Program Director
Duties and Responsibilities:
• Provide overall leadership and direction for the immunization program in Nigeria, ensuring alignment with national immunization policies, guidelines, and priorities.
• Develop and implement comprehensive program strategies and action plans to achieve immunization coverage targets and reduce disparities in access to vaccines.
• Lead a multidisciplinary team of program managers, technical specialists, and support staff, fostering a culture of collaboration, innovation, and accountability.
• Establish and maintain effective partnerships with government agencies, NGOs, donors, and other stakeholders to leverage resources, coordinate activities, and maximize program impact.
• Advocate for increased political commitment and financial investment in immunization, engaging policymakers, community leaders, and civil society organizations to prioritize vaccination as a public health priority.
• Monitor program performance against key indicators, targets, and milestones, using data-driven approaches to identify challenges, gaps, and opportunities for improvement.
• Ensure compliance with donor requirements, contractual obligations, and reporting deadlines, overseeing the timely submission of high-quality narrative and financial reports.
• Manage program budgets, resources, and expenditures effectively, optimizing resource allocation to achieve program objectives while maintaining financial stewardship and accountability.
• Foster a culture of learning and innovation within the program team, promoting continuous professional development, knowledge sharing, and capacity building.
• Represent the organization in national and international forums, conferences, and technical working groups related to immunization and public health.
• Collaborate with monitoring and evaluation specialists to design and implement robust monitoring, evaluation, and learning systems, capturing program results, lessons learned, and best practices.
• Ensure compliance with organizational policies and procedures, including procurement, human resources, security, and risk management protocols.
Qualifications:
• Master's degree or higher in Public Health, Epidemiology, International Development, or a related field.
• Minimum of 10 years of progressive leadership experience in managing complex public health programs, with a focus on immunization or vaccine-preventable diseases.
• Demonstrated expertise in program design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation, with a track record of achieving measurable results and impact.
• Strong understanding of Nigeria's health system, immunization landscape, and political, social, and cultural context.
• Proven ability to build and sustain partnerships with government counterparts, donors, NGOs, and other stakeholders, fostering collaboration and consensus-building.
• Excellent communication, negotiation, and advocacy skills, with the ability to influence decision-makers and mobilize support for immunization initiatives.
• Strategic thinking and problem-solving abilities, with a focus on innovation, adaptation, and continuous improvement.
• Experience managing large budgets, contracts, and grants from diverse funding sources, including bilateral and multilateral donors.
• Fluency in English, with proficiency in additional languages spoken in Nigeria considered an asset.
• Commitment to organizational values, including equity, diversity, and inclusion, and adherence to ethical principles and professional standards.
Preferred Qualifications:
• PhD in Public Health, Epidemiology, International Development, or a related field
• Experience working on immunization or other public health programs funded by international donors, such as WHO, UNICEF, Gavi, US-CDC or USAID
• Track record of securing and managing research grants, cooperative agreements, or contracts to support immunization research, innovation, and capacity building
• Strong network and credibility within the global health community, including participation in professional associations, conferences, and advisory groups
Future engagement prospect
Upon successful funding acquisition, there exists the potential for a consulting role for team members. This extended engagement would entail continued collaboration on the implementation and oversight of the strategies developed, with specific terms and duration to be mutually agreed upon. This offers an opportunity for the SBCC Immunization Specialist to contribute further and provide ongoing expertise for the project's successful execution.