Public Health Delegate at The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Vacancy No: IFRC01598
Location: Nigeria
Duration: 06 Months
Category of Staff: Delegate
Grade: To be determined

Job Purpose
Reporting to the FACT Team leader/Ops manager (once in place), the Public Health Delegate will:

• Lead and coordinate the emergency health preparedness and response activities of the EPOA, with a particular focus on national Society capacity building, coordination and collaboration, knowledge management and organisation learning.
• Liaise with ICRC as the Movement partner involved into this operation and also with the others Movement partners
• Employ a risk reduction and resilience approach, these activities include disease prevention and control, epidemic preparedness and response, psychosocial support and sanitation.
• This entails liaising with the communicators in the National Society, the ICRC and at other Movement partners to ensure timely and quality production of updates and other possible outputs.

Job Duties and Responsibilities
The Public Health Delegate is responsible for:

A.) Emergency preparedness:

• Monitor epidemiological data, health indicators, disaster and disease patterns for analysis and early detection of cases concerns. Facilitate the identification of necessary readiness and response actions to be taken, where necessary.
• Support the further development and mobilization of national and regional health unit as part of the regional disaster response teams.
• Contribute to the development as well as reviews of Federation response mechanisms, operating procedures and protocols affecting different levels of the organization.

B.) Emergency Response:

• Support in the planning, implementation and management of the health component of National Society emergency response and recovery programs supported and coordinated by the Federation.
• Support the Nigeria operation, in ensuring that the physical and mental health needs of staff are well-looked after, and that staff health procedures and medical evacuation plans are updated regularly.
• Monitor regional and national epidemiological data, standard health indicators and disaster patterns for analysis and early detection of trends, disease outbreaks and/or epidemics. Facilitate the identification of necessary actions and corrective measures to be taken, where necessary.
• Obtain and collate information, reports and case studies from preparedness and response by the Nigeria National Society and establish best practices on emergency health and epidemic preparedness and response and share knowledge within and outside the Movement.
• Provide technical guidance, and where necessary, direct and coordinate the Federation's international public health response in emergencies in an accountable manner, and in cooperation with ICRC and all relevant partners.
• Where necessary, participate in assessments and start-up of emergency operations within the region in close collaboration with the Head of operation, the OPS Manager and the regional DM Unit in Nairobi.

C.) Knowledge management and organizational learning:

• Identify and document good practices on emergency health preparedness and response.
• Compile essential technical guidelines, references, reports and case studies on health activities preparedness and response, and made them available through Federation platforms.

D.) Coordination and collaboration:

• Participate in and work with relevant regional emergency health networks and coordination mechanisms with a view of improving health interventions in the operation, as well as strengthening effective and coordinated health response.
• As part of the Federation’s global emergency health team, participate in defining collective priorities and initiatives to contribute to the delivery of the secretariat’s strategic operational framework for health in general, and in emergency health in particular.

E.) NS capacity building:

• Support National Societies’ emergency health preparedness and response capacity strengthening consistent with their mandates and roles agreed with national authorities related to the Nigeria operation.
• Promote, and where possible facilitate, the integration and mainstreaming of emergency health programs and initiatives into the Nigerian National Society health programs.

Education

• Medical or other health-related degree - Required
• Post-graduate education in public health - Required
• Diploma or training in tropical medicine, infectious diseases control, or humanitarian assistance - Preferred

Experience:

• At least 5 years of experience in managing emergency health programmes and interventions - Required
• At least 5 years programme management experience in an international humanitarian organisation - Required
• At least 5 years of experience in working with national counterparts - Required
• Health programme management experience within the Red Cross/Red Crescent system, preferably in an emergency response setting - Required
• Community based health programmes experience, including community disease surveillance, Community health first aid, PSS programs, volunteers training and/or others - Preferred
• Experience in population displacement context and complex emergencies - Preferred
• Experience in working with a national Red Cross Red Crescent society - Preferred
• Experience of financial management to ensure compliance - Required

Knowledge, Skills and Languages:

• Self-supporting in computers - Required
• Extensive knowledge of the Federation’s health and disaster management objectives, mandate and programme orientation, as well as emergency health and disaster management system, tools and mechanisms - Required
• Ability to work under stressful conditions, meet deadlines and travel extensively to support field operations or training - Required
• Good Analytical thinking skills - Required
• Communication and presentation skills - Required
• Good training and facilitation skills - Required
• Good Knowledge of the region and the Country targeted - Preferred
• Fluent in written and spoken English - Required

Competencies and values:

• National Society relations
• Strategic orientation - Communication - Teamwork
• Professionalism - Integrity - Diversity
• Judgement-Decision-making
• Results focus and accountability
• Managing performance