Deputy Team Lead - HeRON

Job Description

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 40 countries and in 22 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

CONTEXTUAL BACKGROUND

The IRC has been present in Nigeria since 2012 when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state. In February 2014 the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected populations. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja and field offices in Mubi and Yola of Adamawa State, Maiduguri and Monguno of Borno state and Damaturu of Yobe State. Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs primary health care, nutrition, environmental health, women’s protection and empowerment, protection, child protection, education, food security & livelihoods

Job Overview/Summary

HeRON Project Overview

Health Resilience of Northeast Nigeria (HeRoN) is a consortium 2 year consortium project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from May 2022, being implemented by The International Rescue Committee (IRC) as the lead agency with other partner being Action Against Hunger (AAH) and Society for Family Health (SHF) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states. The project is supporting delivery of quality integrated primary healthcare, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services and improving evidence-based decision making, accountability at all levels of service delivery. The consortium partners are working with the local government health authorities (LGHA), state primary health care development agencies, state contributory health care schemes, hospital management boards and state ministries of health in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States to design and implement effective primary health care services, contributing towards the health system resilience and universal health care coverage. The project holds that sustainably improving access to quality primary health care and nutrition services will ultimately build the resilience of the health system in the targeted states, contributing to better health outcomes. HeRoN is offering a holistic response, adaptive and inclusive programming for women, men, boys, and girls including people living with disabilities by supporting the government health systems.

Job Overview

The Deputy Team Leader (DTL) reporting to the Team Leader will provide technical, financial and operational management oversight to the HeRoN project in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa, and ensure effective collaboration with all consortium members over the remaining 1 years of the project period

Scope of Work

- IRC is seeking a dynamic and experienced health and governance professional to provide program management and technical leadership. - Reporting to the Team Leader, the Deputy Team Leader (DTL) will be responsible for directly working with the technical coordinators of the project consortium members (IRC, ACF and SFH) with particular focus on program quality and reporting as well as for ensuring an aligned approach across the consortium and LGA authorities to design and deliver health system strengthening components of the project. - In consultation with the Team Leader (TL), the DTL will regularly coordinate with states and LGA government authorities, development actors and stakeholders. This position will be based in Maiduguri, Borno State, with regular trips to the field.

Major Responsibilities

Program Management, Technical Quality, Strategy and Advocacy

Management:

- Develop, review, and monitor in coordination with key project staff, annual work and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track - On a day-to-day basis, manage financial and operational support to optimize resources through sound budgets and consistent financial tracking - Coordination with technical leads of the 3 consortium partners (technical program reporting) - Manage the reporting process, including coordination with internal and external stakeholders in accordance with contractual requirements - Maintain active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, project partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions - Support project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility; Matrix manage a core project team to ensure that the project deliverables are met - Contribute to the development of field staff through training, mentoring, and assisting with professional advancement - Ensure that the health system strengthening (HSS) aspects of the program are implemented according to defined work plans in order to achieve program deliverables. Through strong planning and monitoring, identify potential obstacles to programmatic success in a timely fashion, and implement corrective actions as needed - In consultation with the TL, develop a clear strategy to enhance program complementarity and synergy across all major donor funded health and nutrition programs within target areas. - Introduce quality assurance initiatives to address efficiency, effectiveness, or compliance concerns.

Technical Support and Coordination:

- Develop a strategy for mainstreaming governance principles and processes aimed at increasing participation, responsiveness, and accountability in the delivery of reproductive, maternal, neonatal and child health services - Track project indicators and support eventual revision of the project logical framework as needed - Responsible for overseeing the overall quality of service provision and ensuring that implementation strategies across technical areas reflect governance principles and best practice - Provide leadership in the development or adaptation of service delivery models / systems, especially organizational development of LGA Primary Healthcare Departments (PHD), and implementation of social accountability approaches, to allow for greater participation and responsiveness of the health system - Provide leadership in analyzing and providing strategies to improve the management of the health system at the LGA PHD and facility level, notably planning, budgeting, human and financial resource management - Provide capacity assessment, capacity-building, monitoring, and implementation support to other technical specialists, to ensure equitable access to health services and that spaces for user voice and mechanisms to respond effectively are strengthened - Identify, document, and disseminate best practices in systems strengthening - Work in close collaboration with other technical specialists to ensure integrated programming.

Coordination & Representation

- Advocate and collaborate with MoH, SPHCDA, local authorities, and CSOs to incorporate best practices and international standards in service delivery - Establish and maintain collaborative relationship between IRC and other partners - Provide expert contribution to the development or adaptation of national policies, guidelines and standards that promote quality service provision in Northeast Nigeria that is accessible, responsive, and accountable to citizens, and allows their voices to be heard.

Key Working Relationships

Position Reports to: Team Leader – HeRON Consortium

Indirect/Technical Reporting: Consortium finance manager, Pharmacy procurement manager, M&E Senior Manager, SBCC specialist

Position directly Supervises: Consortium Senior managers and Health Governance manager

Key Internal Contacts:

Technical Advisors (HQ), Supply Chain Managers, Grants Managers

Key External Contacts: Implementing partners, Donors, UN Agencies, States and LGAs Officials

Qualifications

Education: Master’s degree in relevant Health related subject, (MPH), MSC in development, policy, governance, Public Administration

Work Experience:

- At least three years’ experience in design and implementation of health system strengthening (HSS) programs in developing countries, insecure environments and areas affected by crisis. - At least two years’ experience in project management, working directly with national, state, and/or local health actors to strengthen the quality and responsiveness of services.

Demonstrated Technical Skills:

- Demonstrable technical expertise and working in a health system strengthening project Excellent monitoring and evaluation skills - Excellent coordination and networking skills

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

- Demonstrable technical expertise and working knowledge in advocacy, HSS and health governance; Technical skill in participatory processes, and methodologies, preferably in a conflict or post-conflict environment, preferably Africa - Demonstrable technical expertise in public finance and public sector management and especially as applied to a health system context - Experience running large, geographically dispersed teams and working in tandem with local and international partners - Proven track record of successfully providing technical assistance Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills with evidence of ability to productively interact with a wide range and levels of organizations (government, private sector, NGOs, research institutions) - Demonstrated good judgment and decision-making skills - Excellent IT skills (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint) - Ability to handle a large and dynamic workload, work under pressure and meet deadlines - Previous work experience in Africa, field experience in Nigeria is preferred - Strong internal and external communications skills, experience with advocacy an advantage

Languages:

- Fluency in English (spoken and written)

Computer/Other Tech Requirements:

- Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.

Ability to Travel: 30% of time

Standards of Professional Conduct: The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Harassment-Free Workplace, Fiscal Integrity, Anti-Retaliation, Combating Trafficking in Persons, and several others.

Gender Equality****: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols and other supportive benefits and allowances.

**Working Environment*****:*** This position is based in Maiduguri.

IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants based on merit, without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability, or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.