Health Coordinator, OPT (Head of Department) At International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees delivers lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC began planning to reopen an oPt country program in mid-2022 and launched an emergency response in Gaza in October 2023. The organization is currently supporting a network of local partners in both Gaza and the West Bank to sustain critical health (including SRH, WASH, and Nutrition,) as well as, and integrated with protection, cash, education, and early childhood development interventions. The IRC is also deploying emergency medical teams (EMTs), from Cairo to Gaza to provide surge clinical capacity in hospitals and other health facilities.

The IRC is working to scale its emergency response while building a longer-term oPt country program. This effort is being jointly managed by the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with the goal of eventually transition the country program fully under the MENA region.

Position overview

IRC seeks a dynamic leader, program strategist, and team builder to fill the Health Coordinator role. Under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP) and with technical support from global and Regional Advisors, the Health Coordinator will lead and oversee the IRC’s direct and partner-led health programming in Gaza and the West Bank.

The Health Coordinator will identify specific growth and business development opportunities for the IRC including managing existing and future partnerships and developing strategic plans for the country program for scalable, high impact programming. The Health Coordinator will identify specific opportunities for local partnerships and NGOs with a partner-first approach. They will serve as the key liaison with local and international implementing partners, the Health Cluster, SRH and Nutrition Cluster as appropriate, and other cluster coordination platforms, municipalities, and governmental partners and other stakeholders.

Responsibilities

Program Strategy

• Provide strategic direction and overall technical and management support to direct and partner-led health programs in oPt, inclusive of both emergency response, post-conflict recovery, and transition to longer term programming with business continuity and health systems strengthening.

• Advise and assist in designing new programs and co-designing with partners, including identifying business development opportunities, supporting the conceptualization/design of program activities, drafting or providing substantial input into technical proposals, concept notes, designing M&E systems, and budgets for international donors, and responding to any requests for additional information from the Health Unit or the Emergency Humanitarian Action Unit as needed.

• Ensure that partnership considerations are incorporated in program design and proposal development and that partners are proactively engaged in program development efforts. Ensure appropriate budget resourcing for partner projects.

• Refine a comprehensive strategic approach to health, in collaboration with other sector leads, as well as multi-sectoral programming with Protection, Education and Child Development, and Cash and Basic Needs.

• Provide overall managerial oversight and leadership for the health department, including overseeing operational functions for achieving the project’s goals, and budget management.

Program Quality, Management and Implementation

• Responsible for project coordination with partners and direct program implementation in line with the response strategy and IRC international priorities, frameworks, and policies.

• Provide technical leadership and direction for health activities, in accordance with the Outcomes and Evidence Framework (OEF); define and implement context-appropriate activities to achieve the greatest coverage and impact possible for both immediate support to people affected by conflict in oPt.

• Directly participate in Partner Capacity Analysis (PCAs) and the subsequent development of partner support plans for program activities

• Develop any required standard operating procedures and program guidance in line with the IRC’s internal policies and global program standards.

• Work closely with Supply Chain colleagues for the targeted, high impact procurement of medications and medical supplies, as needs dictate.

• Ensure regular communication with other program Technical Coordinators and regional-based Technical Advisors for Health, ERD, Protection, and Education to integrate appropriate technical unit priorities, the latest evidence, and best practices in program design and implementation.

• Adapt IRC direct implementation tools and systems for partner use in line with identified needs and requests.

• Work with IRC staff and partners to generate better contextual understanding by conducting required needs analysis, IPC assessments, health facility assessments, and other sectoral assessments to inform quality activity design and share with other humanitarian actors.

• Collaborate with key staff of other technical sectors to prepare strategic work-plans with clear objectives and achievement benchmarks, long-term and short-term priorities, implementation plans, and tools for evaluation, including indicators.

• Ensure program implementation is on time, with target goals and budget management, using effective monitoring and evaluation systems and adaptive management principles to reach desired impacts.

• Ensure program activities adhere to standard operating procedures and exhibit strong quality controls while being responsive to client feedback.

Equitable Partnerships

• Champion a culture of effective and respective partnerships across emergency responses. Promote partner-led programming in line with IRC’s “why not partner?” approach.

• Identify and develop partnerships with local and international implementing partners as appropriate for program design and service to clients based on IRC’s PEERS standards of equal and effective partnership.

• Working closely with the Partnership team, ensure adequate support to partners to facilitate quality program implementation and provide capacity development and technical advice, where needed.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development

• Lead the recruitment of new Health program staff and ensure they have the knowledge and resources to succeed in their work, including orientation and onboarding.

• Oversee project implementation team and ensure that all staff are following work plans and Health project activities and outcomes are completed as planned.

• Oversee the development and implementation of staff technical capacity building and professional development plans that promotes a culture of learning and continuous training.

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.

• Provide continuous performance feedback to staff; identify performance issues and work with staff and Human Resources to document and address issues in a timely manner.

• Provide trainings to Health and other IRC staff and partners on IPC best practices, and other relevant knowledge.

Coordination & Representation

• Represent the IRC’s health programming at technical working group, cluster, and other inter-agency forums, as well as with donors.

• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key collaborators including government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.

• Regularly attend relevant cluster and working group meetings at appropriate levels.

• Seek out donor opportunities in line with health strategy and priorities.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL)

• Ensure that ethical and sound data collection and information management systems are in place for appropriate program analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy.

• Coordinate with the MEAL team to maintain an effective monitoring, evaluation, and planning system.

• Review partner technical tools, reports, and data; recommend adaptations or process improvements as required.

• Coordinate program evaluations and reviews ensure documentation of lessons learned informing reporting and program development, analyzing and sharing relevant information with the MEAL Coordinator, DDP and other colleagues as relevant.

• Support the MEAL Coordinator to develop any needed client responsive mechanisms.

• Use MEAL data to course correct in program implementation and troubleshoot.

• Collect lessons learned and implement in future endeavors.

Business Development and Grants Management

• In collaboration with grants teams, seek funding for emergency health programming.

• Identify gaps and needs in programming areas and proactively source funding.

• Facilitate co-design sessions that involve potential partners and are responsive to client needs.

• Develop concept notes and proposals related to Health programming expansion and continuation, including budgets, logical frameworks, theory of changes, and written narratives.

• Liaise with donors and seek out additional donors to facilitate program implementation in conjunction with implementing partners.

• Collect, compile and revise quality Health program reports and ensure timely submission in collaboration with the Grants team Provide up-to-date information on success stories to Comms and Advocacy team, and for compliance purposes with donors.

Professional Standards

• Ensure that gender, protection, and environmental stewardship are mainstreamed in all programming under direct responsibility.

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to senior management, and when liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.

• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

• Adhere to the IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies as a requirement of the IRC.

• Foster IRC’s Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion initiative for effective and quality program delivery.

Qualifications

• Medical degree or Masters in Public Health Required

• Minimum of six years of experience in humanitarian health programming in acute emergency and post-conflict recovery contexts.

• Demonstrated experience leading a team and building partnerships to achieve results.

• The ability to innovate and provide integrative multisectoral programming in collaboration with Protection, and ERD, ECD, in complex emergency and post-conflict contexts.

• Previous experience leading programming in complex emergencies and low-resource settings as well as ability to recruit, supervise, coach and mentor staff.

• Proven leadership and strategic planning capabilities, including budget management.

• Demonstrated knowledge of gender equality topics and proficiency in managing projects that mainstream gender considerations.

• Proven ability to work well in and promote teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure with professional grace.

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office suite, including Word, Excel and Outlook

• Demonstrated dedication to an anti-racist and Do No Harm approach, gender equality and inclusion, and cultural competency

• Fluency in English and Arabic required

Female candidates are highly encouraged

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.