Short Term Health and Nutrition Coordinator- Maternity Cover (6 months) At International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) 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, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The International Rescue Committee has been working in Somalia since 2006, providing essential services to conflict and disaster affected communities. The IRC has been operational in Central Somalia (Mudug and Galgadud regions) and Mogadishu implementing interventions in the areas of livelihood, WASH, Governance and peacebuilding, GBV, Nutrition, education and health reaching out to more than 200,000 conflict and drought affected people.

JOB OVERVIEW

This is a senior management position responsible to oversee the overall health and nutrition programming in Somalia, i.e. primary healthcare, nutrition services, community health, reproductive health including Family planning and health system strengthening. In close collaboration with the Deputy Director for Programs and the Country Director, the Health and Nutrition Coordinator (HNC) will provide strategic leadership and technical support to all aspects of the health and nutrition programs.

The HNC will contribute to the identification of programmatic priorities, design and direction and participate actively in the health and nutrition clusters, health sector coordination forums, other agencies and existing IRC programs.

In addition, the Health and Nutrition Coordinator will look into integration opportunities with the health program as well as with other IRC programs and ensure that the health and nutrition programs are implemented in accordance with IRC Somalia Strategic Action Plan (SAP), the Outcome Evidence Frame Work (OEF) and related Theory of Changes (ToC) and international health/Nutrition protocols, guidelines and best practices.

This position reports to the Deputy Director for Programs, while the Deputy Health and Nutrition Coordinator, Senior/ Health manager, Senior Nutrition Manager, Community health manager and Nairobi based Health Program Assistant will report to the Health and Nutrition Coordinator.

MAJOR RESPONSIBILITIES:

Design programs and projects, ensuring that they are:

• Aligned with the IRC’s 100 strategy, which includes contextualizing outcomes and the theories of change, and selecting interventions based on the best available evidence and the local context;
• Responsive to client needs and preferences,
• Based on sound context and gender analysis

Select of indicators which are measurable

• Work with the Health and nutrition key staff and write technical narrative proposals of good quality, including
• technical strategies, interventions and activities and ensuring alignment to IRC’s outcomes,
• In collaboration with Key health and nutrition team develop expenditure plans, review Budget vs. Actual expenditure for all the grants monthly and take necessary actions
• In collaboration with the Key staff, ensure the set data collection, data compilation, timely preparation and submission of all external and internal reports including weekly DHIS, donor’s reports and other associated weekly, biweekly, monthly, quarterly, final, and special reports.
• Participate in grant opening meetings, mid-term and closing meetings

Building technical capacity of Key Health and Nutrition program staff to ensure ongoing program quality and innovation:

• Conduct technical training and ongoing technical coaching for Key program staff, including on IRC outcomes, theories of change, evidence, and indicators
• Support key country program health and nutrition staff recruitment and onboarding when need be.

Project delivery support:

• Work with key staff to help analyze data that inform periodic review and course correction as needed
• Review and share program-specific tools / resources / and work with Technical Advisors to contextualize and adapt global and country-specific materials
• Help define approach to teaming / partnering with other organizations

Management and Coordination:

• Establish solid relationships and effectively collaborate with the Ministry of Health of the Somalia Federal Government as well as regional states.
• Coordinate and attend key meetings including Health and nutrition clusters, Reproductive health working group, and any relevant technical meeting planned internally /externally.
• Provide necessary management support to any direct report.

Program quality and impact evaluation

• Take an active and hands on role in assessing impact and changing trends, advising on appropriate interventions and implementation where necessary and regularly review these against forecasts and action plans to enable integrated planning.
• Responsible for developing clear exit strategies from the current emergency program ensuring that it links into recovery and longer-term HEALTHs programming.
• Learn the new impact evaluation methodologies and consider the application of these methodologies in health and nutrition programs and projects.
• Develop a monitoring and evaluation mechanism for quality control of environmental health interventions

Human Resources Management

• 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.
• Discuss job expectations and set objectives for direct reports, and provide appropriate and timely feedback regarding performance, including timely implementation of the annual staff performance management system.
• Clearly define the training needs of direct reports and ensure they are able to access training and professional development resources appropriate to their skill gaps/needs.

Job Qualifications:

• Education: MD/RN or equivalent with a Master’s/post-graduate degree in Public Health or equivalent.
• Work Experience: A minimum of 5 years of international field experience, of which at least 3 in managerial/coordination positions with Non-Governmental Organizations in humanitarian or post-conflict settings.
• Experience in technical tools and materials development and monitoring and evaluation is highly desired. Experience in strategy development and working across sectors or disciplines is highly desired.
• Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Demonstrated expertise in working with donors, project design, proposal development, and monitoring and evaluation, with the ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action. Able to work with remote, multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary teams.
• Strong interpersonal verbal and written communication skills and ability to facilitate collaboration. Outstanding capacity and be able to quickly understand the country context, portfolio, and overall programmatic needs, and pull and coordinate the relevant technical assistance from within and outside the health and nutrition unit. Ability to transfer technical knowledge and skills.
• Demonstrated commitment to staying informed and up to date with best practices.
• Language Skills: Fluency in English and proficiency in Somalia is an advantage.
• Working Environment: Up to 40% travel will be required depending on the security situation in Somalia. This position will be based in Mogadishu.