Country Representative at Options Consultancy Services Limited

Options Consultancy Services Limited was established in 1992 and is a wholly owned subsidiary of Marie Stopes International. We are a consultancy organisation providing technical and management expertise in the health and social sectors to governments and international development partners to transform the health of women and children.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Country Representative - Nigeria

Location: Abuja (FCT)
Department: Overseas Programmes
Reporting to: Director of Programmes, UK and Director of New Business and Partnerships
Responsible for: Line management of Senior Finance & Operations Manager, Some in country programmes & leadership of the Nigeria leadership team
Liaison with: Team Leaders / Country Leads, Programme staff, HQ leadership and staff across departments (Programmes, New Business & Partnerships, Technical, Finance, HR, Legal, Communications); external partners, donors and government
Type of Contract: Full time, fixed term contract - 1 year

Overview

• Options Consultancy is seeking an exceptional individual to lead our team in Nigeria. This new role offers the opportunity to help shape and grow Options in Nigeria and regionally, ensuring we maintain and strengthen our reputation for delivering high quality programmes in the health sector.

Responsibilities
The Country Representative will carry out the following responsibilities:

• Drive strategic growth for Options in Nigeria (and to a small extent, regionally).
• Operationalising of Options’ strategy at country and regional level:
  • Oversee the development and implementation of the country work plan, working closely with the Nigeria leadership team and HQ departments as appropriate
  • Identify areas that might need additional resources and recommend resource allocation
  • Under the leadership of the Director of Programmes, back stop the Team Leaders / Country Leads in their delivery of national and regional programmes.
  • Drive seamless coordination between programming and operations and across programmes and outcomes,with the objective of improving the quality and impact of Options programmes.
• Develop New Business:
  • Develop and regularly update and refine the business development (BD) strategy for Nigeria, working closely with UK colleagues (particularly New Business & Partnership-NB&P) and the Nigeria leadership team.
  • Facilitate effective stakeholder engagement (e.g. state and national government, donors/clients etc.) across Options programmes in Nigeria to ensure mutually supportive cross programme messaging and representation.
  • Build strong partnerships in cooperation with Team Leaders and Options UK team in public, private, and non-profits sectors to meet organisational strategic objectives, and ensure Options’ optimal participation and visibility at external events.
  • Coordinate and lead external events that will develop Options’ profile, such as roundtable discussions on key health issues, learning events,etc.
  • Support the development of relevant communications and marketing resources to build Options’ profile in Nigeria.
  • Maintain knowledge and understanding of the health sector context in Nigeria and regionally, demonstrating specific technical expertise in core areas of Options’ portfolio.
  • In liaison with the NB&P team in London, translate the Nigeria BD strategy into aN workplan.
  • Oversee execution of the work plan through the various stages of the BD process (intelligence gathering, building partnerships, identifying and pursuing new opportunities, and proposal development), including: Actively building partnerships with existing and potential clients;
  • Working in partnership with the NB&P team to lead on relevant proposal development;
  • Making informed recommendations for go / no-go decisions based on strategic analysis.
  • Externally represent Options in Nigeria
  • Proactively identify opportunities for raising Options’ profile and brand awareness in Nigeria, promoting programme collaboration and coordination (in conjunction with TeamLeaders and the communications team).
• Programmes:
  • Oversee the delivery of nationally focussed projects (number and scope to be determined as appropriate)
  • Liaise with Project Leads, HQ Programme Management and Technical team to ensure high quality delivery
  • Report to the Director of Programmes on project progress, risks, issues and opportunities
  • Line manage Project Leads of selected national programmes and new programmes that might emerge as a result of successful BD, promoting a coherent and cohesive approach to Options programming in Nigeria, and connecting the national programme with the organisation’s global programmes
  • Identify and leverage synergies and opportunities for cross-learning and/or efficiency in implementation across the Nigeria portfolio, particularly where programmes are working in similar thematic areas or geographies;
• Culture and People:
  • Support the development of a positive organisational culture, cultivating and maintaining a diverse and highly motivated team in Nigeria.
  • Support country-level HR planning as it relates to Nigeria, in liaison with Options Regional HR Officer and Options’ Head of HR.
  • Support recruitment (as appropriate) and induction of new Team Leaders and facilitate orientation of all new starters in Nigeria to Options
  • Oversee the planning and delivery of internal staff events in Nigeria to achieve the above objectives (e.g. staff retreats, meetings, etc.), drawing on other Options resources (human and financial) as appropriate
  • Promote continuous learning and knowledge sharing across Options’ programmes in Nigeria, identifying opportunities for collaboration, sharing of resources, leveraging relationships, and developing staff knowledge and capacity.
• Note: This job description reflects the present requirements of the post. As duties and responsibilities change and develop the job description will be reviewed and be subject to amendment in consultation with the job holder.

Person Specification
Qualifications

• Master level qualification or Degree in a relevant subject (Business, Health, Leadership / Management, etc.)

Experience:

• Previous executive - level experience (Country Director / Rep, Executive Director, Departmental Head, etc.)
• Track record in successful business development in relevant areas.
• Track record of leadership that demonstrates integrity and transparency.
• Past work experience in Nigeria, preferably ina leadership role.

Skills and Attributes:

• Entrepreneurial.
• Strong manager and leader with a thorough understanding of operations.
• Networker and relationship builder.
• Mission driven and self-directed; creative thinker and problem solver.
• Approachable
• Knowledgeable in our areas of operation, credible in the Nigerian health sector.
• Understanding of the sector dynamics in Nigeria.
• Strong and established links with current and new clients.

Other Requirements:

• Right to live and work in Nigeria.
• Commitment to equal opportunities.
• Pro-choice
• Fluency in written and spoken English
• Fluency in written and spoken French
• Willing to travel domestically and internationally (25%).
• Flexible working hours to accommodate external events.
• Commitment to the principles of safeguarding.

 To succeed in this role you will:

• Be an entrepreneurial self-starter with a track record of leading and building organisations. 
• Bring strong knowledge of the health sector (and/or closely related sectors) in Nigeria and an established reputation of delivering high quality work.
• Will have experience of working at a senior level in a global business and the passion and drive to make a difference to the health and well-being of the most vulnerable, particularly women and children.

Salary
Commensurate with experience, up to the equivalent of GBP 90,000 per annum.

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

Note

• For more information, Click here (PDF) or e-mail: [email protected].
• Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis, candidates are strongly encouraged to apply at the earliest. The vacancy may close before the end date if a candidate has been identified.
• Options is an equal opportunities employer
• Our organisation is committed to safeguarding and promoting the welfare of children, young people and vulnerable adults and expects all staff and post holders to share this commitment.
• We seek people who are pro-choice, energetic and enthusiastic about Options’ vision
• It is desirable for overseas candidates need to hold a valid Nigerian work permit.

Application Deadline  23rd May, 2021.