Big Opportunity: Community Engagement and Referral Specialist at Jhpiego Nigeria – 3 Openings

Abuja Ebonyi Kebbi

Jhpiego, an Affiliate of Johns Hopkins University, is a global leader in improving healthcare services for women and their families.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Community Engagement and Referral Specialist

Job ID: 2025-7424
Locations: Abuja, Birnin – Kebbi and Abakaliki, Ebonyi
Category: International Positions
Employment Status: Full-Time

Overview

  • The MCGL/RISE Integrated Health Project Community and Referral Specialist/s will play a crucial role in strengthening community engagement and ensuring effective referral pathways for pregnant women, newborns, and children under five years old within the project areas.
  • This position will be responsible for building and maintaining relationships with community leaders, community health workers (CHWs), and health facilities to improve access to quality MNCH +Nutrition services including malaria where applicable.
  • S/he will also focus on enhancing demand creation activities, promoting healthy behaviors, and supporting the identification and referral of vulnerable populations thereby strengthening community-facility linkages for a seamless access to life-saving quality health services.
  • Additionally, where required, S/he will be responsible for coordinating and supervising sub-awards to indigenous implementing partners leading MCGL/RISE community engagement efforts.

Responsibilities
Community Mobilization and Engagement:

  • Develop and implement community mobilization strategies to promote awareness of MNCH + Nutrition +Malaria services and encourage service utilization, including antenatal care, skilled birth attendance, postnatal care, immunization, nutrition and malaria.
  • Establish and maintain strong relationships with community leaders including women and youth, religious leaders, and other key influencers to foster community ownership and support for the project.
  • Work with existing community governance structures and committees such as Ward Development Committees (WDCs), to promote MNCH +N practices and monitor progress.
  • Identify and address community-specific challenges and barriers to accessing MNCH + N services.

Strengthening Referral Pathways:

  • Develop and maintain a comprehensive referral network of secondary healthcare facilities, including primary health centers, hospitals, and specialized clinics.
  • Strengthen referral linkages between communities and healthcare facilities to ensure timely access to appropriate care.
  • Support training of CHWs and other relevant community members on referral protocols, documentation, and follow-up procedures.
  • Establish and maintain strong relationships with health facility staff, including CHEWs, CHWs, midwives, nurses, and doctors, to facilitate smooth referrals.
  • Monitor referral completion rates and identify bottlenecks in the referral system, working with relevant stakeholders to address them.

Advocacy and Networking:

  • Advocate for improved access to MNCH +N services at the community and local government levels.
  • Participate in relevant MNCH +N working groups and forums on behalf or Jhpiego
  • Build relationships with other organizations, community-based organizations, faith-based organizations, and civil society groups working on working in the MNCH +N sector
  • Facilitate regular multi-stakeholder meetings that promote inclusive participation and shared decision-making at the community level

Training and Capacity Building:

  • Contribute to the development and implementation of training programs for CHWs, healthcare providers, and community members on relevant MNCH +N topics.
  • Facilitate trainings and workshops and mentorship to CHWs on MNCH +N topics, including antenatal care, safe delivery, newborn care, immunization, nutrition, and malaria.
  • Support the development and implementation of community-based health education programs.

Data Collection and Reporting:

  • Collect and analyze data on community engagement activities, referral patterns, and MNCH +N service utilization.
  • Prepare regular reports on progress towards project targets, including key indicators such as antenatal care coverage, skilled birth attendance rates, and immunization coverage.
  • Maintain accurate records of community mobilization activities and training sessions.
  • Contribute to the development of project reports and presentations.

Other Duties:

  • Participate in project planning meetings and contribute to the development of project work plans.
  • Support the monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
  • Perform other duties as assigned by Supervisor.

Required Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s Degree in public health, Nursing, Midwifery, Community Health, or a related field. A Master’s degree is preferred.
  • Minimum of 6-7 years of experience in implementing community-based MNCH programs in Nigeria.
  • Proven experience in working with Community Health Workers (CHWs), strengthening community health systems and building relationships with community leaders.
  • Strong understanding of MNCH_N challenges and opportunities in Nigeria.
  • Experience in data collection, analysis, and reporting.
  • Excellent communication, interpersonal, and facilitation skills.
  • Ability to work independently and as part of a team.
  • Proficiency in using Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint).
  • Fluency in English and the local language of the assigned location (Ebonyi, Kebbi, or FCT Abuja) is required.
  • Experience working with US-funded projects is an advantage.

Working Conditions:

  • Primarily field-based position with minimal office time (85% field work)
  • Extensive travel within assigned communities, including remote and difficult-to-access areas

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should:

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