National Partnership Officer

Job Summary

The National Partnerships Officer (NPO) supports New Incentives’ national partnership and stakeholder engagement efforts, helping to build and sustain durable working relationships with government institutions, development partners, international and local NGOs, and other stakeholders across Nigeria’s routine immunization (RI) ecosystem. As an important day-to-day representative of New Incentives, the NPO helps ensure the organization is a credible, useful, and consistently present participant in the national RI system.

The role requires a strong understanding of Nigeria’s RI system and of demand creation, demonstrated experience engaging with the National Primary Health Care Development Agency (NPHCDA) and its Routine Immunization Working Group, and the ability to build productive, durable relationships with government and development-sector stakeholders. The NPO reports to and supports the Expansion Director, keeping stakeholders well informed and helping to ensure that value flows in both directions.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Stakeholder engagement and relationship management

• Build and maintain productive working relationships with government officials, development partners, INGOs, NGOs, and other stakeholders, and support engagement with NPHCDA, Federal Ministry of Health institutions, and state health authorities.
• Participate in meetings, workshops, technical working groups, and forums as delegated, helping keep New Incentives consistently present where the RI agenda is discussed.
• Represent New Incentives professionally in technical and program-level engagements, communicating its mission, evidence, and value proposition accurately to technical and non-technical audiences.
• Maintain regular communication and appropriate follow-up with key stakeholders, keeping them informed of what New Incentives is doing and learning.
• Build credibility and trust through consistent, professional, and responsive engagement, and ensure all engagements reflect New Incentives’ values and policies.

Partnership development support and mutual value

• Identify organizations and stakeholders whose priorities align with New Incentives’ programs, and support the Expansion Director in identifying, developing, and tracking partnership opportunities.
• Conduct stakeholder and partner research and prepare briefs, concept notes, presentations, proposals, and other partnership documents.
• Coordinate introductory meetings, follow up with prospective and existing partners, and track discussions, commitments, and agreed-upon actions.
• Support the practical exchange of data, field observations, and learning with government and partners in ways that genuinely strengthen routine immunization, in line with data-sharing standards.

Stakeholder Intelligence and Documentation

• Develop a strong understanding of key stakeholders’ roles, priorities, interests, and areas of potential collaboration, and maintain an up-to-date stakeholder database and contact map.
• Identify stakeholder concerns, opportunities, and emerging issues; when concerns are raised, seek to understand them, communicate them to the Expansion Director, and help close the loop once they have been considered. Escalate sensitive or strategic issues appropriately.
• Document key interactions, commitments, and follow-up actions; prepare regular updates and briefing notes; and monitor relevant developments in government, partners, and the immunization sector.

Routine immunization and demand-creation knowledge

• Apply knowledge of Nigeria’s RI system and demand creation, including factors affecting caregiver demand, access, and uptake, to support effective engagement and remain aware of national and state priorities and developments.
• Participate meaningfully in RI technical discussions and support the Expansion Director in communicating New Incentives’ approach and evidence on demand creation.

Internal coordination

• Work closely with other teams to support coordinated partnership activities and prepare for stakeholder engagements.
• Ensure information shared externally is accurate, consistent, and aligned with New Incentives’ objectives, and communicate stakeholder feedback and emerging issues to the Expansion Director and relevant teams.

Key Requirements

Education and Work Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in public health, health sciences, social sciences, development studies, business administration, or a related field; a relevant Master’s is an advantage.
• At least 5 years’ substantive experience in routine immunization, primary healthcare, public health, health systems strengthening, or a closely related field.
• Demonstrated experience working with or alongside NPHCDA, particularly the Routine Immunization Working Group, with a strong grasp of the national RI stakeholder landscape.
• Strong working knowledge of Nigeria’s routine immunization system and of demand creation for routine immunization.
• Experience within, or working closely with, an international NGO, development organization, or government institution, and experience engaging health-sector stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to build and maintain professional relationships and to communicate clearly with technical and non-technical audiences.
• Experience representing an organization in meetings, workshops, or technical forums.
• Experience in the Nigerian health and development sector is strongly preferred.