Over 80 years ago, Albert Einstein helped create the International Rescue Committee. Today, we are a leading humanitarian and development organization working in more than 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future.
Position Summary:
IRC is seeking a Team Lead for an FCDO funded 3/4 year project in Pakistan. The Program aims to strengthen Pakistan’s healthcare system to deliver quality services and prevent deaths from communicable diseases and preventable maternal and newborn deaths in Punjab. The outcomes to be achieved under this program are:
Output 1: Strengthened integrated health security, with a focus on preparing and responding to health emergencies, including pandemics.
Output 2: Enhanced information systems and capacity for evidence-based decision-making to drive health sector performance and accountability.
Output 3: Improved implementation of Universal Health Coverage, with a focus on ending preventable deaths.
The Team Lead will be responsible for delivering the outcomes in ToR and for providing strategic oversight, direction, and accountability to FCDO. They will ensure that the proposed project is implemented in accordance with the contract, and internationally recognized quality of assistance standards. The Team Lead will provide FCDO project updates, discuss strategies, obstacles,performance plans, and monitoring and evaluation. The Team Lead will work closely with IRC Pakistan country program, regional, and HQ leadership to ensure that the project is implemented in accordance with IRC policies and principles. This position is contingent on the IRC being awarded funding and is anticipated to begin in October 2023.
Job Responsibilities:
• Provide strategic and technical leadership and direction, define, and implement activities to achieve project goals and objectives.
• Provide progress reports on the workplans and agreed-upon action to FCDO through formal and informal debriefings, annual and semi-annual reports.
• Maintain active and cooperative relationships with all key stakeholders, including government officials, consortium partners, other implementing agencies, and related institutions.
• Represent the project and IRC and ensure the distribution of information about project achievements and lessons learned.
• Supervise the development of the program’s annual workplan, including identifying the consultant and resource needs for the agreed scopes of work.
• Prepare for and attend Steering Committee meetings and other national health sector coordination mechanisms.
• Collaborate with the Program Management team to define the scope of work for consultants once they are approved by the Steering Committee.
• Develop, review, and monitor in coordination with key project staff, annual workplan and performance plans to ensure long-term and short-term priorities are on track.
• Oversee technical direction and project delivery to ensure activities are in line with the performance framework and meet all standard operational policies and procedures.
• Support project staff by creating and maintaining a work environment that promotes teamwork, trust, and mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility.
• Responding to government requests in a timely manner
Requirements:
• Advanced degree (master’s or doctorate) from an accredited university in health, international development, or related field.
• Evidence of 15 or more years of experience of work in the health sector and health systems with successful delivery outcomes.
• Expertise and experience in leading and managing similar health system technical assistance programs in decentralized political settings.
• Ability to create cohesion between provincial and federal levels of government stakeholders based on a strong understanding of the decentralized health governance system.
• Deep understanding of health policy processes, political economy, and health governance in Pakistan’s context. (Punjab desirable)
• Knowledge of universal health coverage and social health insurance systems.
• Previous experience managing FCDO-funded programs and commercial contracts against milestones/deliverables.
• Strong negotiation skills and the ability to develop relations with local counterparts, donors, and other stakeholders.
• Demonstrate innovation and success in staff capacity-building and in participatory, flexible, and gender-sensitive programming and implementation.
• Strong communication skills, both oral and written,
• Fluency in English is required and proficiency in Urdu is strongly preferred.
• Experience in strategic management in health care and health policy in mixed public/private contexts and quality assurance of health care systems.
• Public sector experience in donor funded health programs; and delivering high level performance.
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.