Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON) Latest Jobs: Recruitment for Director Business Development, Senior Advocacy Officer

THE ORGANIZATION:

The Health Reform Foundation of Nigeria (HERFON)  is an independent national membership, (non-governmental, non-profit, non-religious) organization developed by a group of reform minded people in response to the deplorable Health status of the country. The main purpose of the organization is to define reform agendas within the health sector in Nigeria, independently or  in collaboration with government and other key stakeholders, using advocacy as its main approach, HERFON has its Headquarters in Abuja and has established Zonal offices with presence in all 36 states and the FCT. 

The Abuja office now wishes to recruit self-motivated professionals to fill the positions below:

POST TITLE:   Director Business Development – (H1/DBD/2011)

CANDIDATE SPECIFICATIONS:

• The Director (or Consultant), Business Development provides overall guidance for the execution of business development strategies that  align with HERFON’s priorities, mission, vision and core values. 
• He/she will collaborate with internal stakeholders across the organisation to align business development policies, strategies, systems, structures and  approaches with the organization’s strategic priorities  related  to organizational growth and programme development,
• The Director is responsible for providing overall direction and guidance for the continuous improvement of new business development procedures and processes, specifically in support of proposal planning and development; donor prospecting and strategic prioritizing; and donor relationship cultivation and stewardship to ensure that HERFON’s new business development efforts are efficient, effective and of the highest possible quality.

KEY DUTIES & RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Oversee the operations of the BDU including the supervision of the BDU staff and coordination with the rest of HERFON staff across the country – sustaining and developing a productive team of professionals through staff development and the strategic use of information for learning and performance enhancement,
• Oversee the development, strengthening and management of all systems, tools processes, procedures and protocols necessary for successful resource mobilization efforts,
• Ensure optimal BDU coordination and collaboration with the organization’s programme Team and knowledge Management Centre, as well as with the zonal offices,
• Coordinate closely with the Executive Secretary, the NAC, and BOT to support and contribute to the Organization’s aim of increasing  HERFON’s capacity to secure funding and the overall proposal hit rate,
• Provide guidance and support for effective positioning of HERFON for new business development success at national, zonal and state levels, including support to early intelligence gathering reconnaissance, marketing, and effective partnership negotiations,
• Ensure the development of high-functioning proposal teams and effective budgeting of resources (financial and human) in order to successfully carry out the organization’s resource mobilization efforts
• Lead/facilitate donor identification, targeting, relationship cultivation and steward in coordination with programme team, Knowledge Management Centre, and Zonal and state offices in support of securing direct programme resources for the organization,
• Serve as proposal leader/team member for select proposal submissions,
• Develop and participate in capacity building plan for staff and members throughout the organization in resource mobilization, programme development, proposal writing and related processes and procedures,
• Contribution to the development and maintenance of high impact marketing materials such as capacity statements, brochures, web content etc.,
• Write and/or edit selected proposals/sections , donor reports and other organizational promotional material, as needed,
• Network with business development  professionals in peer organizations to enhance organizational training,
• Represent HERFON to donors, partners, and other  external audiences as  required in support of securing restricted funding for HERFON programmes,
• Represent the BDU function, advance new business development priorities and advocate for the Unit needs at management and BOT meetings. Perform additional tasks as assigned.

EDUCATIONAL QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE:

• Applicant must possess advanced degree (MBA or Masters) in relevant field such as business international development or public health,
• International NGO or donor agency experience at a leadership level,
• 10 + years professional experience and minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in new business development, including management of new business development systems and processes,
• Experience with donor organisations solicitation and funding mechanisms international bilateral and multi-lateral agencies,
• Proven capacity to effectively manage complex proposal  development processes, as well as manage and mentor staff with various skills and experience,
• Demonstrated achievement in the design and implementation of new business development systems, policies and procedures,
• Strong organizational skills and ability to manage complex teams, precise scheduling and multiple and shifting priorities,
• Proven team leadership skills and ability to work effectively in a team environment with both technical and non-technical staff from various cultural backgrounds,
• Excellent computer skills including Microsoft Office Suite,
• Excellent writing and editing skills, specifically in the area of proposal development (writing, editing, compilation, submission and online application systems), including complex, multi-million dollar multi-year donor funded proposals,
• Strong verbal communication and presentation skills, with training / facilitation skills preferred,
• Excellent inter-personal and inter-cultural skills.

POST TITLE:   Senior Advocacy Officer (H2/SAO/2011)

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The position holder is expected to lead and manage all advocacy activities undertaken for health sector reform,
• She/he will frame discussions on identified health issues, build a consensus with like-minded stakeholders and partners, attract resources and effectively seize and  create opportunities to move reform forwards,
• She/he will proactively promote health policies in need of reform or the development of new policies where none exist.

CANDIDATE SPECIFICATIONS:

• Applicant must possession of an advanced degree in Public Health, Social Sciences or Biological Sciences,
• Demonstrable track record of health sector advocacy,
• Must have demonstrable skill in written and interpersonal communications, as well as public speaking,
• At least two years experience in handling the media preferred,
• Must have a working knowledge of the policy formulation process, political economy mapping and communicating for change,
• At least 5 years post-qualification experience in the health sector preferred,
• Must be a self-starter and a team player,
• Must be energetic arid have a passion for Health Reform,
• Ability to speak more than one Nigerian Language fluently is a plus.

SPECIFIC TASKS:

The Position holder will:

• Familiarize her/himself with all HERFON Programmes and activities,
• Identify demand and supply side advocacy priorities within the health sector,
• Identify and engage potential partners to achieve advocacy goals,
• Perform regular assessments of the external political environment for strategic management of opportunities and threats,
• Develop Advocacy guidelines and curriculum on Advocacy capacity-building for HERFON members and partners,
• Develop and/or acquire acquire advocacy tools for engagement of policymakers,
• Develop core advocacy messages for media dissemination.

POST TITLE:   Senior Health Policy Research Officer (H3/SRO/2011)

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:

• The position holder will drive the generation of evidence for HERFON programmes and activities, as well as recommend and make available the latest health research for updating the HERFON Resource Centre,
• She/he will also ensure that HERFON research articles are published regularly in National, Regional and international Health Journals and will be the key staff member for the coordination of the National Health Review publications.

CANDIDATES SPECIFICATIONS:

• Possession of an advanced degree in Public Health, Social Sciences or Biological Sciences,
• Demonstrable track record of publishing health research publications (minimum of 5),
• Must have demonstrable skill in technical writing, especially policy briefs,
• Must have experience in health Policy Analysis and Research Methodology,
• Must have experience in Health Policy Analysis and Research Methodology,
• Must have strong IT skills and have experience with SPSS or other date analytical software,
• At least 5 years post qualification experience in the health sector preferred,
• Must be a self-starter and a team player,
• Must be energetic and have a passion for Health Reform.

SPECIFIC TASKS:

The Position holder will:

• Familiarize her/himself with HERFON Programmes and activities,
• Identify the research component  for each programme activity and generate  evidence for the effective completion of the task/activity,
• Identify world class best-practice for advocacy and health sector reform to inform curriculum design for capacity building efforts,
• Identify latest and relevant health research and finding/reports for effective
• knowledge management,
• Facilitate the development of a medium-term research agenda, undertake prioritized research topics and ensure publication in respected health care Journals,
• Undertake policy briefs based on independent  policy research data and other health sector information is available to users of the HERFON Resource Centre.

MODE OF APPLICATION & APPLICATION DEADLINE:

Applications should be submitted in the form of (1) an application letter for the desired position, and (2) a comprehensive CV stating, among others, candidate’s full names, date of birth, state of origin, schools attended, qualifications obtained with dates, previous working experience with detailed job description, contact and location addresses, email address, names and addresses of two referees.  These should be sent to you by email at recruitment@herfon.org. The ‘subject’ line of the email must be the title of the position being applied for. Applications not sent in this format will not be processed.

All applications must be received  on or before 19^th October, 2011.