Job for a Senior Market Systems Development Specialist at Malaria Consortium, Abuja
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 below:
Job Title: Senior Market Systems Development Specialist
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Department: Technical Length of contract: 5 years
Role type: National Grade: 10
Travel involved: In-country travel
Reporting to: Project Director Direct reports: None
Country and Project Background
Malaria is highly endemic in Nigeria and it remains one of the leading causes of childhood and maternal morbidity and mortality in the country. Nigeria is deeply committed to making progress towards the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals and it recognizes the fact that, without firm efforts to control malaria, achievement of the targets related to child mortality, maternal mortality, and reducing the burden of communicable disease will not be possible.
Malaria therefore constitutes a significant development challenge for Nigeria. Interventions for reducing malaria burden in the country are documented in the national malaria strategic plan with Government taking the lead in its implementation with the support of all the RBM partners.
The DFID funded and Malaria Consortium led malaria programme, SUNMAP, provided technical assistance and other support to the Nigeria National Malaria Elimination Programme (NMEP) covering the period 2008 to 2016.
The anticipated follow on project, SUNMAP2 has been designed to strengthen the management and technical capacity of NMEP, State Malaria Elimination Programme (SMEP) and their stakeholders to drive the implementation of the National Malaria Strategic Plan, 2014 to 2020 and achieve its ambitious targets. This will include short term technical assistance and technical assistance embedded in NMEP in key areas of programme management, evidence generation and use, and capacity building across all project outputs and ultimately reducing Nigeria’s malaria burden and strengthening the Government of Nigeria’s health systems capacity to ensure long term programme and impact sustainability.
Job Purpose
- The Senior Market Systems Development Specialist will lead in developing programme strategy on market systems development.
- S/he will be responsible for applying a market systems approach in facilitating development of functional and sustainable systems for the delivery of malaria commodities and services, which a sizable proportion of the population can access at affordable prices and agreed quality standards.
Scope of Work:
- The Senior Market Systems Development Specialist operates with a national scope as a member of the SUNMAP2 core team and will report to the Project Director.
- He/she will be responsible for supporting NMEP and market partners to identify the constraints to developing high quality malaria services and antimalaria commodities in the retail market as well as develop and support action plans to address these.
Key Accountabilities
Technical Contributions (80%):
- Lead the SUNMAP2 market systems engagement team to design, manage and monitor market led malaria control interventions
- Support programme team and market players in adapting these strategies in addition to identifying, developing, implementing, monitoring and design interventions to address systemic constraints in the market
- Support partners in disseminating the outcome of these interventions to adopt and implement good practices
- Develop and maintain strong network with the private and the public sector stakeholders in the malaria control market systems in Nigeria
- Represent the programme on the commercial sector WG of NMEP coordination platform
- Ensure that the commercial sector engagement strategy is harmonized with the overall SUNMAP2 project mandate involving public health systems for malaria control
- Identify partners the programme (NMEP) can work with to facilitate systemic change to the market
- Take the lead in developing programme PPP strategy; in addition to providing support to market players to pilot and roll-out successful innovations in the market;
- Lead in monitoring and identifying constraints to the growth of malaria product markets using making markets work for the poor (M4P) approach.
Project Management (20%):
- Contribute to MEAL activities related to market systems
- Liaise with the technical advisors for intervention design, management and monitoring
- Ensure that the technical advisory team and the project management team have regular update of progress against achievements
- Harness, document and disseminate results and learning to the internal and external stakeholders
- Be responsible to ensure achievement of targets as per project log-frame
- Be responsible to mentor the SUNMAP2 private sector field / implementation team
Qualifications and Experience
Essential:
- Postgraduate degree in Economics, Health Economics or related field
- At least 8 years’ experience in working for projects applying market systems approach (M4P) in Nigeria
- Proven skills in managing partnerships and agreements, including contract development, market and business (partnership) development and monitoring
- Proven negotiation skills
- Experience and understanding of working with commercial sector manufacturers and distributors of health or similar commodities
- Significant experience in project management
- Excellent writing and presentation skills
- Proven experience in business and market development
- Proven experience in ability to identify and engage private and public sector on innovative market driven solutions for scalable and sustainable results
- Experience in managing partnerships with government and private agencies
- Experience in monitoring and evaluation of market systems development projects
- Knowledge about health care or health related market systems / context
Desirable:
- Experience providing technical support to project teams remotely and physically, while meeting high standards
- Experience planning, facilitating and managing stakeholder engagement and consultation workshops
- Experience using most significant change (MSC) technique in program evaluations
- Knowledge of international development, particularly DFID- funded projects
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,
- Develops the skills and competences of others through the development and application of skills
- Coaches and supports team members when they have difficulties
- Acknowledges good performance and deals with issues concerning poor performance
- Carries out staff assessment and development activities conscientiously and effectively
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 C - Keeps up to date with the internal and external environment:
- Takes into account economic, political and other business factors when drawing up medium and long-term plans, covering both public and private sectors,
- Looks beyond the immediate operations to prospects for new business,
- Engages with appropriate internal and external sources to establish major influences on future plans
Salary
Competitive.
How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply
Application Deadline 4th April, 2019.