Systems Strengthening & Transition Specialist

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.

Application Closing Date
19th October 2026.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

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