Senior Newborn Health Program Officers at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is a leading international organization helping children in need around the world. First established in the UK in 1919, separate national organizations have been set up in more than twenty-eight countries, sharing the aim of improving the lives of children through education, health care and economic opportunities, as well as emergency aid in cases of natural disasters, war and conflict.

In Nigeria, Save the Children has been working since 2001. The early focus was on getting children actively involved in shaping the decisions that affect their lives. Today, Save the Children is working in seven federal states - Zamfara, Yobe, Jigawa, Katsina, Kano, Bauchi and Kaduna - focusing on providing basic healthcare and protecting children.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Senior Newborn Health Program Officer

Location: Kaduna, Nigeria

Role Purpose

• Support the roll out and implementation of the Newborn care project focusing on strengthening newborn healthcare service delivery working mainly at Primary health facility levels including strengthening linkages between the primary and secondary levels of care in collaboration with the Local Government health unit
• The coordinator will work with the Project manager, Maternal Newborn and Child health advisor and other project team members to provide technical assistance to stake holders in the state, LGA and Community Health Workers (CHWs) to increase access to quality newborn health services in a select LGA of Kaduna state. 
• He/ She will coordinate the all program activities in the LGA in addition to working closely with members of the Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) and other partners.  He/ she will contribute to the documentation of best practices and lessons learnt in newborn health in Kaduna state.

Key Areas of Accountability
Technical and Advisory Support:

• Support the establishment or strengthening of referral linkages across health facilities within the selected LGA
• Establish newborn health corners and KMC units at the primary health care facilities
• Supervise   all primary facility level activities undertaken by HWs including data collection and reporting to ensure high quality and acceptable standards.
• Work together with facility in-charges, CHWS, health facilities and communities in the coordination of the referral to next level of care
• Contribute to the planning and facilitation of training for primary health care workers in the selected LGA
• Participate actively in programme communication efforts- from conception, planning to dissemination of messages
• Support  advocacy activities including LGA level advocacy linked to improving resources for Newborn Health
• Work with the LGA health and planning department to ensure that newborn life-saving commodities are inputted and costed in their procurement and operational plans
• Track and prepare monthly and quarterly project reports and indicators of newborn health care activities; including documenting of key lessons learnt and successes working with the M&E officer.

Planning and Budgeting:

• Develop activity plans and budgets for technical support activities
• Participate in preparation of overall work plan and budget for  Newborn health programme in Kaduna State
• Collaborate with LGA authorities, other partners (WHO, UNICEF, CHAI, MNCH2 in planning and implementing activities

Programme Management:

• Ensure the maintenance of healthy partnerships with relevant government counterparts and other partners at the LGA level

Qualifications & Experience
Administrative & General Skills:

• A Masters in Public Health
•  Experience working in  newborn health
• At least 3 years’ work experience in an International NGO.
• Experience of working with local communities and LGA authorities in north western region of Nigeria will be an added advantage
• Experience in newborn health programming including facility and community based health service improvement is essential.

Additional Skills:

• Ability to work effectively both independently (with minimal supervision) and as a member of a team
• Commitment to gender equity, child rights, community empowerment, and grassroots development approaches
• Effective planning and organising skills
• Effective interpersonal skills - oral and written communication skills
• Computer literacy skills - MS Office applications, Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Spread sheets
• Strong facilitation and presentation skills

Application Closing Date
20th April, 2016.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online