing and engagement with government and non-government partners.
• Work with FCDO Nigeria sectoral experts and programme managers to help shape Nigeria’s cross sectoral approach delivering the  ‘healthier lives and safe environment’ pillar, and ensuring alignment and coordination with our wider policy objectives.
• Lead on development, design and oversight of FCDO Nigeria and FCDO headquarters resources to deliver a joined-up UK offer to support policy objectives on nutrition and WASH (and wider ‘healthier lives and safe environments’ objectives), aligned with FCDO’s country plan and Government of Nigeria priorities and plans.
• Develop strong relationships with relevant government and non-government partners, including (but not limited to): Federal Ministry and relevant agencies;  State Ministries; development partners;  UN agencies; and civil society organisations.
• Lead FCDO technical input to government policy and programmes, and lead coordination with government counterparts on nutrition and WASH for FCDO Nigeria, including on integration of these areas into the Government of Nigeria’s Health Transformation Agenda
• Take a proactive role in relevant development partner groups on WASH and nutrition, representing FCDO on these bodies, and working with the wider membership to support the formation and delivery of collective policy objectives and improve donor coordination.  
• Provide health, nutrition and WASH technical support to the humanitarian and north-east team, and other teams as required.
• Be an effective member of the wider British High Commission team in Abuja.  The Adviser will be expected to play an active and constructive role in the wider British High Commission.  This will include producing high quality briefings, supporting senior visits, and completing/contributing to corporate returns as required. The post holder will also be expected to contribute proactively to team as well as cross office/mission people, policy, programme and corporate initiatives.

Resources managed (staff and expenditure):

• The post holder will have responsibility for defining priorities on WASH and nutrition under relevant FCDO centrally managed programmes, with a draw-down technical assistance function.

Essential Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• A post-graduate qualification in Public Health, together with at least 5 years experience working in public health in progressively more senior roles.
• Experience working on both health systems development and the wider determinants of health, including experience working on nutrition and WASH.
• Personal resilience to work in a fast-paced multi-disciplinary supportive team, with an ability to lead on a complex agenda, working on multiple responsibilities concurrently, sometimes to tight deadlines.
• A respectful and proactive approach to engaging with colleagues across teams and a range of partners, using influencing and diplomacy skills to find areas of mutual benefit, develop and build strong relationships and work through areas of tension.
• A strong track-record of working on evidence-based engagement, policy and analysis, with demonstrable experience and skills in the areas of WASH and nutrition, including through a prism of ‘leave no one behind’, including women and girls.
• A proactive approach and a focus on continuous improvement of self and service, with an appetite to work with others to improve effectiveness.
• The successful candidate will have a demonstrable track record of delivering health outcomes at expert level through strong capability in the Health  competencies.
• As an expert he/she will be recognised for deep specialist or technical knowledge and/or skill, underpinned by extensive experience applying it in practice on complex issues; connected with other experts. More information is available in the  the Health Technical Competency Framework - here
• Advanced written and spoken English.

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience:

• Good understanding of the global health context and global health architecture
• Experience working in multi-donor platforms to deliver collective results.
• To note: the assessment process will serve as the assessment to be accredited to the FCDO’s health cadre - details of which are found in the technical competency framework.

Required behaviours:

• Seeing the Big Picture, Leadership.

Salary
USD4,885.77 Annually.

Other benefits and conditions of employment:
Learning and development opportunities:

• We are committed to L&D for all staff and we will work with the post-holder to identify opportunities that suit their professional and personal aspirations as well as those needed to be successful in this role.
• Membership of the health cadre provides access to a range of continuous professional development opportunities in public health.

Working patterns:

• Full-time, 35 hours per week
• Flexible working is available on discussion and agreement with line manager.

Application Closing Date
29th March, 2024.

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

Additional Information and Notice

• Please check your application carefully before you submit, as no changes can be made once submitted.
• Employees recruited locally by the British High Commission in Abuja are subject to Terms and Conditions of Service according to local employment law in Nigeria.
• All candidates must be legally able to work and reside in the country of the vacancy with the correct visa/work permit status or demonstrate eligibility to obtain the relevant permit.
• The responsibility lies on the successful candidate to:
  • Obtain the relevant permit
  • Pay fees for the permit
  • Make arrangements to relocate
  • Meet the costs to relocation
• Employees who are not liable to pay local income tax on their Mission salary may have their salaries reduced by the equivalent local income tax amount.  
• Information about the Civil Service Success Profiles can be found on this link: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/success-profiles
• Reference checking and security clearances will be conducted on successful candidates.
• The British High Commission will never request any payment or fees to apply for a position.
• Appointable candidates who were unsuccessful may be placed on a ‘reserve list’. If during the reserve period of 12 months the same or a largely similar role becomes available, that role may be offered to the second or subsequent candidate”.