Malaria Consortium is one of the world’s leading non-profit organisations specialising in the comprehensive prevention, control and treatment of malaria and other communicable diseases among vulnerable and under privileged populations. We increasingly find our work on malaria can be effectively integrated with other similar public health interventions for greater impact and therefore expanded our remit to include child health and neglected tropical disease interventions.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: State Project Manager

Location: Ebonyi / Osun
Department: Management
Length Of Contract: 4 Years
Role Type: National
Grade: 9
Travel Involved: In-country travel
Child Safeguarding Level: TBC
Reporting To: Line Manager: Senior Project Manager
Direct Reports: State Implementation Officer, Admin Officer & Accounts Officer

Project Background

• Malaria affects most Nigerians and remains a public health problem despite progress in the last two decades. Between 2008 and 2018, even though the overall under-five mortality rate (U5MR) reduced by 15.9 percent, from 157 to 132 per 1000 live births, the reduction in infant mortality rate (IMR) during the same period was less marked: 10.7 percent (from 75 to 67 per 1000 live births), with no noticeable change in the neonatal mortality rate over the same period (NDHS 2019).
• Intermittent Preventive Treatment in infants (IPTi) is the administration of preventive antimalarial drugs to infants to provide personal protection against malaria transmission. Under current WHO guidelines, the drug sulfadoxine-pyrimethamine (SP) is delivered to infants at approximately 10 weeks, 14 weeks, and 9 months of age during routine immunization services. IPTi is safe, cost-effective, well accepted by health workers and communities, and has been found to reduce clinical malaria by 30%, and episodes of anaemia by 21%.
• Despite the WHO recommendation to administer IPTi in areas of moderate-to-high transmission since 2010, there has been limited uptake to date. The intervention is not yet recommended as one of the interventions in the Nigerian Malaria Control Policy. A rapid assessment of stakeholders’ perspective on barriers to IPTi policy uptake in Nigeria revealed that providing evidence on operational feasibility, acceptability and effectiveness of the intervention at field level will be key for policy uptake.
• Malaria Consortium is anticipating funding to carry out an effectiveness-implementation hybrid project on operational feasibility and effectiveness of on IPTi in Nigeria. It is aimed at generating the required evidence to inform policy and possible scale up of IPTi in Nigeria, and ultimately contribute towards a reduction in under 5 mortality in the country.

Job Purpose

• To work with the country office team and IPTi Senior Project Manager to effectively manage project activities and resources, provide leadership and stewardship to the state project team and maintain collaborative links with the project’s key stakeholders at national and state level.

Key Working Relationships:

• The State Project manager will work with the state team and stakeholders in the state, especially the State Ministry of Health, State Primary Health Care Development Agency, NAFDAC state representatives and LGA Departments of Health/PHC, to manage the rollout and implementation of the Effect IPTi Project.
• S/he will monitor project partners’ activities at the state level and ensure approved terms of reference for partners’ work in the project state are adhered to.
• The State Project Manager will work with the country office project technical and management staff (Research Specialist, M&E Specialist and Senior Project Manager) to translate plans and decisions to action at the state level, while ensuring coherence, alignment and proper coordination with appropriate stakeholders.
• S/he would report to the Senior Project Manager.

Scope of Work:

• The State Project Manager will support the programme activities at the state level overseeingimplementation to ensure timely delivery of workplans and achievement of set targets and objectives.
• S/he will liaise with the SPM to provide technical and managerial oversight for the state project team and ensure activities are carried out according to approved budget and value for money principles.

Key Accountabilities:
Project management (60%):

• Work with the project team and other relevant personnel in the country office to lead activities for smooth project start up and activity planning in line with donor-approved project workplan.
• Work with the relevant personnel to prepare all necessary project start up and planning tools on time
• Provide performance management oversight for the Effect IPTi project team in the state.
• Work directly with the SPM and be responsible for coordinating overall project
  implementation in the state and see that activities are carried out on time and withiN budget
• Liaise regularly with the SPM to provide timely and comprehensive updates and reports asrequired
• Liaise with other Roll Back Malaria partners and child health programme implementers relevant for successful project implementation in the state
• Work with the project team to develop and implement annual work plans
• Work closely with the SPM to prepare the programme monitoring and evaluation plan in/conjunction with the Project M&E Specialist. Work with the project team to implement it
• Work with the country finance team and project finance associate to prepare and track progress of project and activity budgets
• Be responsible for State project budget management and reporting
• Work with the project Finance Associate and SPM to prepare quarterly financial reports
• Work with the relevant country personnel and the SPM to prepare an exit strategy and to implement it, to see to smooth project close-out.
• Coordinate with other donors and implementers to ensure complementarity of
  implementation of the Effect IPTi project in the state by leveraging resources and
  harmonizing efforts where possible
• Work with the Senior Country Technical Coordinator, SPM and external relations team for MC to see that a communication strategy is developed and implemented for the project.
• Coordinate the documentation of project activities in form of activity-specific reports and ensure proper archiving of such for easy access and reference
• Contribute to preparations for periodic coordination meetings in form of progress updates and power point presentations
• Be responsible for quarterly lessons identification and learning documentation and dissemination in liaison with the M&E and Research Specialists.
• Be responsible for building functional partner relationships among the project’s
  stakeholders and local partners
• Oversee project partners inputs and subcontractors’ activities to deliver harmonized, aligned and effective outputs
• Manage risks to Malaria Consortium including financial, reputation and security in a challenging environment
• Work with the project M&E Specialist and Country Public Health Specialist to ensure that high quality project data is collected, analysed and disseminated to relevant stakeholders at all levels and reported to the donor.

Technical Performance Management and Quality Assurance (30%):

• Work with the project teams, SPM and the Senior Country Technical Coordinator to determine technical support needs to implement the project effectively and with high quality. Liaise with the Senior Country Technical Coordinator to obtain regional or global technical support.
• Contribute to the development and production of dissemination documents to allow wider sharing of Malaria Consortium’s experiences, lessons and successes
• Oversee monitoring and evaluation of project performance against workplan
• Keep abreast with evidence and best practices that are related to the project.

Representation (10%):

• Represent Malaria Consortium at state level meetings related to the project and keep key stakeholders abreast of project implementation.
• Participate in national level meetings and workshops as appropriate with the SPM’s support.
• Liaise regularly with the SPM, keeping the relevant Country Team in loop of communication

Person Specification
Qualifications and Experience:

Essential:

• Postgraduate or Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Policy, Epidemiology or another relevant specialty is a minimum requirement
• Extensive experience of working at national or state level in developing countries on a donor-funded project
• Excellent project planning, management and monitoring & evaluation skills
• Experience managing project budgets
• Proven leadership skills and team leading
• Experience in advocacy and policy influencing
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Desirable:

• Experience in malaria programme implementation
• Experience in leading a project at state level
• Advance knowledge of Microsoft office.

Work-based Skills and Competencies:
Essential:

• Proof of strong interpersonal and negotiating skills
• Excellent report writing and presentation skills are also needed
• Understanding of public health issues in West and Central Africa.

Core Competencies
Delivering Results:
LEVEL C – Supports others to achieve results:

• Displays a positive and enthusiastic approach and is not deterred by setbacks, finding alternative ways to reach goals or targets.
• Supports others to plan and deliver results
• Supports others to manage and cope with setbacks.

Analysis and use of information:
LEVEL C – Works confidently with complex data to support work:

• Interprets complex written information
• Works confidently with data before making decisions, for example; interpreting trends, issues and risks
• Acquainted with the validity, relevance and limitations of different sources of evidence

Interpersonal and Communications:
LEVEL C – Adapts communications effectively:

• Tailors communication (content, style and medium) to diverse audiences
• Communicates equally effectively at all organisational levels
• Understands others’ underlying needs, concerns and motivations and communicates effectively in sensitive situations
• Resolves intra-team and inter-team conflicts effectively

Collaboration and Partnering:
LEVEL C – Builds strong networks internally and participates actively in external networks and think tanks:

• Builds strong networks internally
• Participates actively in external networks and/or think tanks
• Engages with relevant experts to gather and evaluate evidence
• Shares and implements good practice with internal and external peers

Leading and motivating people:
LEVEL C – Effectively leads and motivates others or direct reports:

• Gives regular, timely and appropriate feedback
• Acknowledges good performance and deals with issues concerning poor performance
• Carries out staff assessment and development activities conscientiously and effectively
• Develops the skills and competences of others through the development and application of skills
• Coaches and supports team members when they have difficulties

Flexibility/ adaptability:
LEVEL C – Supports others to cope with pressure:

• Responds positively to change, embracing and using new practices or values to accomplish goals and solve problems and supports others to do the same
• Adapts team approach, goals, and methods to achieve solutions and results in dynamic situations
• Sets realistic deadlines and goals for self or team

Living the values:
LEVEL C – Supports others to live Malaria Consortium’s values:

• Demonstrates personal integrity by using role position responsibly and fairly
• Cultivates an open culture within the wider team, promoting accountability, responsibility and
• respect for individual differences

Strategic planning and thinking and sector awareness:
LEVEL B – Is aware of others’ activities and vice versa in planning activities:

• Takes account of team members and others’ workloads when planning
• Maintains awareness of impact on other parts of the organisation, keeping abreast of other’s activities, objectives, commitments and needs
• Has a good understanding of the sector in which Malaria Consortium works.

Salary

• Competitive.

Benefits

• National Benefits.

Application Closing Date
14th April, 2021.