Pathfinder International Job in Nigeria for a Regional Digital Health Advisor


Pathfinder International is a sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR) organization dedicated to creating access to and improving the quality of family planning, reproductive health, abortion, and community- and facility-based HIV and AIDS care and services.
In partnership with host country governments and nongovernmental organizations, we train facility-based health care providers to improve both the quality and range of their technical and counseling skills. Facility-based services are further improved through provision of equipment and facility renovations.


Through all that we do, Pathfinder strives to empower women, men, adolescents, and communities to make choices and create environments conducive to healthy reproductive behaviors.

Pathfinder International is recruiting to fill the job position below:


Job Title: Regional Digital Health Advisor I
Job ID: 2016-33
Location: Nigeria
Job Type: Full-time
Program Overview

Summarize the purpose and activities of the department and/or project:
  • The rising adoption of mobile phone use, texting, and social media participation among young people and women offers an unprecedented ability to reach these populations with SRHR information and services they might not have access to otherwise, and engage individuals in new, interactive ways.
  • The Regional Digital Health Advisor (RDHA), alongside a HQ-based Advisor and Coordinator, will be a member of Pathfinder’s digital health team within the wider Technical Services Unit (TSU). This unit provides guidance and expertise in a variety of technical areas to strengthen Pathfinder field offices and government and NGO partners, who implement Pathfinder projects.
  • Technical Advisors within TSU provide technical direction in their key areas, including technical assistance to field offices and development of relevant curricula and technical tools.
  • Pathfinder is leveraging the increasing ubiquity of mobile technology as a strategic tool to reach and provide support to vulnerable populations, improve dialogue amongst communities and health systems, and strengthen the quality of services provided.
  • Across its digital health portfolio, Pathfinder uses a variety of digital tools including: mobile case management applications, data collection tools, geographic information system (GIS) mapping, mobile financial services, and short message services (SMS) platforms.
Position Purpose
Provide a brief summary describing the primary function and general purpose of this position:

  • The Regional Digital Health Advisor (RDHA) will be based within one of Pathfinder’s field offices, allowing for more flexible and timely support to be provided to projects in the region. Although the majority of support will be provided remotely, there will also be a need for the RDHA to travel to provide technical assistance to ongoing projects in-person, participate in business development opportunities, and attend conferences/meetings. Occasional travel to Pathfinder’s HQ in the Boston metro area may be required as well.
  • The RDHA will work to increase the capacity of project personnel to successfully implement digital health solutions.
  • The RDHA will document and disseminate lessons learned across all Pathfinder projects.
  • S/he will also provide input on application specifications and other technology based solutions (data collection, case management, SMS, IVR, et cetera) including integration with DHIS2 and other report visualization software solutions. 
Key Responsibilities
Describe the major duties and responsibilities of this position in order of importance:

  • Work with the Digital Health Team, field office counterparts, and technology partners to support tool and dashboard design – including platform selection – and the development of implementation roadmaps.
  • Identify, propose and assess the feasibility of new applied technology approaches to improve the health of individuals and communities.
  • Participate in, or lead, the development of funding proposals for business development.
  • Participate in designing and implementing research proposals for digital health projects with relevant research and metrics unit (RMU) staff to contribute to the evidence base.
  • Conduct quantitative analysis of digital health data as required for project learning and reporting.
  • Support cross-fertilization and technical capacity building efforts related to digital health within the organization through Virtual Content Area Teams (VCAT) and other cross-country linkages.
  • Participate in relevant project quarterly and annual review meetings. And, review project reports and technical documents related to digital health.
  • Work with headquarter and field colleagues to advance the field of digital health into areas of interactivity and dialogue that engage users in reflection and change.
  • Maintain sound, cooperative relationships with technology firms and other implementing partners.
  • Provide guidance on how Pathfinder can support approaches that consider interoperability and data standards at national and global levels.
  • Work with other Pathfinder staff, both field and headquarters, to develop and write quality technical documents related to digital health as part of the organization’s working documentation.
  • Collaborate with field and external relations teams to promote Pathfinder’s digital health work. This may include the writing of conference abstracts, participation in key meetings, and the development of external publications.
Basic Requirements
Describe the experience, knowledge, skills, expertise, education, licenses and/or certifications, and specific computer/technical skills required to successfully perform in the position. Candidates must meet basic requirements to be considered for this job:
  • Commitment to the mission, vision, and values of Pathfinder International
  • Master’s degree in Public Health or other relevant field. Bachelor’s degree with equivalent work experience considered as well
  • Must be a self-starter and possess good judgment, flexibility, and patience.
  • Excellent spoken, reading and writing skills in English.
  • Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
  • Skills in SAS, STATA, R, or another statistical analysis software
  • Demonstrates, applies, and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization
  • Ability to think strategically, handle ambiguity and work in a fast-paced, multicultural environment
  • Strong organizational skills and attention to detail, with ability to take initiative, work independently, and prioritize workflow and deadlines from multiple team members simultaneously
  • Minimum of 3 years’ experience working within the global digital health space
  • Experience working with digital health platforms including, but not limited to: CommCare, Kobo Toolbox, MangoLogic, FrontlineSMS, RapidPro
  • Experience creating functional specifications or requirements, prototyping and pilot testing software solutions
  • Excellent communication, supervisory and interpersonal skills, demonstrated leadership, and the ability to work collaboratively across technical disciplines
Preferred Qualifications
Describe any preferred qualifications including additional experience, education or other job related skills:

  • Experience working with DHIS2 preferred
  • Knowledge of databases and SQL, python, XML technologies, and Linux systems
  • Knowledge of international sexual and reproductive health and rights, programs and projects
  • Ability and willingness to travel up to 20% of the time
  • Proficiency in French and/or Portuguese

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