Job Description

Health Expert

Country Office: Ethiopia

Work Base: Addis Ababa_ with 25% – 50% field travel

Availability: As Soon As Possible

Contract Duration: 1 year with high possibility of extension

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply for this position.

 About Action Against Hunger

Action Against Hunger-USA is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. We save the lives of malnourished children and we enable entire communities to be free from hunger. With more than 8,000 staff in over 50 countries, our programs reached 17 million people in 2019.

About the Country Program in Ethiopia

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where Nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience.

Action Against Hunger currently operates in 5 different regions (Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz and Gambella) with a portfolio of 20m USD/year of emergency, resilience building, research and innovation programs. We have a country team of around 600 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2020/2021 are: BHA, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, WFP, CIAA and others.

General Assignments / Scope of the Role:

The Health Expert under the direct supervision of the Head of Department for Nutrition and Health, provides technical support to Action Against Hunger-Ethiopia mission in the operationalization of mainly health programs, provides capacity building to the nutrition and health staff under the department, assists in the development of a country strategy, coordinates with the Head of Department in the designing and formulation of health and nutrition related projects, liaises with various focal points at the Ministry of Health, Ethiopia and regional health bureaus with a focus on building partnerships and the mission’s portfolio on Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn, Child Health (RMNCH) programs, coordinates with project partners and stakeholders for efficient management and functioning of health programs and projects in the mission.

He/she will spend at least 25%-to-50% of time in the field and depending on the need and humanitarian response, it could be up to 80%. He/She is also expected to collaborate with the nutrition expert and other thematic area technical advisors based in capital office, with nutrition program managers, nutrition and health supervisors, field coordinators based in field level to ensure existence of functional and viable programmatic as well as operational coordination and integration between all Action Against Hunger programs (Nutrition and Health, WASH, FSL, MHPSS and MEAL).

Purpose

Design, develop, implement and evaluate health actions and programs.

• Assess and analyze the national health policy landscape and dynamics in Ethiopia and contribute to Action Against Hunger-Ethiopia mission country strategy development.
• Support the HoD in producing technical and strategic health program reports for internal and external communication purposes.
• Support and assist technically in the development of sound and quality health proposals and ensure proposals are Sex and Age Disaggregated Data (SADD) sensitive.
• Engage with the HoD and thematic area technical advisors to develop an integrated multi-sectoral proposals based emerging evidenced and guidelines and ensure effective implementation at field level.
• Develop health technical contents of SOPs for health programs and projects.
• Build capacity of field health staff on project implementation, reporting, with focus on high quality services.
• Conduct joint supportive supervision to the field teams with a focus on health programs on ground, provide formal trainings and OJT wherever required.
• Ensure that BoQs are prepared as per the latest information received from various bases and are prepared in line with standard templates to better inform project budget preparation.
• Conduct regular technical review of health work plans, project presentations, reports and other related documents received from base/filed team and provide timely feedback.
• Engage with other technical advisors based in capital level to develop a multi-sectoral project proposal based on emerging evidenced and guidelines.  
• Produce high quality, analytical project and programme progress update reports.
• Provides technical advisory support and consultation on medical treatment modalities within the health programs and projects.
• Closely support various bases in health project implementation, monitoring and effective delivery of health projects with the aim to ensure the quality benchmarks for health services are met and projects are implemented as per the standard guidelines and protocols.
• Regularly follow project budget utilization as per the latest information (BFUs) received from finance department and provide regular guidance and support to base team for efficient budget utilization.

• Identify programmatic challenges and bottle necks in the overall health programing approaches and suggest, propose and implement innovative rectifying measures in close consultation with HoD and sector heads .
• In case of any public health emergency in the country, will be in-charge of coordinating the entire emergency response at Mission level with support of other team members, including liaising with government officials, HEARO and other stakeholders, ensuring appropriate implementation of the emergency response on ground, regular documentation and reporting of the same.
• Support capital level pharmacy and drug management procedures and practices including planning, purchasing, quality assurance, transportation, utilization of drugs, medical items, nutrition commodities and supplies in line with SOPs and guidelines both at national and base level.

 Engagement;  

Foster External coordination, representation and communication in the field of Health.

•  Participate in and become member of TWGs in various sectoral and cluster based health coordination meetings.
• Participate and represent AAH as technical health expert and focal point in sectoral and cluster based health coordination mechanisms and task force meetings such as Health Cluster Coordination meetings, NGO health forums, UN and MoH sector and budget work planning sessions in close communication with the HoD for Nutrition and Health.
• Regularly and timely communicate to the HoD, thematic technical advisors, program managers, nutrition and health supervisors on standard operating procedures (SOPs), revised national strategies, guidelines, joint statements and recommended action plans related to health programs.
• ·      Produce and share sectoral and cluster based weekly and monthly health updates/ reports to respective coordinators and focal points as per standard guidelines and templets timely and in quality manner.
• Ensure validation of the technical parts of protocols, SOPs and MoU with local health authorities, partners and other organizations (MoH, RHBs, ENCU, WHO, UNICEF, UNHCR, WFP, Other donors etc.) when needed and ensure their consistency across all areas of operations.
• Participate in the collection of health program data from formal or informal meetings and platforms to inform the health needs in the country and in the mission, and propose actions (assessments, surveys, program implementation) accordingly.
• Advocate for implementation of high impact health strategies as well as interventions, generate prove of concepts and evidenced that could serve as an input for policy change and adaptation at national level.

Delivery:    

Overall management of the Health researches, Survey, Monitoring Evaluation Accountability and Learning (MEAL) activities:

•  Produce and submit periodic project update reports in line with standard donor templets and timelines and ensure that reports are Sex and Age Disaggregated Data (SADD) sensitive.
• Review and compile monthly health/RMNCH project APRs, provide timely feedback to nutrition program managers and make follow up on areas of improvement.
• Ensure the quality of health program data and utilization of it for internal programming, Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation purposes.
• Participate in the development and review of best practices, lessons learned and documentations on health programs and projects and ensure that all are reflected in progressive learning agendas and project designing exercises.
• Support MEAL team in system development, planning exercise and implementation activities.
• Participate and support in health data quality assurance and Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) initiatives together with MEAL team. 
• Provide support in the identification and articulation of health research, survey and assessment needs within and outside AAH operation areas.
• Together with the HoD and MEAL team ensure that all health program surveys, assessments and evaluations passed through relevant reviews and approval stages by various actors.
• Participate and collaboration with key governmental authorities (MoH) and other relevant groups (e.g. Academic institutes, nutrition agencies and other INGOs) during health researches, surveys, assessments and evaluations.
• Together with MEAL team, ensure that the research, survey, assessments and evaluation methodologies (sampling, questionnaires, etc.) and ethical considerations are used in the field are in line with defined approaches and protocols validated by relevant actors including academic institutes, EFDA, EPHI and MoH.
• Together with the MEAL team, act as a focal point for the dissemination of health information and research findings from surveys, researches, evaluations and assessments.
• Coordinate with MEAL team on appropriate health research and survey data analysis, result interpretation, timely internally and external validation, report writing and dissemination at national and sub national level.
• Conduct health program MEAL activities as requested by the HoD.

Coordinate within the AAH team and provide technical support and management to the Nutrition and Health team

• Ensure adherence to and standard practices of health projects in line with national guidelines, protocols and SOPs in all operational areas by all nutrition and health staff.
• Responsible to technically support health programming in AAH Ethiopia mission in close coordination with the HoD. 
• Collaborate and communicate with technical and support advisors, program managers, DCD, CD, and any other AAH resource persons in order to ensure the coherence of activities and reports.
• Informing/updating the HoD on assessment/survey implementation and any issues on a regular basis.
• Support and monitor the consistent applications of standard operating procedures (SOPs), revised national health strategies and policy, guidelines, joint statements and recommended action plans related to health programmes by all base staff.
• Participate in regular Grant Review and APR Meetings and provide updates on project implementation progresses and suggest and take doable action points to ensure timely and effective completion of health projects. 
• Participation in departmental coordination team meetings and in other general team or strategy meetings.
• Follow up of logistics requirements for routine health project activities, including health supply procurement, undertaking of health surveys in liaison with the logistics department and in collaboration with HoD, program managers as well as field coordinators.
• Provide periodic health project progress updates to HoD and collectively review project progress and produce progressive plan of actions based on the findings of the exercise. 
• Guide and technically assist Health care workers, program managers, and nutrition and health supervisors in preparation of project plans, organizing various high impact health trainings, periodic reports, budget management and preparation of project related documents.
• Support HoD in preparing, organizing and documenting health project documents, including project (grant) proposal, master beneficiaries and BoQ for each base.
• Provide capacity building trainings for government and project health staff on revised health guidelines and protocols.
• Provide regular post training follow up support and technical assistance to program managers and nutrition and health supervisors as well as government health program supervisors.
• Capacitate field team on skill based analysis and interpretation of health program data, reviewing APRs and providing timely feedbacks, and proposing recommendations when necessary.
• Support and ensure that health supplies and commodities such as essential medicines, medical equipment and supplies are available in all AAH bases and supply chain management is properly monitored to ensure continuity of essential health services in all operational areas.

 Supervisory Responsibilities

•  Acting as the direct technical supervisor for health program experts and staff in the mission and in selected operational area in the absence of HoD at capital level and nutrition program managers at base level.

 Gender Equality Commitments  

• Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.
• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, colour, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
• Value and respect all cultures.

 Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA):

·      Beware of minimum operating standards of SEA

·      Protect and prevent others from SEA.

·      Report SEA.

·      Strictly compile with AAH child protection and SEA policies

 Fiscal Responsibility

• Ensure timely budget utilization of protection programs and project activities in liaison with other protection leads in the consortium to ensure budget expenditure is in line with program/ project objectives, timeframe, within project tolerance level.

 Physical Demands

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions

 Working Conditions, Travel and Environment

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Job Requirements

Required Qualifications and Professional Experience

• University degree in doctor of medicine (Mandatory) and preferably with Masters of Public Health (MPH) from recognized university/college.
• At least 5 years of practical experience on designing, implementing, leading and evaluating high impact Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) programs
• Experience in managing RMNCH projects or grants funded by major donors USAID, DIFD, GAC, UNICEF etc.
• Good knowledge in drugs and medical supplies management with practical exposure to Integrated Pharmaceutical Logistics and Supply Management System (IPLS)
• Having a better understanding and exposure to the national Maternal and Child Health progressive agendas, Health Service Quality, Health System as well as Primary Health Care Service provision modalities.
• Practical exposure to and participation in national RMNCH coordination platforms and Technical Working Groups (TWGs)
• Having practical experience working in INGOs is preferable

Required Skills & Competencies

• Strong communication.
• Networking and representation skill
• Good strategic and analytical abilities
• Embracing Diversity, Self-Awareness and Self-Regulation, good experience in staff management and capacity building
• Desirable project management skill
• Quality report writing skill and capable of working in team. Knowledge and practical skill on applicable computer software such as Epi info, SPSS, Stata, ENA, MS Offices is added advantage
• Fluent in written and spoken English and Amharic and preferably with other local languages

How to Apply

APPLICATION PROCEDURE

If you are interested, please send your application composed of none returnable CV, Covering Letter with “ Health Expert” written in the subject line, and three references, applicants to the following addresses: Through CLICK HERE

Deadline: Saturday 25^th of September 2021

NB: Only short listed applicants will be, communicated on and selection process includes technical test and an interview.