Health Financing & Advocacy Specialist At Save the Children

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Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Health Financing & Advocacy Specialist

Job ID: 1900034J
Location: Duste, Jigawa
Employee Status: Fixed Term

Role Purpose

• This role will provide strategic leadership on advocacy for all health projects and by collaborating closely with all the Health Advocacy Advisors, Coordinators and Officers in all the national and field offices – ensuring that they work effectively as a coordinated team spearheading SC’s influencing of governments and partners. S/he will work closely with the, State Project Managers and Chief of Party at National & States on the implementation of the advocacy, campaign, media, social mobilization and communication strategy in Project State. S/he will also be expected to contribute to the implementation of wider Save the Children Advocacy and Campaign Strategy.
• S/he will coordinate and oversee monthly, quarterly and annual advocacy reports that feeds into donors report. S/he will work closely with state Child Health & Immunization Specialist (CHIS) and the SBCC teams to develop relevant materials (briefs/messages) and undertake actions to create enabling environment and promote sustainability (increasing government commitment and action) of projects.
• S/he will lead on health policy analysis and support the design and implementation of the programme within the right based programming approach. S/he will be responsible for leading on the development and delivery of health advocacy and financing strategy within the context of Universal Health Care.  S/he will support the State Project Manage and the Chief of Party to promote pro-poor governance agenda in the delivery of primary health care with focus on improving quality and access to Health services and strengthening the health systems at all levels of government.

Key Areas of Accountability
Programme Quality:

• Develop and lead policy and research on health financing, health systems and Universal Health Coverage, especially for influencing  national and state processes and discussions
• Support actively in the process of developing the programme short- and long-term governance and advocacy agendas.  Particularly as it relates to exploring governance-related barriers to the elimination of exclusion and inequity.
• Develop and deliver advocacy strategies to influence relevant stakeholders and achieve health policy changes at national and State levels
• Play a leading role in establishing Pneumonia & infectious disease sensitive working groups at state level
• Take lead in raising awareness and garnering more commitment towards Childhood Pneumonia
• Organize major advocacy activities including commemoration of relevant International Child Health Days
• Ensure clear linkage between programmatic approaches and advocacy strategies.
• Contribute to the development of annual work plans, budgets, reports and document case studies and success stories on the relevant projects.
• Contribute to the priorities of health projects by undertaking other responsibilities as required including supporting Save the Children’s Every Last Child campaign and strategy.

Communication and Representation:

• Work with the Project Manager, and relevant advisers to develop case studies for the project and ensure that these meet Save the Children Child Safeguarding Policies (CSP),
• Develop compelling communications materials for the project based on lessons learned and experiences from the project for print and online. More specifically, ensure Childhood Pneumonia is recognized as a leading killer of children under the age of five.
• Produce reports, position papers, briefing papers, policy advocacy messaging and presentations for internal and external audiences, as directed.
• Organise events on health issues, including small high-level seminars and conferences
• Develop and maintain a professional network for governance issues within Nigeria and within SC globally.
• Organise events for dissemination of important information and messages

Skills And Behaviours (Our Values In Practice)
Accountability:

• Holds self- accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values
• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically
• Build strong influencing networks among policy makers, donors and CSOs to push the UHC agenda

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions
• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity

Requirements, Skills & Experience
Essential:

• Level of Education – Post Graduate
• Specified Study Area – Public Health / Development Economics/ Financial Economics / Development Studies
• Desired Number of Years’ experience – 7 (in health/development advocacy with a focus on health financing, health governance and enhanced voice and accountability)
• Language Requirements – English - Excellent. Knowledge of local language is an asset.
• Level of IT Expertise Required – Excellent
• Profound  knowledge in Nigeria governance and health systems and political terrains
• Strong knowledge of global health policy goals and commitments
• Ability to write strong position papers and policy briefings
• Strong analytical framework to clearly articulate and communicate our policy positions
• Ability to be strategic and proactive when required to be able to keep advocacy plans dynamic and aligned to new policy and political developments
• Ability to clearly communicate  and easily relate to federal  state authorities
• Experience of working in a multi-cultural environment
• Comply with the requirements of Save the Children’s commitment to protect children in accordance with the Child Safeguarding Policy.

Prior Experience Expectations:

• Building external networks
• Health financing background
• Strategic Planning
• Governance and Gender advocacy
• Enhanced voice accountability
• Training and Facilitation