ICT Pillar Lead, Saving One Million Lives

Department: Saving One Million Lives Office, Federal Government of Nigeria
Location: Abuja, Nigeria
Term: 1 year with possible extension
Compensation: Based on experience

Closing date March 1st, 2014

Overview of Position
The mHealth Alliance is hiring the ICT Pillar Lead for the Saving One Million Lives (SOML) initiative to lead and coordinate information and communication technology (ICT) activities for the national SOML initiative and to serve as Program Director of the mHealth Alliance’s engagement to support the Nigerian government in the scale up ICT-based programs to reduce maternal and child mortality.

SOML was launched in October 2012 to prevent the deaths of one million pregnant women, new mothers, newborns, and children under 5 by 2015. The mHealth Alliance, with funding from Norad, has partnered with GSMA and Intel to support the Federal Ministries of Health (FMOH) and Communication Technology (FMCT) in Nigeria around the strategic planning and systematic scale up of ICTs to achieve the goals of the SOML initiative.

The mHealth Alliance champions the use of mobile technologies to improve health throughout the world. Working with diverse partners to integrate mHealth into multiple sectors, the Alliance serves as a convener for the mHealth community to overcome common challenges by sharing tools, knowledge, experience, and lessons learned. The mHealth Alliance advocates for more research and evaluation to advance the evidence base; seeks to build capacity among health and industry decision-makers, managers, and practitioners; promotes sustainable business models; supports systems integration by advocating for standardization and interoperability of mHealth platforms; and promotes policies that mitigate the risk for investment in mHealth and ensure its long-term viability.  The mHealth Alliance also hosts HUB (Health Unbound), a global online community for resource sharing and collaborative solution generation.

The ICT4SOML Lead will direct the ICT4SOML initiative on behalf of the mHealth Alliance, including management of a nationwide ICT baseline inventory, development of a national eHealth framework, and design of Quick Wins for health ICT scale up. He/she will have direct reporting lines to Dr. Kelechi Ohiri, Sr. Special Assistant to the Honourable Minister of Health and Director of the SOML Office, and to the Executive Director of the mHealth Alliance. He/she will work within the SOML Project Management Office on the team of SOML Pillar Leads. He/she will coordinate with key ministry partners and federal agencies, including the National Primary Health Care for Development Agency (NPHCDA) and SURE-P, and direct the activities of the Sr. Health ICT Coordinators seconded into the FMOH and FMCT. He/she will also serve as a point of contact with key development partners, including the MDG Health Alliance, GSMA, Futures Group, Pathfinder International, Intel, and BBC World Trust.

Major Duties and Responsibilities
Serve as the ICT Pillar Lead for the SOML initiative, which includes serving as the primary point of contact within government for ICT4SOML and coordinating Health ICT activities across government agencies and development partners.
Lead the ICT4SOML grant in Nigeria on behalf of the mHealth Alliance. This will including representing the mHealth Alliance for this initiative, launching and managing baseline assessment, establishing and providing ongoing management of the ICT4SOML Steering Committee, initiating and facilitating the ICT framework development process, managing progress of working groups for each of the Quick Wins, and other activities as defined in the ICT4SOML proposal.
Ensure completion of key milestones in the ICT4SOML initiative under direction of the Technical Advisor to the Minister of Health.
Lead strategic and operational planning, budgeting and reporting activities for the mHealth Alliance’s engagement with ICT4SOML.  
 
Initiate and complete the ICT framework development process and work with government, donors and other stakeholders to support implementation of the ICT framework. Provide strategic and technical inputs into the ICT framework development process.
Retain, cultivate, manage, and hire staff as needed and agreed to by the SOML Office and mHealth Alliance.
Identify partnerships that can amplify the impact of ICT4SOML and influence as a leading initiative on behalf of the SOML initiative.
Providing technical input into stakeholder meetings and working group activities, discussions, and priorities on behalf of the mHealth Alliance.
Manage interactions with external entities including the media and potential additional donors and partners.  Undertake the lead role in liaising with potential donors, co-financiers, and other potential contributors to mobilize resources for implementation of quick win areas.

Desired Knowledge, Skills, and Abilities
Masters degree in international affairs, public policy, public health, or related degree, plus at least 10 years of relevant experience.
S/he is a results oriented strategic thinker with demonstrated experience in running programmatic, financial, and management aspects of a complex global organization.
S/he is an entrepreneurial leader who has experience working internationally, specifically in the developing world, and is keenly aware of the emerging issues in global health.
S/he is a superb communicator with the ability to inspire partners and stakeholders to rally around the vision of ICT4SOML.
S/he will play the role of a convener and will shape what the members of these communities think about the mHealth field.
S/he will have the ability to connect with and engender trust from the mHealth Alliance’s constituencies and partners – including executive leadership, Boards, and staff, to build the relationships necessary to yield greater impact.
Significant professional experience in low and middle-income countries.
Self-starter with the ability to take on multiple projects simultaneously while adhering to tight deadlines in a dynamic and fast paced environment.
 
Demonstrated leadership ability to drive projects from conceptualization to inception to implementation.
Demonstrable expertise in and knowledge of mHealth, particularly in low and middle-income countries.
Ability to build positive and productive relationships to gain consensus and engage people and institutions towards improving the impact of ICT4SOML and the Alliance.
Must be able to work collaboratively in a team environment, co-coordinating competing priorities to achieve goals in a timely fashion.
High degree of professionalism, along with excellent, persuasive verbal and written skills required with advanced knowledge of and proficiency in the MS Office Suite.
Excellent written, verbal, and interpersonal communication skills.

Method of Application:
A suitability statement and CV should be sent to [email protected]. Please include “ICT Pillar Lead for Saving One Million Lives” in the Subject line of the email.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Closing date 1st March 2014.