Job at the Department for International Development (DFID) for Health Team Lead/ Senior Health Advisor

The Department for International Development (DFID) leads the UK’s work to end extreme poverty, deliver the Global Goals, and tackle global challenges in line with the government’s UK Aid Strategy. Our aid budget is spent on tackling the great global challenges – from the root causes of mass migration and disease, to the threat of terrorism and global climate change – all of which also directly threaten British interests. We are ending the need for aid by building peaceful and stable societies, creating jobs and strong economies, fighting corruption, unlocking the potential of girls and women, tackling climate change and helping to save lives when humanitarian emergencies hit. We are doing this because it is both the right thing to do and firmly in Britain’s national interest.

DFID works in partnership across Whitehall and with governments, civil society, the private sector and multilateral institutions, including the World Bank, United Nations agencies, and the European Commission.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Health Team Lead/ Senior Health Advisor (DFID Nigeria)

Reference number: 27848
Location: Abuja
Grade: Grade 6 – A1
Start date: Early 2020
Contract type: Permanent
Type of role: Health Adviser
Business area: DFID – Nigeria, DFID – CP
Working pattern: Flexible working, Full-time

Purpose of the Job

• The position will provide strategic and technical direction and oversight of delivery of DFID Nigeria’s new flagship 8 year Health programme which has been approved by Ministers and is nearing completion onthe contracting phase.
• The post-holder will act as the Health portfolio lead and Deputy Human Development Team leader.
• S/he will directly line manage two A2 Health Advisers and a B1 Deputy Programme Manager (DPM).

Key Responsibilities and Accountabilities

• The Post provides strategic and technical direction to the overall health, family planning, nutrition and WASH portfolio in DFID Nigeria, and will directly manage DFIDN’s new flagship Health programme (£235m over 8 years).
• This will require a strong focus on bringing up to date health technical knowledge and evidence to DFID Nigeria programming, and the ability to achieve results and value-for-money, and to ensure coherence with other aspects of DFID Nigeria’s programmes (particularly governance, social development, humanitarian and education).
• The post-holder will report to the A1 Team Leader Human Development.

The main duties of the post holder are to:

• Lead DFID Nigeria health strategy, team and portfolio, & provide effective oversight and management of A2 Health Advisers (currently 2) and a B1 Deputy Programme Manager.
• Ensure mobilisation of DFID Nigeria’s new large health programme ensuring delivery of DFID Nigeria business plan and manifesto commitments.
• Maintain a clear public narrative on direction and results from DFID’s health programmes, including the demographic challenges facing Nigeria and its position in the lowest 5% of countries listed in of the Human Capital Index, and ensure effective communications, including managing political and presentational risks.
• Oversee, quality assure and as necessary provide high quality briefing on DFID’s health programmes, results and risks as required for corporate reporting and visits.
• Provide effective line management & technical support to two A2 Health Advisers and a B1 DPM, in addition to quality assurance of the other members of the health team (four B2 Programme Officers and one C1 Programme Assistant).
• Work closely with a new Demographics Transition Adviser Post under recruitment for Nigeria from 2019/20 to ensure that the risks arising from Nigeria’s huge projected population growth are reflected in GoN policies and supported through DFID programming.
• Work closely (with dotted line oversight) with the Senior Public Health Adviser for Public Health England (PHE), who is leading on PHE’s International Health Regulations work in Nigeria.

Perform SRO and/or lead adviser role for key health programmes in DFID Nigeria portfolio:

• Act as SRO for specific programmes (currently MNCH2 which is closing in 2020 and the new flagship Health programme). Ensure programmes are SMART rule compliant, with a particular focus on: delivering and measuring results, ensuring all financial and project cycle management activities are properly managed, including accurate financial reporting, timely spend in line with forecasts, commercial controls, risk management and adherence to programme delivery timelines.
• Commission and/ or undertake regular monitoring, evaluation and learning (MEL) activities across the portfolio, including regular field visits to project sites, in collaboration with other advisers and regional coordinators as appropriate. Adapt programme approaches in the light of MEL findings. Share relevant learning across DFID’s Health Network, wider DFID, GoN and other stakeholders
• Provide support and productive linkages with Centrally Managed Programmes (CMPs), including focal point for Gavi (currently transitioning in Nigeria), Global Polio Eradication Initiative, integrated Neglected Tropical Disease (NTD) programme in Nigeria (led by Health Services Team in Policy Division) and programmes led by other UK Government Departments in Nigeria (including Fleming Fund, International Health Regulations programme and Rapid Response/ Support Teams).

Build & maintain DFID’s external reputation, through supporting & influencing key partners in relation to health policy & planning:

• Coordinate and drive DFID Nigeria’s policy dialogue in health with national and as appropriate State level governments, focusing specifically on key issues of evidence of what works, aid coordination, reform, decentralization, quality, financing, equity, resource allocation, accountability and delivering results.
• Establish valued and trusted relationships with Government of Nigeria Health Ministers, Executive Directors, and Officials, at Federal and State level, to inform and support GoN health sector policy and planning and DFID programming.
• Support advancement of UK’s interests and policies at country level through regular participation in multi-partner donor groups including Donor Partners Group on Health and Health Partners Coordination Committee.
• Maintain knowledge of relevant international evidence andfamiliarity with DFID policies on health, (especially health systems building blocks, reproductive, maternal, new-born, child and adolescent health), and control of communicable and non-communicable diseases;
• Liaise with and advise DFID, FCO and other HMG departments on the role of health service provision in the broader context of human development, helping ensure a coherent approach to developing the human capital necessary for economic growth and development.

Contribute to agreed cross office activities and to/DFID-wide health and human developmentpriorities:

• Act as Deputy HD Team Leader in the effective leadership and management of the large human development portfolio (annual spend approx.  £70m and a team of 20 staff).
• Contribute to key corporate agendas and processes such as diagnostics, strategic planning, results monitoring, commercial capability, parliamentary and public accountability.
• Provide 10% of time to the benefit of DFID’s professional capability in health and its wider human development delivery.
• As required and as part of 10% time perform TQA role for DFID Nigeria A2 Health Advisers and for other health advisers as arranged.

Successful Candidate Criteria
Qualification:

• Master’s degree in Public Health or an equivalent Master’s in a relevant technical area (e.g. Epidemiology, Health Planning and Finance; Health Economics, Demography and Health)

Behaviour:

• Leadership: leading the Health portfolio of the UK mission in Nigeria.
• Seeing the big picture: spot big contextual changes and adapt the team to seize opportunities these bring and mitigate potential risks for Nigeria’s health sector.
• Working together: work with a range of different people of different backgrounds, abilities and perspectives and engage them towards key health objectives.
• Making effective decisions: support and coach team members to have the confidence to make difficult decisions that are important for progressing DFID’s objectives in Nigeria.

Experience
Essential:

• Experience of managing a complex portfolio of programmes in challenging contexts
• Strong track record of people management and leadership roles.
• Experience across a wide range of public health areas, including health systems (particularly health financing), communicable diseases, outbreaks, demography/family planning, health service delivery in crises, nutrition and WASH.

Desirable:

• Experience in fragile and conflict affected states, working across the humanitarian-development nexus
• Health financing experience.

Technical:

• The successful candidate should also demonstrate the Health and Shared Advisory competencies, at A1 level as follows:

Health Advisers
Health Advisory Competencies:

• Knowledge and application of epidemiology and public health
• Knowledge based on experience of health service delivery in a developing country context including of health systems development challenges
• Understanding of the global health context including international health architecture;
• Knowledge and application of the wider determinants of health
• Knowledge and application of evidence, innovation and evaluation

Shared Advisory Competencies:

• Design and manage programmes and projects
• Apply key economic and commercial concepts

International Competencies:

• Demonstrating Resilience: being able to handle uncertainty and changes in the Nigerian operating environment that may arise from security issues, political changes, or programmatic challenges.
• Engaging Internationally. This should include leading internationally, engaging staff, contacts and international partners to help deliver UK Government objectives.

Salary
£63,000

Application Closing Date
Monday 9th December, 2019; (Time – 11:55 pm)

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

Click here for more information (Docx)

Note

• This posting will be a three year posting or 2 years plus 1.
• Security clearance required: SC.
• The successful candidate should be Safe trained before taking up post.
• Travel requirements (locations and regularity): This post will be based in Abuja but will require regular travel to partner States (e.g. Kaduna, Kano, Jigawa) and to DFID Nigeria’s new regional office in Maiduguri (North East Nigeria).
• For further information about this Post please contact the current Postholder DrFiona Campbell: f-campbell@dfid.gov.uk.
• At times we have more successful candidates than we have live vacancies, in this situation we may hold suitable applicants as pipeline (reserve) for up to 12 months. If you are identified as a pipeline applicant, you will be notified and asked for your consent to join the pipeline list.
• All communication regarding the status of your application will be sent to you through your civil service jobs account. You should make a note of the e-mail address you have registered against your account and regularly check CS Jobs and your associated e-mail address for updates.