Senior Programme Manager – Nigeria (SEMA Reproductive Health) At Amref Health Africa

About SEMA Reproductive Health

Shaping Equitable Market Access for Reproductive Health – SEMA Reproductive Health – is a new, innovative partnership that aims to transform sexual and reproductive health (SRH) markets so that people everywhere have sustained access to comprehensive, quality, and affordable SRH products. It emerged from a collective reflection by partners that although we have made tremendous improvements in SRH markets, we need to do business differently moving forward.

SEMA is being incubated within Amref Health Africa to rapidly scale and deliver quick wins from the get-go and will spin out to form an independent entity once established. It is overseen by a small governing body (currently 5 voting members) that includes country leaders and donors. And it leverages a Technical Oversight Committee of a diverse group of experts from various countries for strategic and technical advice.

Role Overview & Responsibilities

The role of the Senior Programme Manager is an opportunity for a passionate, strategic, diplomatic, and entrepreneurial individual to support and collaborate with the Nigeria Country Lead in the development and implementation of SEMA’s programmes and initiatives in Nigeria. These two staff will work closely with local partners, government, civil society, private entities, technical experts, and implementers to develop and refine Nigeria’s SRH market strategy and identify how SEMA can support achieve this vision. The Senior Programme Manager will be responsible for developing and overseeing local investments and partnership to ensure excellent programme implementation, including adherence to SEMA’s funding modalities and processes. S/He will also represent this work internally and externally with partners to advance the mission, promote continuous improvement, and shape SEMA’s broader market agenda within the ecosystem.

Key Activities

Reporting to the Nigeria Country Lead, this individual will have the following responsibilities:

Strategy (20%)

• Provide assistance to the Country Lead in positioning SEMA as a go-to strategic partner and resource to the country government and local partners to understand and tackle SRH market challenges
• Engage local partners and leverage data and analysis to support the development of an evidence-based, country-specific SRH market strategy
• Share emerging country market priorities to inform SEMA’s broader strategy to enhance the ecosystem

Programme/Investment Design & Oversight (60%)

• Identify investment opportunities, scope the opportunities, and identify recipients, potentially with an independent technical review panel and consultation with local stakeholders
• Align any activities or investments (e.g., market data, technical assistance, product introduction, etc.) with other donors (e.g., USAID, UNFPA, GFF) to support the strategy development and execution
• Establish and oversee country-specific work plans, including budgets, monitoring, learning, and evaluation

Partner Management/Communication (10%)

• Represent SEMA’s work with partners internally and externally to advance the mission
• Ensure effective and timely communication and engagement with local partners, stakeholders, and donors
• Share lessons learned and best practices in market shaping from the country with SEMA and local partners to advance the field

Organizational Effectiveness (10%)

• Work with the broader Management Team to launch, grow, and scale SEMA to become a $200m+ organization that can change SRH markets worldwide so that people everywhere have access to the products they need and want to control their health and future

Qualifications

The ideal candidate should have a proven track record of successfully leading and managing programmes, including experience in strategic planning, budgeting and financial management, monitoring and evaluation, and partner engagement. Strong knowledge of SRH market systems, and experience in engaging with government, civil society, private sector, and technical partners is required.

In addition, the candidate should have excellent leadership, management and communication skills, and be able to work effectively in a team environment. Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as the ability to think strategically and creatively, are essential. The candidate should also be fluent in English and have excellent written and verbal communication skills. Strong IT skills, including proficiency in MS Office and experience with project management software is highly desirable.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree or higher in Public Health, International Development, Business Administration, Social Sciences or a related field. Master’s degree is ideal.

Experience

• 10-15 years of professional experience working in global health/development field
• At least 3 years of experience in sexual and reproductive health
• At least 3 years working in the field of market shaping. More than 5 years of experience working in market shaping is desired.