WOS Health Advisor

Job Description

Position: WoS Health Advisor

Location: Amman, Jordan with potential travel [1]

Duration: 12 months, contingent upon receipt of donor approval and funding

Reports to: WoS Deputy Country Director

About Relief International:

Relief International is a leading nonprofit organization working in roughly 20 countries to relieve poverty, ensure well-being and advance dignity. We specialize in fragile settings, responding to natural disasters, humanitarian crises and chronic poverty. Relief International combines humanitarian and development approaches to provide immediate services while laying the groundwork for long-term impact. Our signature approach — which we call the RI Way—emphasizes local participation, an integration of services, strategic partnerships and a focus on civic skills. In this way, we empower communities to find, design and implement the solutions that work best for them.

About the context and RI role:

Reporting to the Syria Deputy Country Director (DCD), the hub team lead (HTL) oversees the implementation, coordination and administration of all aspects related to ongoing program activities in Syria from the relevant hub including planning, organizing, staffing, leading, and ensuring quality implementation of program activities. The HTL will be overall in-charge and leader at the hub level and is responsible for day to day management functions and overall management of all Syria related staff and cross border programs. At every hub level, a separate/distinct country mission will/may also exist which will be managed by an individual SMT lead by respective country director for that mission. The HTL is expected to understand and be able to manage in remote management setup in addition of being able to comply and coordinate with the Country Directors of the respective country missions. These requires a clear understanding for the sensitivity of carrying out cross border programming from a host country and being under the legal umbrella of the affiliated hub.

Position Summary:

Reporting to the WoS Depurty Country Director (DCD), the health advisor will be overall responsible to provide strategic leadership and coordination to the humanitratianhealth and nutrition sector response for Relief International operations through existing two hubs and potential two hubs. Health advisor will be responsible for ensuring appropriate coordination between health staff in all hubs. The health Advisor will also ensure that effective coolobaoration is maintained for advocacy, technical cooperation, program coordinations , information sharing and knowledge networking among RI cross border hubs. He/she will provide technical oversight, guidance and advice to the implementing health and program teams based in all hubs. The health advisor will be accountable for the agreed health outcomes and overall health objectives. Reporting to DCD, the health advisor will ensure robust health sector interventions, update Syria SMT on health sector progress, issues and challenges and support the hub based health teams in implementing uniform system for implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the WoS health sector interventions.

Position Responsibilities and Duties:

Program Management

• Strategic direction and overall supervision and successful implementation of the health sector.
• Support in development and updating work plans and support health tehnical and program team in project management according to health sector outputs and results.
• Technically oversee the health teams of expatriate and/or national staff to complete health sector goals on time and on budget
• Routinely evaluate activity progress, conduct on track/off track assessmentsand determine necessary actions to course correct where needed
• Oversee the preparation and submission of technical program reports that are timely and meet institutional and donor requirements.
• Work constructively with hub based support teams to ensure sound administrative practices with regards to record keeping (health data and activity related documentations), compliance with donor regulations, communications, etc.
• Ensure that the hubs and WOS SMT receive an overarching snapshot on achievements across the WoS through regular reports and presentations, including trends, challenges, opportunities, and recommendations for sector improvements/adaptations.

Technical Direction

• Review the short and long term plans for delivery of project services, and provide guidance to the hub based health sector staff, health facility staff and/or local partners to improve planning, management and delivery
• Implement/improve WoS health monitoring systems and record keeping methods that support internal and donor reporting as appropriate
• Support hub based health teams in clinical audits to assess status of health and nutrition services, quality of medical supplies and facilities, and on-site health information systems. Provide a summary of recommended areas of improvement, areas of success, and lead the commencement of an action plan with hub based health sector staff to evolve and make positive systems improvements where needed
• Provide direction to hub based health team during outbreaks of disease or other health emergencies to ensure rapid response.
• Monitoring and evlaution of programme performance is properly undertaken for adjustments, acceleration and improvement of program delivery. Uniform and standardized systems and processes are followed among all hubs health teams.

Capacity Building

• Assess the status of current health program, structure, functions and standards and devise a health program quality improvement plan in close coordination with hub team leads
• In collaboration with hub team leads and hub based health leads, set individual capacity building goals/indicators for hub based health staff
• Set up standardized and unifrm health program improvement indicators and implement health program improvement plan for each hub

Representation

• Develop and maintain relatioships with WoS health working group, health sector NGOs, donors, and other stakeholders, with the objective of representing Relief International Syria mission, ensuring visibility, raising issues from the field and building partnership to augment the work of hubs.
• Seek out relevant networks on specific health-related humanitarian aid and advocacy issues.

Qualifications & requirements:

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.

Compulsary :

• A medical doctor with advanced degree in a health or nutrition field (M.P.H; MSc health policy and Management; MS epidemiology; MS global health, etc) in addition to experience managing grants or donor-funded projects;
• Minimum of seven years professional experience in lead management implementing emergency response programs, preferably in a conflict setting;

• Experience managing and coordinatin emergency/rapid responses – outbreaks, population displacement etc.;
• Advanced skills in leadership, coordination, representation, planning, assessment and project management;
• Excellent interpersonal, communication, public speaking, and strategic planning skills required;

· Knowledge of humanitarian principles, Sphere and HAP Standards;

· Strong English language skills (writing and speaking) required;

• Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, tasks efficiently;
• Excellent time management skills and resourcefulness with strong attention to detail;

Desirable:

· Previous experience of working in consortium is highly desirable.

· Experience is Middle East context desirable

· Experience managing OFDA, ECHO and UN grants

· Arabic language skills

RI Values:

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities. We value:

• Inclusiveness
• Transparency and Accountability
• Agility and Innovation
• Collaboration
• Sustainability

[1] Travel is required to all active hubs as well potential hub (inside Syria) depending on security clearance

About the Organization