Health Officer

Job Description

ORGANIZATIONAL DESCRIPTION: ---------------------------

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster, including the climate crisis, to survive, recover and gain control over their future Founded in 1933, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees and people forced to flee from war or disaster. IRC has been working in Ethiopia since 1999 and is implementing integrated, community-managed programs aimed at improving the quality of lives and recovery of livelihood of the disaster-affected population’s through promoting individual participation, strengthening institutions, and emergency response.

Program background: -------------------

The IRC health program in Ethiopia currently implements activities in different settings: Emergency Response Mechanism (ERM), a refugee health program that is involved in delivery of community based reproductive health services in 7 refugee camps as well as HIV/AIDS prevention activities in 8 refugee camps; Sexual and reproductive health projects in Oromia and a child survival community-based treatment program in the Somali and Benishangul-Gumuz. Community surveillance of Vaccine preventable diseases and priority zoonotic diseases in same regions above including Gambella. Currently IRC started a new project funded by EUTF (EU Emergency Trust Fund for Africa) aiming at Promoting stability and strengthening basic service delivery for host communities, refugees, and other displaced population in Gambella National Regional State of Ethiopia. The objectives of EUTF project are to improve access to and quality of health services, including sexual and reproductive health and gender-based violence services, trauma healing, for host communities, refugees, and other displaced people and to promote peacebuilding, conflict prevention and reconciliation/resolution.

Scope: -----------

The Health Officer is accountable planning, implementation, and monitoring of the EU Trust fund project in the assigned woreda. The position needs strong communication, coordination, and representation with host government Zonal, Woreda health structures and partners.

Responsibilities: ---------------------

Technical

- Ensure that the goals and objectives of the project are met as per the project work plan. - Liaises and creates strong linkages between zonal health department, Woreda Health Office, health facilities and Woreda stakeholders in the targeted area. - Represent IRC in health coordination meeting, workshops, task force meeting in the woreda. - Help in facilitating and conducting different workshops and trainings for Woreda health staff as per the project description. - Provide mentorship and encouraging supervision for health facilities on quality of service. - Lead all aspects of training of clinical services and ensure competency-based curriculums. - Ensure the distribution and proper use of medical equipment, non-medical equipment, supplies, and essential drugs to health facilities. - Identify gaps in terms of quality service provision and design intervention and develop action plans to handle activities and improve quality of service (eg gaps in medical equipment, supplies, drugs, human power, training etc) - Supervise quality standards through monitoring and conducting supervision of clinical services (eg. Ambulance utilization, client satisfaction, client records, provider-client interaction, management of stock, record-keeping, adequate infrastructure, functioning equipment) - Strengthen the referral linkage with the Health facility at community level in the respective woreda. - Advice and support the development of innovative local solutions for project related bottlenecks in the woreda and monitor the progress with interventions. - Routinely collect, compile, and organize data from monitoring and supervision activities and translate data into reports to be submitted to IRC field office regularly. - Reviewing clinical incidents including root cause analysis and action plan in collaboration with providers - Provide timely updates to service providers on clinical guidelines. - Timely submitting of any report related to the health program including emergency health situation and related factors in your local or their operation woredas, - Establish and adhere to supervision schedule.

Grant Management --------------------

- Assist Senior Health officer and Health and Nutrition Manager in managing program grant - Follow all IRC’S standard grant Management tools. - Raise PRs as required after discussion with colleagues. - Supervise woreda level expenditure monthly and report appropriately.

Monitoring and Evaluation -----------------------------

- In collaboration with Senior Health and Health and Nutrition manager, evaluate the effectiveness of the program and recommend changes in goals, objectives, intervention strategies, measurable outputs, and timelines. - Produce monthly activity reports and submit to IRC Field office. - Ensure that all tools and formats are accurately prepared, recorded and kept. - Accurate documentation of data at Health facility and woreda level

Other duties ----------------

- Any other relevant activities or duties as deemed by supervisor.

Qualifications

Education and experience ------------------------

- BSC in public health/nursing with at least three years working experience. - Two years relevant experience plus post graduate degree. - NGO experience a plus. - Experience working in RMNCH preferable. - Good project management skills, ability to plan, coordinate and monitoring of implementation of emergency health services, RMNCH activities.

- Experience in coordinating and facilitating training - Excellent written and spoken English

Competencies

- In addition to IRC core values/proficiencies: diligence, attention to critical details, a strong sense of work priorities and resourcefulness in acquiring and researching meaningful information. - Dedication and commitment to work under stress; Self-motivated, transparent, highly responsible, and punctual. - Meets timelines for all reporting and delivery of outputs; Results-based demeanor, as well as excellent organization skills are a MUST. - Strong computer skills, with a good knowledge of MS Office Windows (Word, Excel, Access) - Proven behavior of professional and personal ethics, transparency, and willingness.

Personal specifications ---------------------------

- Ability to work under pressure, long work hours and high workload. - Excellent communication skills-verbal and written ones. - Self-motivated, transparent, highly responsible, and punctual. - Ability to work as part of a team as well as to work autonomously when required. - Ability to constructively address gaps and weaknesses. - motorbike driving skill/experience and license is advantageous