South Sudan: Maternal and Child Health Coordinator

BACKGROUND:

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.

On December 16, 2013, heavy military exchanges occurred between rival SPLA factions in Juba (Central Equatoria State). The fighting and violence quickly spread to other states in South Sudan, trapping thousands of civilians in Unity, Lakes, Upper Nile, and Jonglei States in UN bases or makeshift IDP settlements. Despite the signing of a cessation of hostilities agreement, fighting has continued between Government and opposition forces, resulting in mass displacement. The security situation remains fragile and testing operational challenges abound. IRC operates in five of South Sudan's ten states with programming in several sectors, including health, nutrition, protection, water and sanitation, food security and livelihoods, as well as women's empowerment and gender-based violence.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Child Health program which is implemented through Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) program aims to decrease the high child mortality and morbidity rates in South Sudan with the integrated management of childhood illnesses (malaria, diarrhea, pneumonia and acute malnutrition) by trained community-based health volunteers. Since 2005, the IRC has led the implementation of iCCM in South Sudan and now manages the largest iCCM program in the country with over 3000 community-based health volunteers.

The Maternal Health program is implemented in an integrated approach with most of the interventions embedded as a component within the existing Health and Women's Protection and Empowerment (WPE) projects. The Reproductive Health (RH) interventions aims to reduce the high maternal and infant mortality rates and to support survivors of Gender Based Violence (GBV) to access necessary clinical care.

The MCH Coordinator is responsible for overseeing the implementation of all of the IRC's Child Health and RH programming in South Sudan. S/he will provide technical and managerial leadership to the iCCM and RH programs and ensure all activities are of high quality. S/he will ensure program delivery is on time and on budget, as well as ensure special initiatives, expansion and scale up efforts align with Health specific and overall country program strategies.

This position is based in Juba with regular travel to the field. S/he will report to the Senior Health Coordinator. The MCH Coordinator will also work jointly with the Senior Health/HPF Coordinator on multi-year projects and research initiatives.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

Program Management & Development

• Provide strategic direction, leadership and overall technical and management support to the RH and iCCM programs in South Sudan.
• Lead design processes that ensure new or adapted programming for the maternal, child and community health sectors focusing on harmonizing best practices, improved impact and integrated approaches.
• Ensure that the MCH program is utilizing standard protocols, policies and guidelines as prescribed by the Ministry of Health (MOH) and WHO.
• Work collaboratively to integrate MCH with other program sectors where appropriate, particularly with the nutrition, HPF, child protection and women's protection and empowerment programs.
• Work in partnership with the Senior Health Coordinator to support aspects of the strategic direction and leadership of the maternal and child health programming guiding linkages and integration within the overall health sector.
• Ensure that proposed emergency RH interventions are guided by the MISP (Minimum Initial Service Package for RH in Crisis Situations), including the following services/activities: Facility deliveries, Emergency Obstetric Care (EMOC) or referrals for EMOC, Early neonatal care, Family Planning, Post-Abortion Care, Screening of blood donors and safe blood transfusions, Clinical Care for Survivors of Sexual Assault (CCSAS), antenatal and post-natal care services;
• Manage partnership with prime recipient of key grants; work in collaboration to align donor requirements to MCH best practices; coordinate with finance and monitoring and evaluation units on budget issues and reporting; diplomatically balance role as iCCM technical lead with prime's role as consortium-led grant management.
• Continue to explore and develop new strategies that support adapted maternal and child health programming implemented in emergency settings and camp-based contexts.
• Manage large, complex, multi-donor budgets that support both iCCM and Nutrition programming, as well as support operations in up to six sites; oversee monthly BVA meetings, semi-annual budget realignment exercises, and monitor burn rates that align with donor expectations.
• Conduct monthly meetings with Senior Health Coordinator and relevant senior staff to provide regular updates on spending (BVAs, burn rates), progress of achievements against set targets, program challenges and successeses, as well as ways forward for on-going implementation.
• Coordinate and manage all grant reporting for program in with inputs from multiple iCCM and Health program managers and advisors; work in collaboration with grant and finance teams to meet all reporting requirements and deadlines in a timely manner.
• Provide strong leadership and guidance for dynamic complex drug and supply management system across multiple program levels to ensure best practices and donor compliance.

Technical Assistance and Capacity Building:

• Support the program managers and field teams in the implementation and monitoring of the work plans ensuring that activities reflect the commitments IRC made to the donor and the community; support and facilitate the development with effective work, spending, procurement, and training plans.

• Provide technical support to Field Coordinators supervising program staff in various field sites to ensure program implementation aligns with grant timelines and targets.

• Undertake RH capacity-development activities/training for RH and clinical health staff; and work closely with the health managers to build their capacity to oversee RH activities.

• Oversee the program's monitoring and evaluation mechanisms focused on strengthening data collection, information sharing, and data management systems; provide direct support to the M&E Manager in the overall M&E strategy, tool development, and efforts to improve data quality.

• Analyze health data collected from the field to obtain evidence based trends in diseases and track program progress against set targets; lead and support program managers to utilize data for informed decision making on program direction.

• Support quarterly data analysis review meetings with the Senior Health Coordinator, M&E Manager, and key health team members to direct the utilization of evidence for program decisions.

• In coordination with the primary health team, coordinate and plan visits from the Health Technical Unit providing support for Reproductive Health, child health, M&E and pharmaceutical management.

• Liaise regularly with the relevant Health Technical Advisors on special projects and research iniatives.

Operational Research, Surveys and Assessments:

• Work closely with M&E Managers and Health Program Managers to design, facilitate, and implement regular quality of care assessments in each field site.
• Continue working in partnership with UNICEF, both locally and globally, to lead innovative operational research initiatives on the role of iCCM in emergencies; support field-based qualitative and quantitative research in emergency areas; assess adapted iCCM models for feasibility and effectiveness in emergency contexts.
• Oversee the design, implementation, and evaluation of operational research on Rapid Diagnostic Test (RDT) use by community-based health volunteers.
• Coordinate client responsiveness initative focused on developing community-based feedback mechanisms; oversee pilot initative with internal and external data collection; support field teams in implementing and learning from pilot process as well as developing plans for long term integration into project design.
• Support the emergency preparedness and planning process with guidance and tools for assessing maternal and child health needs in changing humanitarian settings.
• Work in partnership with the Nutrition team and Health Technical Unit to design and implement operational research related to integrating nutrition services into iCCM models.

Representation and Coordination:

• Oversee the program's role as iCCM technical lead within a consortium of implementing partners, key stakeholders, and the MOH; provide direct support in the overall technical assistance and capacity building role IRC holds with partners and the MOH to work towards harmonized policies and strategies based on best practices.
• Work in coordination with key consortium partners to provide technically sound perspectives and implementation strategies within the RH and iCCM/Child Health technical working group and relevant community health forums.
• In coordination with the health team, actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders in South Sudan including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors.
• Represent the RH and iCCM programs with national authorities, non-state actors, UN agencies, NGOs, and donors.
• Upon request by the Senior Management Team, organize and facilitate field visits for stakeholders interested in MCH programming in South Sudan.
• Coordinate with field teams, supply chain, and logistics departments on major procurement and pharmaceutical management.

Staff Supervision:

• Provide on-going training, technical support and guidance to the program managers and advisors.
• Manage recruitment of international staff for key technical position within the iCCM program; work in partnership and coordination with Field Coordinators in the recruitment of technical program managers based in the field sites.
• Work in collaboration with program managers to recruit, train and supervise national staff.
• Provide on-going mentoring and training for international and national staff.
• Conduct annual and semi-annual performance reviews for technical staff, often in collaboration with Field Coordinators in relevant field sites.

JOB REQUIREMENTS:

• Graduate degree in relevant field required (public health, global health, international development with specific health focus/experience).
• Demonstrated qualifications and experience in program design, monitoring and evaluation of health programs, and provision of technical assistance; experience working in community health preferred.
• At least 5 years overseas professional experience working for an international NGO or equivalent in a program management capacity; experience working in a humanitarian setting preferred.
• Demonstrated strengths in project management, capacity building, and grant reporting; experience with operational research design and implementation preferred.
• Experience working in partnership and coordination with the UN, donors, INGOs, MOH, and other stakeholders.
• Previous experience working with low-literacy and illiterate staff and beneficiaries preferred, particularly in relation to training and health promotion strategies, materials, and tool development.
• Experience in coordinating, implementing and managing reproductive health programs in emergency contexts and/or refugee settings;
• Experience in technically supervising reproductive health staff in a complex setting;
• Thorough understanding of gender-based violence response protocols and service provision;
• Excellent analytical and written skills.
• Excellent working knowledge of computer software packages; previous experience with District Health Information System (DHIS) database packages preferred.
• English fluency; strong interpersonal and intercultural communication skills.
• Ability to work well both within a team and independently.

WORK ENVIRONMENT:

Security level yellow - standard precautions apply. Concerns include common criminality, presence of armed troops, and tribal violence.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=a2F0cmluYW1pbGxlci41ODAzMC4zODMwQGlyYy5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20