Background: Over the past 81 years, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) has developed unparalleled expertise in helping people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. 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 and focus on reproductive, maternal, and child health; mental health; nutrition; and health systems. IRC is also engaged in direct provision of health care, safe drinking water and sanitation support to beneficiaries where needed. In 2015, IRC health programs supported catchment areas of more than 21 million people across sub-Saharan Africa, Asia, and the Middle East.
Country-based health staffs are supported by a 50-member health technical unit that contributes to the effectiveness and comprehensiveness of IRC primary health care programs through technical support, staff development, and institutional learning. The Technical Advisor for Implementation Research will be a key member of the health unit, supervised by the Senior Technical Advisor for Health Research. The health research team is also part of IRC’s Research, Evaluation, and Learning Unit.
Job Overview/Summary: The Technical Advisor, Research provides technical support for IRC country programs on applied, evaluative, and implementation research and manages research partnerships with academic institutions. Research may focus on impact evaluation or implementation, including factors affecting implementation, the processes of implementation, or the results of implementation. Research conducted will help to improve effectiveness and efficiency of IRC programs.
Major Responsibilities:
- Provide timely and adequate technical support to designated country health programs, including literature reviews; guidance on formative research, process evaluations, participatory action research, service quality monitoring and improvement or other types of implementation research. This may involve: calls and e-mails with country programs to develop and review research protocols, budgets, and reports; field visits to support research activities including training of staff and supervision of data collection; liaison with colleagues in the health unit, country management (primarily country director and deputy director of programs), regional offices (primarily deputy regional director for programs and program officers), and other technical units regarding research management.
- Manage research partnerships with academic institutions for a designated portfolio of research projects in coordination with specialized sectoral (nutrition, reproductive health, child health, etc.) technical advisors, grants team members, and cost-effectiveness team members.
- Liaise with health unit information management team and Research, Evaluation, and Learning unit teams as needed for research project management.
- Support designated country programs in the recruitment of research staff (particularly for expatriate positions), and contribute to the development of field staffs through training, mentoring, and other guidance.
- Assist country programs in disseminating results of implementation research including in country to partners, and through peer-reviewed publications and conferences.
- Attend relevant technical meetings and workshops and keep health unit colleagues up to date on latest developments in implementation research.
- Provide general technical support on program development, monitoring, and evaluation to selected country programs if needed.
- 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.
- 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.
- Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.
Job Requirements:
- Education: Master of Public health, PhD preferred, in public health or equivalent
- Work Experience: At least 5 years experience in public health, and at least two years in developing countries and relevant research
- Field Experience: At least one year field experience in humanitarian setting
- Technical Expertise: Demonstrated technical expertise in conducting research including both qualitative and quantitative research methods with experience in more than one of the following areas: drug management, child survival, primary health care, reproductive health care, nutrition, health systems strengthening, environmental health. Experience training and supervising field teams, project management, and history of publication of results.
- 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 required, and French proficiency strongly preferred
Work Environment: Expected Travel 40% of the time.
IRC leading the way from harm to home.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer.
IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability.
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