Background: The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933, the IRC is a prominent international organization working in relief, rehabilitation, protection, post-conflict development, resettlement services and advocacy in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities.
Health programs represent the largest single sector within which IRC currently operates, constituting approximately 45% of the international budget and with activities in 25 countries. IRC health programs worldwide are implemented in partnership with Ministry of Health and/or non-governmental organizations. IRC is also engaged in direct provision of health care, safe drinking water and sanitation support to beneficiaries where needed. Currently, IRC supports or manages 75 hospitals, 1,256 health centers and 788 health posts through a network of over eight hundred public health and clinical staff employed by IRC country programs. The facility based care is complemented by community level primary health care work implemented by about 9,000 community health workers.
Country-based health staffs are supported by a health technical unit that contributes to the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of IRC primary health care programs through technical assistance, staff development and institutional learning. The unit currently has over 40 clinicians and public health and environmental health professionals on the staff, including experts in child health, reproductive health, nutrition, disease control, information management and technology, research and quality assurance. The Technical Advisor, Health is a key member of the health unit’s country support team.
Job Overview/Summary: The Technical Advisor, Health serves as the primary source of health technical support for designated IRC country programs and interfaces between the field staff in the designated countries and the health unit. The position works in collaboration with the Technical Advisor, Environmental Health in the designated countries as one country support team.
Major Responsibilities:
1 Provide timely and adequate technical support to designated country health programs, including guidance on overall health program planning, health assessments, project/program design, fund-raising, project monitoring and evaluation, and service quality monitoring and improvement. This will involve: monthly call with country health teams; at least one visit a year to each supported country; liaison with colleagues in the health unit and country management (primarily country director and deputy director of programs). 2 Link the field staff with the relevant subject matter specialist technical advisors when relevant, and facilitate the work of the subject matter specialist technical advisors in the designated country programs. 3 Support designated country programs in the recruitment of senior health team members (particularly for expatriate positions), and contribute to the development of field staffs through training, mentoring, and other guidance. 4 Assist country health teams to document and share lessons learned and best practices, including inputs on health program reports and technical publications. 5 Serve as an alternate resource for IRC headquarters and technical units for information on designated country health programs, particularly for external communication, advocacy and fundraising purposes. 6 Initiate and lead special initiatives in the health unit, and participate in joint initiatives with other IRC technical units as agreed upon by the supervisor and senior health director 7 Represent the health unit and the IRC in academic forums, donor meetings, inter-agency working groups, and various global/regional forums as assigned by the supervisor and senior health director. 8 Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Job Requirements:
- Education: Clinical degree with a Master of Public health or equivalent
- Work Experience: At least five years of experience in public health, including at least two years in developing countries in a senior technical or management position
- Field Experience: At least one year field experience in humanitarian setting
- Technical Expertise: Demonstrated technical expertise in more than one of the following areas: primary health care, child health, reproductive health, health systems strengthening, research and evaluation; and demonstrated experience in project design, proposal development and fund raising
- Team work: Able to work with remote, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams
- Communication Skills: Excellence in writing and presentation
- Training Skills: Able to transfer technical knowledge and skills
- Language Skills: English and French proficiency is a must
Working Environment:
- Standard office work environment
- Travel 30 – 40% of the time
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