M&E and Research Officer

Malaria Consortium is recruiting for a Monitoring & Evaluation & Research Officer to join our team in Bauchi, Nigeria.

The Research/M&E (RME) Officer will support the technical design for operations the SMC-VAS co-implementation using the SMC platform, including the research aspects of the project. S/he will support the Project Manager and work with the M&E Specialists in the supported state during the implementation, data management, reporting and dissemination of project key outcomes, while ensuring standards and quality in project activities. The position holder will contribute to the evidence base and support the production of reports to the donor, peer-reviewed publications, technical reports, conferences and meeting presentations.

The RME Officer would be working with the SMC M&E Specialists in the state and stakeholders in Bauchi states, especially the State Ministries of Health and LGA Departments of Health/PHC, to manage the add-on data and research components of VAS to the SMC rollout and implementation in the project states. S/he would report to the Project Manager (SMC-VAS project).

The RME Officer would support the project activities at assigned state and LGA levels, working with colleagues and stakeholders to ensure timely data/information collection, collation and reporting to achieve given targets and objectives.

• Plan and implement M&E activities in the approved work plan under the guidance of the Project Manager.
• Work with Malaria Consortium country office technical team and Bauchi states M&E Specialists to update the forms used for the Sokoto and Bauchi pilots on SMC-VAS co-implementation to enable proper data/information collection, collation, analysis and reporting.
• Support the digitization of the SMC-VAS co-implementation exercise in Bauchi states.

• Plan regular data quality assessments, and ensure the completeness, consistency and validity of distribution data.
• Ensure the timely submission of high-quality programmatic progress update and the validation of such at the end of each co-implemented cycle according to the microplan and targets.
• Work with Supply Chain Officer, Cluster Supervisors and Field Officers to facilitate the documentation of activities in form of reports and ensure proper archiving of such for easy access and reference.
• Provide direct technical assistance and capacity building for state and LGA level implementers in the design and implementation of SMC-VAS M&E activities.
• Participate in project assessments, evaluations and design including development of survey protocols with support from country office and advisors.
• Participates in regular documentation of lessons learnt on SPAQ-VAS distribution by the project.
• Represent MC and make presentations at professional meetings and conferences related to Monitoring, Evaluation and research, including monthly end-of-cycle review meetings.
• Perform other duties as may be assigned.

Qualifications and Experience: 

Essential:

• A Bachelor’s or Master’s Degree in Epidemiology, Statistics, Public Health or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years post qualification and at least 2 years’ experience working in a research role with an excellent understanding of operational research approaches.
• Demonstrable knowledge of and experience in implementing research studies, including the design of qualitative and quantitative data collection tools.
• Good qualitative and quantitative data analysis skills.
• Previous public health sector experience in sub-Saharan Africa countries.
• Familiarity with Health Management Information Systems (HMIS) in low and middle-income countries and packages, e.g. DHIS2.
• Strong writing skills with at least one publication in an international peer-reviewed journal.

Desirable:

• Significant knowledge in communicable disease control, particularly malaria.
• Previous experience in providing M&E technical support in the implementation of mass campaign such as Seasonal Malaria Chemoprevention - SMC/ Insecticide-Treated Nets-ITN
• Experience in working effectively with government and non-government partners.

Work-based skills:

Essential:

• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively within a team, including with Ministries of Health and/or other government partners.
• Demonstrated verbal and written communication and presentation skills.
• Excellent statistical analysis skills including familiarity with software such as STATA, R or Statgraphics, CSPro, Power BI, Atlas ti, NVIVO and GIS mapping skills as a plus.
• Results-oriented attitude to work and competency in reviewing, understanding and synthesizing data.
• Practical organizational skills and the ability to prioritize and re-prioritize when necessary to meet tight deadlines.
• Able to travel to SMC supported states to support OR activities or other data collection activities.
• Excellent command of English with excellent writing and communication skills and the ability to present information in clear, concise, and compelling ways.
• Computer literacy, including high degree of skills in MS Office and Stata.

We need to keep beneficiaries safe so our selection process reflects our commitment to safeguarding. Please find our Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Policy and Privacy Notice here.

This role is conditional of Malaria Consortium securing funding for this role. 

Due to the nature of this role we will be reviewing applications on an ongoing basis and the role might be filled and closed before the closing date. Early applications are encouraged.