Systems Strengthening & Transition Specialist At The Center For Clinical Care And Clinical Research

Slot: 3

Reports To: State Program Manager with technical oversight from the relevant Technical Advisors

Job Purpose

• The System Strengthening Specialist will provide technical support to strengthen government capacity, institutional ownership, and community systems to facilitate the transition to a sustainable, government-led health response.
• The Specialist will work closely with state and LGA government institutions, health facilities, community structures, and project technical teams to strengthen government systems, institutionalize key program functions, improve facility - community linkages, and support sustainable mechanisms for service delivery, referral, follow-up, accountability, and community engagement.

Key Responsibilities

Government Systems Strengthening and Transition:

• Support assessment of government institutional capacity and development of joint capacity-strengthening and transition plans with state and LGA authorities.
• Support alignment of project activities, workplans, and technical assistance with government priorities, plans, budgets, policies, and existing coordination structures.
• Facilitate the progressive transfer of skills, tools, functions, systems, and accountability from project-supported mechanisms to government structures.
• Support government counterparts to strengthen planning, coordination, supervision, performance monitoring, data use, and accountability for priority health services.
• Facilitate joint reviews, mentoring, coaching, and problem-solving sessions with government stakeholders to strengthen institutional performance and ownership.
• Track government transition and sustainability milestones, identify risks and gaps, and support timely corrective actions.
• Support documentation of government commitments, institutional improvements, transition milestones, lessons learned, and evidence of sustained government ownership.
• Work closely with technical, Strategic Information, finance, supply chain, laboratory, community engagement, and government counterparts to ensure that transition is integrated across program areas.

Community Systems Strengthening:

• Map and engage relevant community structures, networks, organizations, leaders, and service delivery platforms to strengthen sustainable community participation in the health response.
• Strengthen linkages between community structures, health facilities, LGAs, and government systems for screening, referral, linkage, follow-up, retention, and continuity of care.
• Support government and community teams to strengthen community-based approaches for demand generation, service uptake, follow-up, and access to essential health services.
• Coach and mentor community teams and facilitate effective coordination between community structures, health facilities, and government counterparts.
• Strengthen community feedback, accountability, and learning mechanisms to improve responsiveness and quality of services.
• Monitor community service data, referral completion, follow-up, and identified service delivery gaps, and support data-driven corrective action.
• Support integration of sustainable community systems and platforms into government planning, coordination, supervision, and accountability mechanisms.
• Document community systems strengthening achievements, lessons learned, risks, and sustainability measures.

Transition Monitoring, Learning and Reporting:

• Maintain accurate evidence and documentation for government capacity-strengthening, community systems, and transition milestones.
• Contribute to state-level transition plans, action trackers, progress reviews, reports, and sustainability assessments.
• Identify operational and institutional risks that may affect continuity of services and coordinate appropriate mitigation measures.
• Support documentation and dissemination of good practices, lessons learned, and scalable approaches for government and community systems strengthening.
• Participate in relevant government, partner, technical working group, and stakeholder meetings.

Minimum Qualifications and Experience

• Bachelor's Degree in Public Health, Community Health, Public Administration, Health Policy, Social Sciences, Development Studies, or a related field. A master's degree in a relevant discipline is an advantage.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant experience in health systems strengthening, government engagement, institutional capacity strengthening, community health, or public health programming.
• Demonstrated experience working with state/LGA government structures and community systems in Nigeria.
• Experience supporting government-led transition, institutionalization, sustainability, or capacity-strengthening initiatives is highly desirable.
• Experience strengthening facility - community referral, linkage, follow-up, and accountability systems is an advantage.
• Experience working across multiple stakeholders and multidisciplinary teams in a health program environment.

Core Competencies:

• Strong understanding of health systems strengthening and government-led programming.
• Strong community systems strengthening and stakeholder engagement skills.
• Excellent analytical, communication, facilitation, coaching, and problem-solving skills.
• Ability to use routine program data to identify gaps, inform decisions, and drive corrective action.
• Strong relationship-building and coordination skills, particularly with government and community stakeholders.
• Ability to translate capacity gaps and transition priorities into practical, measurable actions.
• Strong documentation, reporting, and organizational skills.
• Ability to work effectively in multidisciplinary teams and manage multiple priorities.
• Commitment to government ownership, sustainability, community participation, and continuity of essential health services.