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New Vacancies at Abt Associates

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Abt Associates - The International Health Division is committed to the improvement of health and healthcare delivery around the world. Serving both the public and private sectors, our efforts include health policy research and evaluation, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management. Our impact is felt in policies that ensure healthcare access for women, children, and individuals with special needs, in strengthening health infrastructures, and HIV/AIDS solutions. We are recruiting to fill the position below:     Job Title: Technical Specialist 12 / Chief of Party - SHOPS Plus Req Id: 51465 Location: Abuja Opportunity

• Abt Associates seeks a health professional with strong managerial and financial management skills and USAID experience to serve as Chief of Party (COP) in Nigeria under SHOPS Plus. SHOPS Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health. The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in family planning and reproductive health, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and other health areas. In Nigeria, SHOPS Plus focuses on tuberculosis and family planning
• The COP is responsible for leadership of the SHOPS Plus project in Nigeria and ensuring the effective implementation of the project.  The COP represents SHOPS Plus and is responsible for coordination among USAID, key local stakeholders and other implementing partners at the national, state and local government levels. He/she will ensure the project achieves results including project deliverables and targets in an effective and compliant manner.
• He/she will promote collaboration with other donor-funded projects, government decision makers, and stakeholders to ensure the alignment of this project with their priorities and guidelines. SHOPS Plus activities focus on both the public and private sectors.
• This position will be based in Abuja and cover activities in other target States. Applicants must be a Nigerian or have a work permit for Nigeria.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide management leadership (programmatic, financial and administrative) for the project ensuring full alignment with national and international standards.
• Oversee the implementation of the project ensuring the achievement of all project deliverables and targets in a timely manner.
• Ensure implementation of accountability mechanisms to foster quality and ensure client’s rights and choice.
• Supervise and oversee the work of project staff, SHOPS Plus partners and subcontractors
• Exercise sound financial management skills including effective project spending.
• Uphold the standards of Abt Associates to lead a high performing team; ensure strict compliance to USAID and Abt’s policies, regulations and internal controls.
• Effectively represent SHOPS Plus and build and maintain excellent, productive relationships with USAID and government counterparts and relevant civil society organizations and serve as a leader in the health community.
• Provide vision and guidance to the project staff.
• Identify obstacles and risks related to implementation in a timely manner and implement strategies to overcome them.
• Guide the learning agenda for the project, use lessons learned to modify project approaches and strategies, and disseminate findings.
• Lead the development of the strategy for scale up of the TB and FP initiatives.
• Create strong partnerships with other implementing partners working on TB and FP.
• Review technical materials to ensure high quality products.

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

• Master’s Degree in Public Health and/or a Medical Doctor.
• At least 10 years of relevant experience, including 5 years in managing complex public health service delivery programs or programs of similar scope and size.
• Proven experience in administration, financial management, award compliance, sub-award management, and tracking project performance and costs.
• Excellent management and organizational skills to lead teams to deliver high quality program results.
• Demonstrated strategic vision for the health sector, leadership qualities, depth and breadth of technical and management expertise and experience.
• Excellent professional reputation and a proven success interacting with host country government agencies, counterparts, donors, and international experts.
• Proven ability to gather data and document program activities, successes, and lessons learned.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills in English. Local languages an advantage.
• Knowledge of Nigerian private health sector.
• Experience with USAID or other donors.

Minimum Qualifications

• (10+) years of experience and a bachelor degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

Remuneration

• Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.

    Job Title: Technical Specialist 12 / Family Planning / Reproductive Health Technical Director - SHOPS Plus Job ID: 51487 Location: Abuja Job Description

• Abt Associates seeks a FP/RH expert with clinical and public health experience to serve as FP/RH Technical Director in Nigeria under SHOPS Plus. SHOPS Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health.
• The Family Planning and Reproductive Health (FP/RH) Technical Director will provide technical leadership in the areas of clinical FP/RH training and learning, with particular emphasis on long acting reversible contraceptives.
• He/she will develop training strategies to increase the capacity of providers to offer LARC services, design and guide interventions, develop key technical partnerships, and ensure that clinical training skills and supervision of health care providers is sustained.
• He/she will supervise the assessment of training needs and develop or adapt training materials in line with national policies and procedures.
• The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and other health areas.
• In Nigeria, SHOPS Plus will capacitate public and private providers to scale up family planning, especially long acting reversible contraceptives (LARCs).
• He/she will represent the project in technical fora

Key Roles and Responsibilities The FP/RH Technical Director will be an integral part of the SHOPS Plus senior program management team and s/he will:

• Lead the development of the  project’s FP/RH training strategy that ensures an appropriate mix of providers
• Lead or supervise capacity building activities for an appropriate mix of health care providers in family planning and reproductive health including task sharing..
• Ensure that all capacity building activities are carried out according to national and international standards.
• Ensure incorporation of client-centered care in all capacity building activities for quality of care within the context of rights-based FP.
• Contribute to the development of the accountability mechanism to foster client-centered care, and ensure client’s rights and choice are respected by the providers.
• Ensure inclusion of a continuum of learning process in the capacity building activities
• Identify key barriers and opportunities for FP/RH services.
• Contribute to the development of the Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning Plan (AMELP), including gathering and analyzing data.
• Provide ongoing quality assurance and quality improvement for technical activities, including feeding back learning from AMELP and international best practices.
• Contract and supervise the work of national FP/RH trainers.
• Serve as technical resource for all training, including training of trainers.
• Lead implementation of referral systems, as necessary.
• Build and maintain relationships with a broad range of prospective partners and participate in relevant technical working groups.
• Collaborate with other implementing partners that focus on demand generation, behavior change, contraceptive supplies, and other essential services.
• Facilitate the delivery of contraceptives for the last mile to the facilities.
• Ensure that both public and private facilities follow reporting procedures.
• Together with the COP, develop and implement a FP/RH scale up strategy for the private sector in partnership with the public sector.
• Together with the COP, serve as a senior manager to ensure smooth functioning of the project.
• Prepare technical reports on the SHOPS Plus FP/RH program.
• Supervise the work of project’s state offices.
• Supervise the work of designated staff and consultants.

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

• Medical degree and at least 10 years of professional experience in FP/RH project implementation and/or service provision.
• At least of five years of experience in capacity building, curriculum development, and training.
• Deep familiarity with FP/RH policies and procedures of the MOH, WHO and USAID.
• Knowledge and familiarity with specific USAID and WHO gold standard tools such as the FP Training Resource Package (TRP); WHO’s four cornerstones of FP guidance - the MEC, the selected practice recommendations, the decision making tool and the updated global handbook- particularly, familiarity with the Medical Eligibility Criteria for Contraceptive Use (MEC) and the global handbook; and WHO’s global recommendations and guidliens related to task sharing in FP;  are desirable.
• Proven capacity to supervise staff and to work as a team player.
• Proven ability to gather data and document program activities, successes, and lessons learned.
• Excellent oral and written communications skills in English; Local languages preferred.
• Knowledge of Nigerian health sector.
• Experience with USAID FP/RH programs
• Applicants must be a Nigerian or have a work permit for Nigeria.

Minimum Qualification

• (10+) years of experience and a bachelor degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

    Job Title: Finance Assistant 6 - SHOPS Plus Req Id: 51383 Location: Kano, Abuja Organization Overview

• The International Health Division is committed to the improvement of health and healthcare delivery around the world.
• Serving both the public and private sectors, our efforts include health policy research and evaluation, health promotion and disease prevention, health finance, and health systems management.
• Our impact is felt in policies that ensure healthcare access for women, children, and individuals with special needs, in strengthening health infrastructures, and HIV/AIDS solutions.

Opportunity

• Abt Associates seeks a Finance Assistant to support a tuberculosis (TB) service expansion project in Nigeria under SHOPS Plus. SHOPS Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health.
• The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in TB, family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and other health areas.
• In Nigeria, SHOPS Plus will build the capacity of private providers to detect, diagnose, treat and report TB cases in Lagos and Kano States.
• The Finance Assistant in Kano will support implementation of a TB services expansion project that will increase availability of TB services in the private sector, improve flow of suspected TB patients into detection and treatment centers, improve the quality of private sector TB services, and strengthen health systems to foster and sustain Public Private Mix (PPM) models for TB care.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Determines validity of obligations and availability of funds.
• Reviews individual obligations documents to assign correct classification codes, referring problems in classification. Notes obvious deviations from financial plans and refers to supervisor.
• Prepares recurring and one-time detailed reports of unpaid orders, accruals, allotments, etc.
• Periodically reconciles/balances accounting records.
• Maintains accounts receivable files, obligations, and liquidations.
• Makes collections.
• Enters all financial transactions from a wide variety of documents into database/spreadsheet.
• Under guidance, gathers data from identified sources regarding project and assists in making a preliminary analysis of such data incident to budget formulation.
• Develops preliminary financial plan for project.
• Participates with supervisor in advising upper management on budgetary matters.

Requirements/Preferred Skills

• High school degree, 2+ years of experience OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.
• Good understanding of financial systems and procedures.
• Ability to support complex activities and complete tasks on short notice.
• Computer skills in accounting (Quicken and Oracle), MS Windows, Excel, Word.
• Experience in capacity building and/or TB in Nigeria or similar countries preferred.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required, and one local language is preferred.

Minimum Qualifications:

• (2+) years of experience and high school diploma OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

Remuneration Abt Associates provides market-competitive salaries and comprehensive employee benefits.     Job Title: Technical Specialist 10 / State Coordinator Job ID: 51385 Location: Lagos, Kano Job Description

• Abt Associates seeks Lagos State Coordinators to support a private sector TB project under SHOPS Plus. SHOPS Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health.
• In Nigeria, SHOPS Plus will capacitate private providers to scale up tuberculosis case finding, diagnosis, treatment and reporting in Lagos and Kano States.
• The State Coordinators will support implementation of a TB services expansion project that will  increase availability of TB services in the private sector, improve flow of suspected TB patients into detection and treatment centers, improve the quality of private sector TB services, and strengthen health systems to foster and sustain Public Private Mix (PPM) models for TB care.
• The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in TB, family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and other health areas.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Work closely with the TB Technical Director to implement private sector TB program in their states.
• Develop a system to target and reach the beneficiary populations.
• Develop and review technical resource materials (e.g., training materials, SBCC plans, strategy documents, job aids) and programming tools to support meeting project objectives.
• Supervise the Program Officer in mobilizing the community to plan and attend outreach activities.
• Work with TB Technical Director to implement referral system within the private sector network and to/from the public sector.
• Develop and implement detailed action plans for activities.
• Serve as the main liaison among communities, facilities, and local government authority (NTBCLP, etc.).
• Contribute to communication, advocacy and knowledge management tasks including documentation
• Contribute to the Activity Monitoring and Evaluation system.

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

• Bachelor’s (BS) or Master’s (MS) degree Health Management, Public Health, Communications, Health Administration,or other relevant field.
• Ten years (BS) or eight years (MS) of relevant work experience, especially TB or other infectious diseases.
• Experience with private sector health service delivery at the provincial and/or district level.
• Ability to write technical papers and reports.
• Strong abilities to implement capacity building activities, training and workshops.
• Computer skills in MS Windows, Excel, Word.
• Ability to travel with the state approximately 50% of the time.

Minimum Qualification:

• (6+) years of experience and a master degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

      Job Title: Technical Specialist 11 / Laboratory and Supply Chain Specialist Req Id: 51387 Location: Abuja Job Description

• Abt Associates seeks a Laboratory and Supply Chain Specialist to work on a TB services expansion project in Nigeria. SHOPS Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health.
• The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in TB, family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and other health areas.
• In Nigeria, SHOPS Plus will capacitate private providers to scale up tuberculosis case finding, diagnosis, treatment and reporting in Lagos and Kano States.
• The Laboratory and Supply Chain Specialist will support a TB services expansion project that will  increase availability of TB services in the private sector, improve flow of suspected TB patients into detection and treatment centers, improve the quality of private sector TB services, and strengthen health systems to foster and sustain Public Private Mix (PPM) models for TB care.
• He/she will report to the TB Technical Director.

Key Roles and Responsibilites

• Lead activities that strengthen the capacity of laboratory services.
• Troubleshoot network issues related to TB drug distribution and stock management within the network.
• Lead special efforts to make TB drugs available, including coordinating with the Health Financing/Private Sector Specialist to address the high costs of drugs for MDR-TB.
• Contribute to communication, advocacy and knowledge management of lab management, including documentation.
• Work closely with intermediary organizations to link network facilities with public sector sources of drugs.
• Provide assiatance in reviewing technical resource materials (e.g., training materials, SBCC plans, strategy documents, job aids) and programming tools to support meeting project objectives.

Preferred Skills / Prerequistes

• Advanced degree in medicine, laboratory science, or related field.
• Ability to write technical papers and reports.
• Computer skills in MS Windows, Excel, Word.
• Ability to travel within Nigeria.
• At least ten years of related work experience, including five years of relevant work experience in capacity building and training in the health sector, preferably in laboratory management, commodity logistics and supply chain.
• Experience in TB or other infectious diseases preferred.

Minimum Qualifications

• (8+) years of experience and a master degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

      Job Title: Technical Specialist 11 / Health Financing Specialist SHOPS Plus Job ID: 51384 Location: Nigeria Job Description

• Abt Associates seeks a Health Financing Specialist to support a TB services project in Nigeria under SHOPS Plus. SHOPS Plus is USAID’s flagship initiative in private sector health.
• The project seeks to harness the full potential of the private sector and catalyze public-private engagement to improve health outcomes in TB, family planning, HIV/AIDS, maternal and child health, and other priority health areas.
• In Nigeria, SHOPS Plus will build the capacity of private providers to detect, diagnose, treat and report tuberculosis cases in Lagos and Kano States.
• The project aims to  increase availability of TB services in the private sector, improve flow of suspected TB patients into detection and treatment centers, improve the quality of private sector TB services, and strengthen health systems to foster and sustain an optimal mix of public private mix (PPM) models for TB care.

Key Roles and Responsibilities

• Provide technical support of health-financing interventions, with emphasis on facilitating removal of financial barriers to access network services for TB patients.
• Lead SHOPS Plus Nigeria initiatives to sustain optimal public-private mix (PPM) models for TB care, in line with the national health financing strategy
• Facilitate linkages between patients and public and private insurance schemes, pre-payment programs, and other financing mechanisms to render private services more affordable.
• Document evidence and lessons learned around successful approaches for purchasing health services that improve access to essential health services.
• Provide technical input regarding health financing activities and topics for work plans and progress reports.
• Develop presentations and reports, budgets and monitor program or activity expenditures
• Monitor compliance with USAID regulations and policies of Abt

Preferred Skills / Prerequisites

• MBA or Master's degree in Health Economics, Health Policy and Management, or Public Health with a health financing focus.
• He/she will have at least eight years of relevant experience in health financing, insurance, or related field, preferably USAID-funded.
• Understanding of health financing policy, health financing strategies development, planning, capacity-building, initiatives implementation.
• Experience in contracting and provider mechanism,  development and management of public-private partnerships, business partnerships and partnerships between donors a plus.
• Proven ability to promote and enhance relationships between private sector actors and government stakeholders.
• Knowledge of TB and TB programs in Nigeria strongly preferred.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Strong management skills, and ability to work independently and on teams.

Minimum Qualification:

• (8+) years of experience and a master degree OR the equivalent combination of education and experience.

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

• Abt Associates is an Affirmative Action/Equal Opportunity employer committed to fostering a diverse workforce.
• Local candidates strongly encouraged to apply.

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