The Population Council is an international, nonprofit,
nongovernmental institution that seeks to improve the
well-being and reproductive health of current and future
generations around the world and to help achieve a humane,
equitable, and sustainable balance between people and
resources. The Council conducts biomedical, social science, and
public health research and helps build research capacities in
developing countries. Established in 1952, the Council is
governed by an international board of trustees. Its New York
headquarters supports a global network of country
offices.
The Population Council provides equal opportunity; it
does not discriminate against any person with regard to age,
color, creed, national origin, disability, political belief,
veteran status, religion, marital status, gender, gender
identity, or sexual orientation. Decisions on employment are
based on an individual’s qualifications as related to the
position for which s/he is being considered. The Council
especially encourages applications from qualified women and
members of minority groups. The Population Council is
international in the composition of its board of trustees and
its staff, as well as in the nature and deployment of its
activities.
Position: Country
Director, Nigeria
Job description
REPORTING TO: Programmatic
Vice President and International Support Director
(co-supervisors)
LOCATION: Abuja, Nigeria
SALARY: Depends on qualifications and
experience
ASSIGNMENT LENGTH: Two years, renewable
by mutual consent and availability of funding
RESPONSIBILITIES
Country Office Leadership and
Management
Establish a country strategy to articulate needs and
priorities of the country within the context of the Council’s
three programmatic areas of HIV and AIDS, Reproductive
Health, and Poverty, Gender and Youth.
In collaboration with New York, develop and implement
effective office systems and procedures within the context of
Council policy. Directly manage the Finance and
Administrative team that support program activities on the
execution of local and international policies and
procedures.
Develop the program plan and budget, and provide
ongoing budget oversight and management.
Provide guidance, supervision and leadership to Council
staff and consultants, including recruiting and hiring, and
performance management.
Technical/Research
Carry out operational and behavioral research by
developing or contributing to the development to protocols
and study procedures and instruments, collaborating with
partner organizations, overseeing study implemtnation and
monitoring progress, and analyzing data.
Prepare reports and manuscripts for peer reviewed
journals on research projects.
Ensure quality, ethics, program relevance and country
needs in the design and implementation of programmatic
research and other activities in Nigeria.
Provide high-quality, local technical assistance
services by building the capacity of Nigerian staff and
consultants
Maintain and develop collaborative efforts with Council
staff in Africa, other regions, and New York and Washington
DC.
Business Development
Raise funds for program activities of the Population
Council in Nigeria, including proposal development and donor
stewardship, with an emphasis on growing each of the
Council’s core program areas.
Representation
Represent the Population Council in all of its
activities in Nigeria. This includes interacting and
developing relationships with all the major organizations,
including donors, development partners, policy makers,
collaborating agencies, NGOs and government and private
sector institutions.
JOB DESCRIPTION
The Population Council is seeking a professional to serve
as country director for its office in Nigeria. Successful
candidates will have experience in key management and
leadership roles in international development and broad
knowledge of global health, including family planning and
reproductive health, HIV and AIDS, gender and youth
studies.
The Country Director is responsible for achieving the
strategic direction of the Council’s work in Nigeria. S/he
leads external relations with government, donors, and national
and international NGOs to identify research needs, promote
utilization of research results and fundraise. The Country
Director provides technical support to research initiatives to
gather and utilize high quality evidence for programme and
policy change. The Country Director supervises and ensures
project goals and milestones are met in accordance with project
budgets and work plans. S/he provides on-going budget oversight
and management of all projects and grantees in coordination
with headquarters financial team. The Country Director has
the responsibility to monitor that the financial and
administrative management of the office complies with local
laws, budgetary allocations, donor requirements, and Council
policies and procedures. S/he provides guidance, supervision,
capacity building, and leadership to Council staff and
consultants in Nigeria, and oversees recruitment and hiring,
and performance management.
The Country Director also serves as a Principal
Investigator for select research studies. The Council has a
diverse portfolio of research in Nigeria, with activities that
represent all three of the Council’s program areas. The Council
is contributing to the country’s evidence base on HIV by
testing the feasibility of community compacts as an HIV
prevention strategy; operational research on programming HIV
prevention for adolescents, HIV and family planning
integration; and various community-based strategy to HIV
prevention and care and support; and behavioral research on
male circumcision,. The Council is also working with national
and international partners to estimate the size and
distribution of most-at-risk populations, measuring HIV
prevalence and incidence among these populations, identifying
and describing their key characteristics, and strengthening the
capacity to conduct research on key populations.
The Council is recognized as a leader in
the country’s efforts to combat sexual and gender-based
violence (SGBV) and has been pivotal in the development of
national policy and programmatic responses to this problem. The
Nigerian office is focusing on improving the social and
economic assets of adolescent girls by conducting research on
girls’ protection strategies and providing support to local
partners to implement “safe spaces” programs. Having made
significant contributions to family planning and reproductive
health policy during the past two decades, the Council remains
involved in Nigeria’s national debates on family
planning.
The successful candidate will initially
take over the portfolio of studies from the recent country
director; these are predominantly in the HIV and AIDS program
area, while the future portfolio will depend on the country
strategy, the interest and expertise of the country director,
and funding.
QUALIFICATIONS
Doctoral degree in social science, medicine, public
health, or related field with training relevant to
reproductive health, family planning, HIV and AIDS, poverty,
gender, and youth.
Minimum of six years’ relevant postdoctoral
professional experience.
Proven ability and interest to manage and administer a
country-level program on HIV and AIDS; reproductive health;
or poverty, gender, and youth. This qualification requires
experience in recruiting, monitoring, evaluating, and
supervising local staff; managing project resources;
fundraising and donor reporting; as well as the ability to
work well with all levels of national and international staff
within a complex technical assistance organization.
Demonstrated ability to design, implement, analyze,
publish, and disseminate research in developing
countries.
In-depth, substantive knowledge of HIV and AIDS;
reproductive health; and poverty, gender, and youth issues,
as well as an international reputation for excellence in
developing such programs.
Understanding of government systems and entities in
Nigeria desirable and a demonstrated ability to work in a
multicultural environment.
Excellent English written and oral communication
skills.
Willingness to travel within the region and overseas on
a regular basis.
How to Apply