Location: DR Congo
BACKGROUND
The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, provides relief, rehabilitation and post-conflict reconstruction support to victims of natural disaster, oppression and violent conflict in 42 countries. The IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation and creative partnerships. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, IRC assists people from harm to home.
The IRC has been working in the DRC since 1996, and currently operates in five main programming areas: multi-sector emergency response, prevention and mitigation of gender-based violence, education, primary health care as well as local governance. The IRC has offices in North Kivu, South Kivu, and former Katanga, and its regional headquarters is in Kinshasa. The organization employs more than 800 people in the DRC, and has a budget of around 50 million USD per year.
The RRMP (Réponse Rapide aux Mouvements de Population) is an emergency response program funded by UNICEF and covering Eastern DRC. The main objectives of the IRC’s RRMP program are:
To conduct multi-sector assessments in areas recently affected by population movements (displacements or returns), natural disasters and cholera epidemics in order to inform the humanitarian community about the scope of these movements and the main humanitarian needs;
In the absence of another actor with the capacity to respond quickly, and on the basis of these assessments, to intervene in the sectors of non-food items (NFI), water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), health and education in favor of the most affected communities.
The IRC is one of the two RRMP implementing partners in South Kivu and former Katanga (divided into four new provinces in 2015). The program’s seventh phase (RRMP 7) will start in May 2016 with a budget of about 4.6 million USD for 8 months. The IRC’s RRMP 6 team has about 110 staff, including four expatriates, working from three main offices across South Kivu (Bukavu) and Katanga (Lubumbashi and Kalemie)
SCOPE
The Emergency Health Coordinator leads the health component of the RRMP, ensuring that health interventions are rapid, relevant, high-quality, well planned and accountable both to the donor and to the IRC’s beneficiaries. He/she supervises the RRMP health teams based in Bukavu (South Kivu), Kalemie and Lubumbashi (ex-Katanga) and spends significant time on intervention sites to monitor quality. The Emergency Health Coordinator reports to the Senior RRMP Coordinator and works closely with the provincial RRMP Coordinators, the Senior M&E manager, and the Health Director. S/he is based in Bukavu, but will spend about 50% his/her time travelling to the former Katanga and intervention sites.
Later in the year, subject to funding, the position will also take over responsibility over the smaller but similar emergency health component of the IRC’s OFDA funded emergency response project in North Kivu.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Project implementation
Ensure high quality implementation of the RRMP Health component, in a timely manner, within budget, and in full compliance with the donor contract and IRC rules and regulations;
Ensure that health interventions are well-planned, adequately resourced and implemented in according to the RRMP’s health as well as protection and accountability guidelines;
Ensure that all IRC as well internal RRMP procedures are adhered to among the health teams;
Work closely with the Senior M&E Manager (Bukavu), the Health Director (Kinshasa) and the Health Technical Advisor (HQ) to learn from experience and implement improvements;
Ensure good internal coordination, communication and spirit with health teams;
Actively participate in external coordination mechanisms such as the health cluster, the RRMP steering committee, and liaise as needed with health and local authorities during interventions;
Establish good relations and coordination with health humanitarian actors in South Kivu and Katanga.
Collaborate with UNICEF and RRMP health teams of other NGOs in Eastern DRC to continuously improve the RRMP health component’s approach and methodology;
In collaboration with the Senior M&E Manager, ensure quality and timeliness of all health data, including intervention reports;
Contribute to internal and external reporting and proposal development.
Human resources / finance / logistics / security
Supervise 3 health Managers (Each manager leads a team of 5/7 staffs) by applying the IRC’s performance management tools and by providing technical and non-technical management support / advice;
Participate in the recruitment of new health staff;
Manage the health lines of the RRMP budget;
In support of the health Managers, ensure that all RRMP health spending is carried out and accounted for in a manner that is compliant with IRC procurement and financial regulations;
In support of the health managers, work with the Logistics Department to ensure that health teams receive the necessary support in terms of transport, procurement and warehousing;
Ensure compliance with IRC security procedures for health interventions, as well as a high degree of security awareness and preparedness among the health teams.
Technical guidance and training
Spend significant time on health intervention sites to monitor activities and provide practical technical guidance;
Based on needs and gaps, provide formal and informal technical training to health staffs and identify external training opportunities as needed;
Proactively liaise with the IRC’s global health Technical Unit for additional technical support.
Other
Carry out any other necessary task related to the RRMP health component;
Occasionally provide health technical support to other IRC DRC programs.
Reporting
The Emergency Health Coordinator RRMP reports to the Senior RRMP Coordinator. Later in the year and subject to funding, an additional reporting line to the Emergency Protection Coordinator only regarding the emergency health component in North Kivu will be added.
REQUIREMENTS
Public health profile (Medical Doctor an advantage), with at least 3 years of experience implementing emergency health programs in humanitarian emergencies.
Extensive experience as a coordinator with strong management and training capacity in developing countries.
Very good command of spoken and written French, god command of English a plus
Experience with conflict / post conflict contexts, preferably in Africa
Strong project management skills
Strong human resource management, interpersonal , and cross-cultural communication skills
Capacity to coach and train staff
Willingness to travel extensively to visit field sites and endure basic living conditions
Ability to work in unstable security environments, under pressure, to multi-task, improvise and be flexible
Good knowledge of relevant technical software
Good computer skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook);
