Deputy Country Director at MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices

MSI Nigeria Reproductive Choices (MSIN) is a result-oriented social enterprise, which uses design thinking, strategic and innovative management systems, traditional and digital marketing techniques to provide reproductive and family health care services through multiple channels of service delivery and products distribution. MSIN’s goal is to meet the needs of underserved Nigerians and significantly improve access to a range of quality reproductive health services. MSIN is part of MSI Reproductive Choices Global Partnership, which has operational presence in over 37 countries.

We are proud to have a national team of about half-a-million, made up of young, professional, vibrant, creative, innovative, dynamic, and upwardly mobile intrapreneurs with an average age of mid-thirty. We have broad representation across workforce generations, with increasing rate of diversity, equality, and inclusion. Our team work daily, going beyond borders, to serve women, men, and adolescents in Nigeria.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Deputy Country Director

Location: Abuja
Employment Type: Full-time

The Role

• The Deputy Country Director is a key member of the MSIN Senior Management Team.
• S/he oversees the technical programme design and compliance assurance effort of the organisation, including new businesses and proposal development, organizational funding pathways, grants and project management.
• With support from the Ops Dir, directs the operational activities of the organisation to ensure effective implementation, continual improvement and strengthening of MSIN’s service delivery programmes.
• S/he provides leadership and managerial support in the development of the annual business plan, delivery of CP strategies and targets (BP, forecasts & donor commitments), including implementation of MSIN’s channel objective while coordinating advocacy and relationship building and/or management with government and key stakeholders and other implementing partners across the country.
• S/he provides oversight for donor project implementation including technical and operational reporting and liaison with the donor as well as leads in monitoring progress of CP activities and makes adjustments as necessary to ensure successful completion of set objectives.

Key Responsibilities
Technical Programme Design and Compliance Assurance:

• Ensure that projects are approved, implemented, monitored, evaluated, and reported on, in line with MSIN and donor policies and systems. Manage and support programme managers to ensure project targets achieved within budget and timeline. Ensure effective project management and implementation
  • including project performance tracking against defined indicators, budget tracking and timely financial and narrative reporting.
• Lead the co-ordination with operational / implementation teams by leading the development and monitoring of mutually agreed costed, time-bound workplans; regularly monitoring project performance in relation to donor agreements. Determine technical support needs for projects and participate in recruitment of consultants and project staff to ensure timely completion of all donor deliverables.
• Ensure clear, timely communication between all departments on all aspects project design, implementation, and management. Ensure clear, timely communication with all relevant project related external stakeholders including donors, and implanting partners.
• Ensure that all relevant team members are trained in all aspects of compliance with donor rules and regulations and related MSIN standards and policies.

Leadership and External Relations:

• Create and pursue opportunities to advance the mission and goals of MSIN by developing productive mutually beneficial relationships with donors, development partners, the government and other stakeholders working within the Family Planning and Sexual, Reproductive Health (SRH) space.
• Develop opportunities for strategic alliances with the government, and other development partners to create an enabling environment for MSIN to expand its reach and advance its mission.
• Lead the Programme and Operations team by providing strategic guidance, building capacity, managing growth, and ensuring effective communication.
• As a member of the Senior Management Team (SMT) actively participate in SMT strategies to provide leadership, guidance and support to the organisation in pursuit of MSIN’s mission and strategic objectives.

New Business Development:

• Identify grant/funding and partnership opportunities: These include funding pots, calls for proposals, as well as strategic partners necessary and are fit for purpose when forming funding consortia.
• Coordinates grant writing for MSIN: This entails Identifying and clarifying opportunities and needs, studying requests for proposal (RFPs), determining concepts, gathering, and formatting information, writing drafts, and obtaining approvals, writing, submitting, and managing grant proposals, as well as attending strategy meetings.
• Targeting appropriate donors and fostering new business relationships with these donors
• Develop creative measures to not only increase the funding portfolio but also maintain current funders.
• Developing relationships and collaborating with strategic funding stakeholders.
• Displaying adherence to the organization mission.
• Maintain a database (records) of MSIN funding and proposal history, as well as all relevant and support documents for grant making.
• Lead the development and execution of the new business development strategy and work plans.
• Furnishing prospective funders with supporting documents.

Compliance/Risk Management and Tracking:

• Lead Quarterly Risk and Governance review meetings with the country leadership team and closely monitor and support compliance with MSI’s governance requirements
• Proactively support the CD and MSIN Leadership team to ensure that existing operations and growth are always underpinned by the maintenance of high quality in the areas of clinical standards, client-centred care, AQI, data validation, governance and effective project and grant management.
• Support the Country Director in proactively detecting, monitoring and managing programme risks and identifying early warning signs of operational and other challenges that could endanger the performance of the country programme and the achievement of country targets.
• Foster and encourage inter-departmental collaboration and relationships based on trust at both country and GSO levels and engage and work with the CD to galvanise global support teams to secure support for MSIN as necessary.
• Work with the Control and Compliance teams to assess the efficacy of policies, processes, procedures and tools in-country, identifying areas of non-compliance or need for technical assistance/capacity-building to ensure continued quality of operations.

Field Operations Coordination:

• Working with the Director, Operations, and supporting units to achieve MSIN objectives.
• Directs the operational activities of the organisation to ensure effective implementation, continual improvement, and strengthening of MSIN’s service delivery programmes. This includes clinical outreach, social marketing, donor project implementation and relationship management, partnership management with partner institutions, procurement including logistics, fleet management, and coordination for MSIN field team members.
• Provide strategic oversight in preparation and execution of field operating budgets and work plans, ensuring financial, administrative, and logistical resources to the field programme operations team while adhering to MSIN minimum standards and quality operations in line with annual and long-term strategic goals and objectives
• Supports the Operations team to draft and implement field operations workplans in consultation and coordination with other departments, including overseeing field operations budget management
• Provide strategic oversight in field logistics to the operations team, ensuring that systems, including ordering, transportation, delivery, storage, control, and reporting on the use of program, projects, and team supplies are in accordance with MSIN policies
• Implements an effective system for the supply of commodities to match client demands, supporting in launching of new offices and centers/clinics, including other day-to-day procurements at field levels
• Links, trains, and harmonises different departments of the organisation to work efficiently together in order to meet field operations requirements as well as achieve MSIN goals

Channel Management and Support:

• Provide strategic oversight to the channel lead on channel strategies and ensure that these are implemented in line with the overall strategic focus of the country programme and global channel expectations.
• Provide direction for channel growth, efficiency, and productivity
• Ensure channel strategies are in place, monitored, and implemented according to each channel provisions.

Requirements

• Master's Degree in Management, Administration, Health Science, Social Science, or International Development Management;
• Fluent in both oral and written English
• Over 12 years post-NYSC experience in INGO managing, programmes, operations, and field support
• Significant experience in a senior management role of a medium to large organisation, with a proven track record of leading and motivating dynamic teams in developing countries
• Significant experience in managing donor-funded, health-related projects, including technical and financial management and compliance (USAID, EC, and DFID experience valued)
• Thorough understanding of health interventions and approaches in a developing country setting.
• Proven track record in external relations, fundraising, and communication
• Sound knowledge of family planning, reproductive and maternal health an advantage
• Excellent leadership skills, with the ability to motivate others to exceed expectations and to upskill other managers to reflect the same behaviours
• Conflict management, negotiation, and resolution skills and experience
• Strong management skills; able to manage performance effectively and support others during times of change
• Ability to influence and communicate with stakeholders, both internal and external
• Strong analytical skills – the ability to accurately interpret data, both financial and statistical, and take relevant actions
• Track record of delivering quality results and impact in previous roles
• Adaptable during times of change and ambiguity, and able to quickly gain the cooperation of other departments and external parties.

Application Closing Date
11th November, 2025.