CGPP Niger - Deputy Director and Technical Lead

THIS POSITION IS STRICTLY FOR LOCAL NATIONALS IN NIGER.Position Title: Deputy Director and Technical Lead, CORE Group Partners Project (CGPP) NigerHiring Organization: CORE Group, to be paid from the USType of Employment: Fulltime consulting contractorDuration of Contract: April 13, 2026 – September 30, 2026 (with the possibility of extension)Duty Station: Niamey, Niger (with frequent travel to project-supported regions)Reports to: Secretariat Director, CGPP NigerBACKGROUNDThe CORE Group Partners Project (CGPP) is a multi-country, multi-partner initiative that provides on-the-ground technical assistance and guidance to support host country efforts to eradicate polio and strengthen immunization systems. CGPP works across four technical areas – polio, nutrition, maternal and child health, and global health security – through existing networks of international and local NGOs operating in hard-to-reach areas with low immunization coverage. At the country level, a secretariat coordinates the work of CGPP partner organizations in a manner that complements the efforts of all implementing partners. CGPP supports the national action plan for polio eradication and national health strategies by expanding access to essential lifesaving health services, enhancing outbreak preparedness and response, and promoting child and family health through integrated community-based interventions.PURPOSE OF THE POSITIONThe Deputy Director and Technical Lead (DD/TL) is the secretariat’s chief technical officer and second-in-command to the CGPP Niger Secretariat Director.The DD/TL will:* Provide overall technical leadership for CGPP Niger’s integrated portfolio in polio and routine immunization, community-based disease surveillance (CBS), maternal and child health (MCH), and nutrition. * Ensure that program design and field implementation are evidence-based, aligned with national policies and global guidance, and responsive to community and health system needs. * Support the Secretariat Director in managing partnerships, strengthening secretariat operations, and ensuring high-quality implementation, monitoring, reporting, and learning across all CGPP Niger partners.KEY RESPONSIBILITIESThe DD/TL will be responsible for the following:TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP AND STRATEGIC DIRECTION* Guide CGPP Niger’s technical priorities and strategic plans to strengthen AFP and priority disease surveillance, supplemental and routine immunization, and integrated MCH and nutrition services at community and facility levels. * Ensure alignment of CGPP interventions with national policies, GPEI guidance, and CGPP global frameworks. * Provide high-level technical guidance to secretariat and partner staff on polio and routine immunization, MCH, nutrition, CBS, priority zoonotic diseases (PZDs), vaccine-preventable diseases (VPDs), and outbreak readiness and response. * Support the Secretariat Director in defining priorities for geographic and thematic expansion, including integration of MCH and nutrition in new regions and health districts.PROGRAM DESIGN, PLANNING, AND IMPLEMENTATION* Lead and coordinate technical input into the development of annual and quarterly workplans and budgets, ensuring realistic, measurable and integrated activities across technical areas. * Provide regular field-based technical support and supportive supervision to partners and field teams in target regions and health districts. * Ensure integrated planning and joint implementation (e.g., linking immunization outreach, CBS, MCH services, nutrition screening, and health messaging). * Monitor adherence to approved workplans and budgets and recommend timely programmatic adjustments in collaboration with the Secretariat Director. * Support readiness and rapid response during cVDPV/wild polio outbreaks and other public health emergencies, including coordination of NGO networks and rapid response teams as needed.MONITORING, EVALUATION, ACCOUNTABILITY, AND LEARNING (MEAL), SURVEILLANCE, AND DATA USE* Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure robust indicators, tools, and processes for monitoring integrated interventions and community-based surveillance (polio, VPDs, PZDs, and other priority conditions). * Support data quality assurance (DQA), regular data review, and learning meetings, and promote systematic use of data for adaptive management and decision-making at all levels. * Contribute to operational research, documentation of lessons learned, success stories, case studies, and at least one technical article or conference presentation per year, where feasible.CAPACITY BUILDING, SUPERVISION, AND MENTORING* Assess technical capacity needs of secretariat and partner staff and develop targeted capacity-building plans for polio and routine immunization, CBS, MCH, nutrition, and MEAL. * Review and approve technical training plans, curricula, and job aids developed by secretariat and partner staff. * Organize and facilitate trainings, workshops, on-the-job coaching, and mentorship for secretariat technical staff, partner staff, and community-level workers. * Provide supportive supervision to assigned technical staff and ensure a culture of teamwork, learning, and accountability.PARTNERSHIP MANAGEMENT, REPRESENTATION, AND COORDINATION* Support the Secretariat Director in maintaining strong working relationships with MOH at all levels, GPEI, UN agencies, NGOs, civil society, and key stakeholders involved in polio eradication, routine immunization, MCH, and nutrition. * Represent CGPP Niger in relevant technical working groups, coordination mechanisms, and partner/donor meetings at national and subnational levels, as delegated. * Serve as a technical resource person for donors and partners on CGPP Niger’s work in polio, MCH, and nutrition. * Act as Officer-in-Charge in the absence of the Secretariat Director, as requested.MANAGEMENT, BUDGETING, AND REPORTING* Contribute to the development of the annual secretariat workplan and budget; monitor implementation to ensure activities and expenditures are on track; work with finance staff to review financial reports and recommend corrective action where necessary. * Support the Secretariat Director in overseeing partner field operations to ensure technical quality and adequate capacity building. * Lead or contribute to preparation of high-quality quarterly, semi-annual, and annual technical reports, as well as ad hoc donor and government reports. * Participate in recruitment, onboarding, and performance management of secretariat technical staff, as requested by the Secretariat Director.COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT AND CROSS-CUTTING PRIORITIES* Promote meaningful community engagement, risk communication, and social behavior change strategies that are culturally appropriate and conflict sensitive. * Ensure that safeguarding, protection, and “do no harm” principles are incorporated into program design and implementation.KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, AND ABILITIES* Strong technical expertise in at least two of the following areas: * Polio and routine immunization * Community-based surveillance of infectious, outbreak-prone, zoonotic, and other priority diseases * Maternal and child health (MCH) * Nutrition (including community-based approaches) * Excellent strategic thinking, analytical and problem-solving skills, with ability to interpret and use data to inform programmatic decisions. * Proven ability to provide high-quality technical assistance, mentoring, and capacity building to diverse teams. * Very good relationship management skills; ability to work effectively with government counterparts, UN agencies, NGOs, community leaders, and donors. * Strong organizational skills and ability to manage multiple priorities and deadlines under pressure. * Excellent written and oral communication skills, including the ability to prepare high-quality reports, technical briefs, and presentations. * Proficiency in MS Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Teams) and familiarity with online/web conferencing platforms. * Experience with basic data analysis software is an advantage.QUALIFICATIONSEDUCATION* A clinical degree (MD/MBBS) and/or a master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, infectious diseases, health systems, nutrition, social sciences, or a related field. A PhD is an added advantage.EXPERIENCE* Minimum of 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in public health programming, including significant technical experience in polio and routine immunization and at least one of the following: community-based disease surveillance, MCH, and nutrition. * At least 4 years in a senior technical and/or management position (e.g., technical lead, program manager, deputy director) supervising multidisciplinary teams. * Demonstrated experience managing or providing technical oversight to donor-funded projects (e.g., DOS, CDC, foundations) and in working with international NGOs and local civil society partners. * Proven field experience in complex, fragile, or conflicted-affected settings, preferably in Niger or the Sahel region. * Experience with community-based surveillance, immunization system strengthening, and integrated primary health care at community and facility levels.LANGUAGES* French (Required): Advanced professional proficiency required, with the ability to communicate effectively in meetings, presentations, and written reports with government counterparts, donors, and implementing partners. * English (Required): Advanced professional proficiency required, particularly for engagement with international stakeholders, donors, and regional or global coordination platforms. * Hausa and/or Zarma (Preferred): Working proficiency strongly preferred to support engagement with regional authorities, frontline health workers, community leaders, and local partners. * Knowledge of additional local languages is an added advantage.TRAVEL REQUIREMENTS* Willingness and ability to travel frequently (up to 30-50% of time) to project regions and health districts, including remote and insecure areas, following organizational safety and security protocols.WORKING RELATIONSHIPS* Internal: Secretariat staff (e.g., Secretariat Director, technical advisors/focal persons, MEAL Officer, finance and operations teams), implementing partner staff, CGPP Global HQ team, and other CGPP country secretariats. * External: Ministry of Public Health (MSP) at the national, regional, district, and community levels; UN agencies; international and local NGO partners, CBOs, and community structures; donor representatives; and other stakeholders relevant to polio, routine immunization, MCH, and nutrition.Disclaimer: This job description is not an exhaustive list of the skill, effort, duties, and responsibilities associated with the position.HOW TO APPLY* Interested candidates can apply by March 30, 2026, by sending an expression of interest letter and an updated CV to [email protected]. * Please title your email “Niger Secretariat Deputy Director application”. * This position is strictly for local nationals in Niger.