Programme Manager at APIN

Job ID: api-58205

Project Overview

• Reducing newborn deaths is a critical global health priority. The Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 3.2 has a target for all countries to reduce neonatal mortality rates below 12/1,000 by 2030. At current rates of progress, sub-Saharan Africa will be the last global region to achieve SDG 3.2, reaching the target over fifty years or more too late.
• NEST360 (Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies) catalyzes change for newborn care, enabling African countries to meet the 2025 ENAP coverage targets and the SDG 2030 newborn survival targets.
• The NEST360 international alliance has been optimizing this multi-stakeholder, evidence-based model in Nigeria since 2019. Building on demonstrated evidence of impact at seven hospitals in the southwest region of Nigeria, NEST360 in Nigeria is currently positioned to scale up interventions to more public and private Nigerian hospitals with a high volume of inborn and outborn newborn rates throughout the country.
• NEST360 aims to end preventable newborn death in African hospitals by 2030. Our solution begins with the insight that saving newborn lives requires simultaneous delivery of a package of interventions that cut across the entire health system. 
• Together with African governments, educational institutions, and the private sector, NEST was created as a proven package of Newborn Essential Solutions and Technologies designed to ensure that all newborns receive quality care.
• In view of this, NEST360 is now a program that delivers life-saving affordable newborn technologies; builds strong human resources to support newborn care; provides medical technology management and innovation; and shares evidence-based strategies and an investment case to scale and sustain quality newborn care.
• The project team, in partnership with APIN Public Health Initiatives, is working alongside the FMOH and the current implementing states—Oyo, Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, and the FCT—to strengthen their capacity to effectively deliver quality Comprehensive Newborn Care services.

Role Purpose

• The program manager will be expected to support the Rice360 Country Director in program implementation, project planning and coordination and support program operations, including ensuring compliance with grant regulations.

Scope of Work

• The NEST Program Manager will assist the Country Director to provide program management support as assigned for the successful implementation and achievement of project deliverables.
• The NEST program manager will work with the NEST360 project team to ensure that the NEST360 program is executed according to work plan and budget and in line with program policies, focusing on program quality and sustainability across the components of newborn health care programming.
• He/She will work with other managers to maintain regular contact with the headship of health facilities and the Ministry of Health in states where NEST360 program is being implemented, ensuring quality monitoring of NEST360 implementation and progress.

Major Responsibilities
Program Management and Technical Quality:

• Support the Country Director to provide managerial oversight over the implementation of NEST360 program activities with high quality, meeting donor and organizational standards.
• Provide effective operational support to the NEST360 implementing team and ensure consistent budget and financial tracking.  
• Conduct monthly BVA reviews and share outcomes of BVAs with the Country Director on a monthly basis and take necessary actions when needed; ensuring budgets are used appropriately and efficiently, and spending is in line with APIN financial procedures and donor requirements.
• Coordination with the M&E manager, clinical training manager, biomedical Engineering manager and the qualitative research lead to prepare and execute project work plans with clear targets and deliverables
• Work with M&E to ensure timely data collection and data compilation, and ensure timely submission of both internal and donor reports.
• Ensure constant liaison state MoH officials and facility heads as part of maintaining partnership and engagement with stakeholders in line with NEST360 program strategy for sustainability.
• Provide operational support for NEST360 clinical training activities such as Generic Instructors Training, CNCC and other newborn related trainings in all locations where NEST360 implements.
• Undertake regular field visits to monitor project implementation and provide on-the-spot support to field teams accordingly.
• Perform any other relevant task as directed by the Rice360 Country Director.

Coordination and Representation:

• Participate in coordination meetings at state and facility level and ensure representation at field implementation meetings.
• Participate at relevant state TWG meetings as required.

Key Working Relationship

• Line Manager: Rice360 Country Director
• Technical Collaboration: M&E manager, clinical training manager; biomedical engineering manager; Qualitative research lead.
• Position has a matrix Supervisory role: 5 data clerks.