Health Manager at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Job Overview/Summary:

Under the direct supervision of the Consortium Deputy Team leader the Health Manager is the focal point for IRC integrated primary health care services in Northwest based in Gusau Zamfara state. He/she will be responsible for supervising health staff in northwest, provide oversight to Health TWG and project implementation, monitoring, support with the overall capacity building of health program staff, and progress reporting of health projects. He/she also works closely with the Consortium partners and other sector Managers.

Major Responsibilities

Program Management, Technical Quality, and Strategy

Health program management:

• Provide overall managerial oversight for implementation of the health program activities in Northwest.
• Ensure health projects implementation are of high quality and meets the IRC/MoH/International standards.
• Support health program officer and medical supervisor to prepare project work plans with clear targets/achievement benchmarks based on project indicators.
• Provide technical support to health staff and provide them with necessary mentoring and training as needed to build their capacity and enabling them to perform their tasks, including project management skills.
• Participate in emergency assessments when necessary and develop plans for rapid and appropriate responses in consultation with WASH, protection, nutrition, WPE and others.
• Supervise the emergency response teams, including community and outreach activities in the targeted LGAs in Northwest.
• Coordinate with consortium implementation partners and other actors in the response and maintain good relations with them and harmonization of health indicator reporting,
• Participate in emergency coordination such as the Meningitis, Cholera or other disease Outbreak Control Coordination Team and carry out community-based public health interventions during communicable disease outbreaks.
• Monitor quality performance indicators across all projects and consortium partners ensuring adherence to technical standards, best practices, and donor guidelines.
• Coordinate all referrals of patients as per IRC referral guidelines and establish MoUs with secondary and tertiary institutions.
• Seek out and nurture quality partnerships with community structures, Ministries, departments, and agencies.
• Foster inter-program linkages, exchange information and experiences and contribute actively to protection and disaster risk reduction mainstreaming in the health program.
• Collaborate with other relevant sectors especially Environmental Health, as well as Nutrition, Women Protection & Empowerment, and Child Protection to ensure holistic service package is available in response to the needs.

Program Development / Grant Management

• Contribute to design, planning, and drafting new proposals for northwest.
• Contribute to donors’ reporting whenever necessary.
• In collaboration with the Deputy team leader, develop and expenditure plan, review budget vs. actual expenditure for health grants monthly and take necessary actions.
• Ensuring budgets are used appropriately and efficiently and spending is in line with the IRC financial procedures and donor requirements.
• Ensure data collection, data compilation, timely preparation and submission of all internal reports including weekly and other associated monthly, quarterly, donor and special reports.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:

Required for all positions with supervisory responsibility, if special considerations are needed (e.g. remote management), make this additive to the base language here.

• Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of team members in relevant technical and management competencies.
• Develop and implement remote management capacity building approaches to build the strengths of the team and consortium partners in Zamfara state and Northwest region Nigeria.
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least monthly.
• Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team, and providing guidance on career paths.
• As required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment.
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures and communicate through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations. 

Research, Learning and Analysis

Monitoring health program implementation:

• Monitor project implementation across implementation site and provide on-spot support to field teams and propose modifications as necessary.
• Ensure regular health program data analysis and review among consortium partners in Northwest, take follow up action on project implementation, and prepare relevant action reports.
•  Supervise and provide technical oversight in the interpretation of data for improved programming and implementation.
• Monitor and promote integrated programming with consortium health team in a way that increases overall impact of health program at the community level.

Coordination & Representation

• Represent the program to Local government representatives, partner agencies, etc. as required.
• In coordination with the consortium Team/Deputy team leader actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders with government actors, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors in Northwest.
• Attending all relevant meetings in relation to the health program as may be required and feed in the IRC priorities during meetings.
• Facilitate field visits/ support with the consortium partners for internal and external program learning across project areas when required.

Education:

• Health professional (BSC Nursing, MD,) with strong public health background.
• A mature person of high professional discipline and moral integrity, able to work independently and under stress as the situation may dictate.

Women are encouraging to apply.

Work Experience:

• At least 7 years’ experience in implementing health projects.
• Feel free to adjust the wording to align with the tone and structure of your specific job description.
• Able to lead a team and have experience in staff management.
• Experience in outbreak response interventions
• Ability to work with displaced communities with diverse cultural and ethnic backgrounds.
• Experience in donor report writing and proposal development.
• Have experience in general management including financial and budget management, HR and logistics management.

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Skills and experience of remote management
• Flexible, diplomatic and have ability and willingness live and work under pressure of workloads.