Program Officer (Jigawa)

About this role

Pathfinder International seeks a Program Officer to be the organisation’s primary on-site presence in Jigawa. The role works through state government structures and coordinates with multiple state and local partners to oversee delivery across four project pillars: demand generation and risk communication; domestic financing and accountability; evidence-to-policy translation; and high-level political engagement. The officer provides operational and technical leadership to sustain political commitment, domestic financing, and community demand for routine immunisation and HPV vaccination within the state health system. The position involves coordinating with state health authorities, government ministries, and CSO partners to align workplans and minimise duplication, while ensuring effective monitoring and reporting. The role requires frequent engagement with senior government and political leaders, AND overseeing CSO performance and field delivery activities. The posting emphasises strengthening immunisation and HPV programmes beyond campaign cycles and integrating these into regular health system processes.

What you would do

• Lead state entry meetings and joint planning with the state and align the workplan with the State Annual Operational Plan.
• Map and assess existing coordination platforms and advise on strengthening, merging or sustaining them.
• Serve as the main contact for the State Ministry of Health, SPHCDA, SERRIC, Ministry of Finance and other state MDAs; coordinate with other partners to align plans.
• Support quarterly leadership accountability forums and participate in performance-review meetings linked to immunisation and HPV.
• Maintain and apply the Implementation Tracking Framework to identify system gaps and track actions, deadlines, resources and escalation points.
• Provide technical assistance and evidence to political and administrative leaders across health, education, finance and local government.
• Monitor budget approvals, releases and expenditures for immunisation and HPV, and report on treasury release pathways.
• Oversee field delivery of demand generation activities, supervise CSO partners, and ensure data feeds into EPI reviews and related forums.
• Support HPV rollout in schools and community settings and oversee safe spaces and defaulter tracking systems.
• Lead monitoring, evaluation, data quality activities and learning, including data collection for state indicators and quality checks.

What they are asking for

• Minimum 5 years of experience in public health program management in Nigeria, with immunisation or health systems strengthening experience.
• Experience working with state government institutions and coordination platforms (e.g., SMOH, SPHCDA, Ministry of Finance).
• Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Health Policy, Social Sciences, Development Studies or related field; master’s degree (e.g., MPH) is an advantage.
• Experience managing and monitoring local partners or subgrantees, including milestone verification and compliance.
• Strong ability to analyse routine data (DHIS2 or similar) and translate data into briefs.
• Excellent written and spoken English; fluency in Hausa required.
• Competencies in program planning, management, leadership, and stakeholder engagement; strong MS Office skills.
• Willingness to operate within a multi-stakeholder, government-aligned work environment.
• Ability to work in a matrix management setting and handle multiple tasks.

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