Project Management Specialist - Nutrition at the U.S. Embassy

The U.S. Embassy in Abuja, is seeking to employ a suitable and qualified candidate for the position below in the Economic Section:

Job Title: Project Management Specialist - Nutrition

Ref: AID-620-S-00-18-00003-00
Location: Abuja
Period of Performance: Five (5) years renewable

Basic Function of the Position

• The essential function of the Project Management Specialist - Nutrition for USAID/Nigeria is to provide programmatic and technical direction on nutrition for the Mission.
• The Specialist position resides in the Health, Population, and Nutrition (HPN) Office however the incumbent will work in close coordination with the Economic Growth and Environment (EGE) Office.
• S/he will collaborate with multiple Mission technical teams to plan, design and carry out programs, studies and other related work, and will advise senior Mission management on strategic nutrition issues, with particular focus on issues related to maternal and child health; water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH); and agriculture.
• S/he will serve as the lead Mission representative in hostcountry, donor and inter-agency fora on nutrition, health and agriculture sector strategy, policy reform and program planning, monitoring and evaluation.
• S/he must be able to rapidly assimilate, analyze and respond to rapidly changing circumstances and help guide USAID nutrition-related projects to achieve optimal results.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
Technical Advice and Advocacy – 60%

• Serves as a subject matter expert and point of contact within USAID/Nigeria for all matters related to nutrition for maternal and child health, WASH, and agriculture activities.
• Ensures technical and programmatic synergy within the USAID portfolio, and between USG and other development partners, by facilitating the exchange of technical information and identifying and fostering opportunities for partnership.
• Participates as a USAID/Nigeria representative and nutrition expert in national-level technical, programmatic, and policy meetings.
• Consults with other donors, government officials, and HPN and EGE implementing partners.
• Reviews annual work plans produced by USAID implementing partners to ensure appropriate inclusion of nutrition activities.
• Advocates with other USAID Offices for the inclusion of nutrition-related activities in other technical programs.
• Reviews all quarterly, annual, and special reports and surveys to ensure proper reporting on nutrition output and outcome indicators.
• Provides expert technical review and recommendations regarding a wide range of program materials and work products produced by implementing partners such as surveys, studies, analyses, consultant reports, clinical guidelines and protocols, teaching materials for health and agriculture professionals, management and planning tools, and sub-grants, among others.
• Develops strategic documents and guidelines for USAID/Nigeria’s nutrition programs, including the USAID Multisectoral Nutrition Strategy 2014-2025. Conducts sector analyses of concepts and systems and integrates the results of various studies and analyses into comprehensive technical briefings, reports and technical papers for Mission and program use.
• Advocates for increased attention and funding for nutrition in HPN and EGE and Mission programs in order to achieve targets and goals.
• Provides in-depth and conceptual guidance to Mission colleagues on planning and implementation of complex issues related to nutrition, including identifying constraints and opportunities to scaling up nutrition through USG-supported programs, and recommending program interventions to address these constraints in uncertain contexts.
• Establishes and maintains strong and effective working relations and coordination with senior level representatives and technical leaders from a wide range of stakeholders including the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health, the National Planning Commission, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, State Commissioners, and other local institutions, implementing partners, donor organizations, multi-lateral organizations, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Group, the US Embassy in Abuja and USAID/Washington.
• Supports the HPN Office, the EGE Office, and the Mission in developing the Health Implementation Plan, the Operational Plan, the Performance Plan and Report, portfolio review documents, and other regular and ad hoc reports as needed.
• Responds to reporting requirements and requests from within the Mission, and from USAID/Washington and others.

Program/Project Management – 40 %:

• Assumes Contracting Officer’s Representative (COR)/Agreement Officer’s Representative (AOR)/Activity Manager (AM) responsibilities for USAID/Nigeria nutrition programs, as appropriate.
• Provides administrative direction on nutrition for the Mission and plan, design and carry out programs, analysis, policy work and research related to nutrition.
• Supports other CORs/AORs and Activity managers as may be deemed appropriate.
• Provides review of work plans, budgets, performance monitoring plans, quarterly and annual reports, and other key documents for USAID-supported nutrition projects.
• Provides guidance on new program initiatives, drafts program documents to secure funding and implement activities, and manages the relationships between USAID/Nigeria and HPN implementing partners.
• Provides technical assistance in capacity building, planning, implementing, monitoring, and evaluating key USAID governmental and non-governmental partners, in order to ensure that they develop measurable plans and objectives for implementation of innovative nutrition activities.
• Supports the development of nutrition performance monitoring systems, ensuring reliable measures are established that clearly indicate the impact of USAID investments in nutrition, health, agriculture, and gender in Nigeria.
• Monitors the achievement of nutrition results by periodically reviewing the development context, indicator data, and other indications of portfolio progress, identifying problem areas and recommending corrective measures.
• Employs skills and expertise in financial and program management to provide oversight and ensure that USAID-supported programs achieve anticipated results; are linked to and enhance attainment of Mission objectives, which are aligned with the Government of Nigeria priorities; and are implemented within the framework of U.S. Government foreign assistance policies.
• Conducts regular site visits to monitor progress of activities and provide technical and programmatic recommendations.
• Establishes and maintains strong and effective working relations and coordination with senior level representatives and technical leaders from a wide range of stakeholders including the Nigerian Federal Ministry of Health, the National Planning Commission, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, State Commissioners, and other local institutions, implementing partners, donor organizations, multi-lateral organizations, the Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Group, the US Embassy in Abuja and USAID/Washington.
• The job holder will be spend 50 percent of time in providing expertise to the Health, Population, and Nutrition program, and 50 percent to the Economic Growth and Environment program, while promoting coordination among the different projects implemented by these two Offices.

Area of Consideration:

• Nigerians and all individuals eligible to work in Nigeria with a valid Work permit.

Physical Demands:

• The work requested does not involve undue physical demands.

Requirements
Education:

• Minimum of a Master’s degree in one of the following disciplines: Public Health, Nutrition, Health Sciences or related degree with a concentration in nutrition is required.

Prior Work Experience:

• Minimum of Five years of progressively responsible professional experience working in nutrition and/or public health in Nigeria is required.
• Three years of this experience should be in the planning, development, implementation, and evaluation of nutrition programs, other donor organizations, or Nigerian public or private sector institutions.
• Professional experience developing, executing and evaluating nutrition activities at the community level are required.
• Demonstrated expertise related to the delivery of nutrition services and experience working or collaborating with other donors, governments, and/or international organizations is required.

Post Entry Training:

• On-the-job training will be provided relating to USAID-specific procedures, regulations, and methods, including USAID policies, procedures, and regulations, the Automated Directives Systems (ADS), Mission Orders, and database planning and reporting.
• Formal AOR/COR certification courses will be provided, and program/project management and other appropriate training courses will be made available, subject to course offerings and the availability of funds.

Language Proficiency:

• (List both English and host country language(s) proficiency requirements by level (II, III) and specialization (sp/read): Level IV (fluent) English oral and writing ability is required

Job Knowledge:

• Specialized knowledge of technical and programmatic approaches in nutrition, program management strategies, and monitoring and evaluation methods is required.
• A demonstrated knowledge of the concepts, principles, techniques, and practices of Nigerian nutrition policies and programs is required. A thorough knowledge of Nigerian economic, political, social, and cultural characteristics, and the history of development assistance, in particular as it relates to nutrition in Nigeria, including current trends and directions, is required.

Skills and Abilities:

• Must be able to work effectively with mid- and senior-level public and private sector officials from the Government of Nigeria (GoN) and implementing partners (IPs).
• Must be able to work effectively in a team environment, and coordinate well with others.
• Must be able to develop effective and collaborative manager-to-manager relationships with IPs.
• The work requires excellent writing and computer skills, in order to develop presentations, reports, etc. Diplomacy, tact, cultural sensitivity, and team participation are required, in order to establish and maintain effective working relationships within USAID/Nigeria, and with the Nigerian public and private sectors.
• Excellent organizational skills and the ability to multi-task and stay organized in a complex, frequently changing environment is a requirement.
• Demonstrated advanced analytical skills and problem solving, as well as the ability to effectively manage stress and conflict, is required.

Evaluatiion and Selection Factors
Applications will be required to have the minimum qualifications expressed in Section II.

Qualified applicants possessing skills above the minimum requirements will be assessed based on the following factors:

• Education (10 points)
• Work Experience (20 points)
• Knowledge (30 points)
• Language Proficiency (10 points)
• Skills and abilities (30 points).

Market Value

• N11,581,095.00 equivalent to FSN-11 In accordance with AIDAR Appendix J and the Local Compensation Plan of United States Mission, Nigeria (Effective September 04, 2016). Final compensation will be negotiated within the listed market value.

List of Required Forms for PSC Hires
Once the CO) informs the successful Offer or about being selected for a contract award, the CO will provide the successful Offer or instructions about how to complete and submit the following forms:

• Medical History and Examination Form (Department of State Forms)
• RSO Security Questionnaire
• BI Guide Questionnaire
• THOR Enrollment Intake Form

Benefits/Allowances
As a matter of policy, and as appropriate, a PSC is normally authorized the following benefits and allowances:

Benefits:

• Health Insurance
• Annual Salary Increase (if applicable)
• Annual and Sick leave
• Annual Bonus

Allowances (as applicable):

• Transportation Allowance
• Meal Allowance
• Miscellaneous Allowance
• Housing Allowance

Taxes:

• The Mission emphasize to its employees of the fact that they are obliged to observe Nigerian Laws, including those concerning income and related tax obligations. Payment of such taxes is a matter between the individual employee and the Nigerian Government. In the absence of a specific international agreement, the U.S. Government will not withhold local taxes from an employee’s salary.

Application Closing Date
3rd January, 2018.

• Application for US Federal Employment (DS - 174); or a current resume or curriculum vitae that provides the same information as a DS - 174;
• Any additional documentation that supports or addresses the requirements listed above (e.g.transcripts, degrees, NYSC certificate/exemption etc.)
• A type - written and signed application letter specifically applying for this position, and addressing the minimum requirements as advertised.  Please reference the job title and announcement number on the application letter.
• Limit all electronic (e - mail) submissions to one entry/e - mail not larger than 5MB.  Please submit attachments in PDF and Word formats, not pictures.
• E - mails received without the appropriate subject line and incomplete applications will not be considered.
• Offers must be received by the closing date and time specified in Section I, item 3, and submitted to the Point of Contact in Section I, item 11.
• To ensure consideration of offers for the intended position, Offerors must prominently reference the Solicitation number in the offer submission.

Note:

• Per this scoring rubric, Work Experience, Knowledge, Skills and Abilities are the most important factors.
• Applications will initially be screened for conformity with minimum requirements and a short list of applicants developed. USAID reserves the right to interview only the highest ranked applicants in person or by phone OR not to interview any candidate.
• After the closing date for receipt of applications, a committee will be convened to review applications and evaluate them in accordance with the evaluation criteria. Applications from candidates which do not meet the required selection criteria will not be scored.
• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
• No response will be sent to unsuccessful applicants. As part of the selection process, finalist candidates may be interviewed either in person or by telephone at USAID’s discretion.
• Reference checks will be made only for applicants
• considered as finalists. If an applicant does not wish USAID to contact a current employer for a reference check, this should be stated in the applicant’s cover letter, and USAID will delay such reference check pending communication with the applicant.
• Only finalists will be Contacted by USAID with respect to their applications