Contract type: Individual Consultancy (full-time)

Location: Position will be based in Sokoto State

Duration: 12 months

Position Overview:

The Implementation Specialist is a representative of Laerdal Global Health, engaged by TAConnect LTD/GTE, to coordinate, support, and monitor the rollout of evidence-based interventions aimed at improving maternal and newborn outcomes.

The company

Laerdal Global Health (www.laerdalglobalhealth.com) is a not-for-profit company dedicated to ending preventable maternal and newborn mortality in low-resource settings. By 2030, we have a goal of helping save 550,000 more maternal and newborn lives every year. With our headquarters in Norway, we have multi-disciplinary teams in India, Tanzania, and Nepal.

PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION & TECHNICAL SUPPORT

The Safer Birth Bundle of Care (SBBC) Implementation Specialist is responsible for coordinating, supporting, and monitoring the rollout of evidence-based interventions aimed at improving maternal and newborn outcomes. This role works closely with health facilities, regional and national health teams, and partner organizations to ensure consistent, high-quality implementation of the SBBC package. The specialist provides technical assistance, builds capacity among healthcare workers, strengthens quality-improvement processes, and ensures data-driven decision-making throughout implementation

Program Implementation & Technical Support: 40%

• Support the implementation of the UNICEF EU SARAH project funded Safer Birth Bundle of Care project in Sokoto, Adamawa, and Kwara states.
• Lead and support the introduction, scale-up, and continuous improvement of the Safer Birth Bundle of Care across assigned facilities or regions.
• Provide hands-on coaching, mentorship, and supportive supervision to clinical staff on SBBC components such as evidence-based labor monitoring, emergency obstetric care practices, and respectful maternity care.
• Facilitate baseline assessments, readiness evaluations, and gap analyses to inform tailored implementation plans.
• Ensure alignment of SBBC activities with national maternal and newborn health (MNH) guidelines and facility-level workflows.

Capacity Building & Training

• Conduct training sessions, simulations, drills, and competency assessments for healthcare providers on essential SBBC practices and tools.
• Strengthen quality-improvement (QI) teams and support continuous QI cycles (e.g., PDSA cycles, clinical audits, and debriefs).
• Develop or adapt training materials, job aids, and implementation tools as needed.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning: 40%

• Support data collection, validation, and analysis for SBBC indicators and other relevant indicators; ensure accurate and timely reporting.
• Use facility data to identify bottlenecks and guide improvements in clinical practice and workflow.
• Document lessons learned, success stories, and implementation challenges, contributing to learning briefs and progress reports.
• Participate in facility review meetings, perinatal death audits, and collaborative learning sessions.
• Collect and disseminate evidence from ongoing SBBC implementation in Nigeria
• Develop, write, and edit research manuscripts in collaboration with project teams, integrating data analysis outputs, literature context, and methodological details.
• Lead and support the drafting, refinement, and formatting of scientific abstracts for conferences, ensuring clarity, coherence, and alignment with submission guidelines.

Stakeholder Engagement & Coordination: 20%

• Collaborate with facility leadership, district health management teams, national technical working groups, and implementing partners to ensure coordinated SBBC implementation.
• Advocate for adoption of best practices and promote a culture of safety, teamwork, and respectful care.
• Participate in planning and coordination meetings and contribute to strategic decision-making around SBBC scale-up.
• Explore new opportunities in the project states for potential scale-up and sustainability.

Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in nursing, Midwifery, Public Health, Medicine, or a related field (Master’s preferred).
• Minimum 3–5 years of clinical or public-health experience in maternal and newborn health settings.
• Demonstrated experience in program implementation, supportive supervision, and health worker training.
• Familiarity with quality-improvement methods and data-use strategies in healthcare settings.
• Proven experience in scientific writing, including development of abstracts and peer-reviewed manuscripts.
• Strong understanding of maternal and newborn clinical standards, emergency obstetric and newborn care (EmONC), and patient-safety principles.
• Excellent communication, coaching, and problem-solving skills.
• Willingness to travel frequently to health facilities.
• Knowledge of the local language (Hausa) will be an asset.

Key Competencies

• Clinical excellence in maternal and newborn care
• Training and facilitation skills
• Data analysis and data-driven decision-making
• Change management and systems-thinking
• Collaboration and stakeholder management
• Cultural sensitivity and commitment to respectful maternity care

Work Environment

This position is largely field based, with regular on-site visits to health facilities. Occasional travel for trainings, workshops, and coordination meetings is expected.