Health Manager at Terre des hommes Foundation (Tdh)

General Job Description:

As the Health Manager – Benue, in Nigeria, he/she will lead planning, coordination, and implementation of health interventions under the CDCS project in Benue state, particularly in Ortese and Daudu II IDP camps and surrounding communities. He/she will ensure that health services including SRH and MHPSS, are delivered effectively and complementarily to the broader GBV-focused project, all within emergency contexts while contributing to longer-term health resilience strategies in Benue State.

Under the supervision of the Benue State Field Coordinator & the Deputy Head of Delegation – Programs, he/she will:

• Oversee the roll-out of health program strategies outlined in the CDCS project and ensure Tdh’s health program achieves national impact.
• Lead the emergency health response to the ongoing floods, particularly in conflict-affected regions, ensuring both immediate relief and sustainable recovery.
• Secure additional financial and human resources for the health program with the support of the Delegation and the Region and ensure proper management and monitoring of funds and human resources.
• Responsible for and accountable to beneficiaries, collaborators and donors, and ensure that teams and partners have learned the security policies and the general code of conduct and comply with them at all times.
• Ensure that health interventions are coordinated, high-quality, and aligned with Tdh’s cross-cutting themes (e.g., protection, GBV, WASH) and support department (e.g. medical procurement). Contribute to steering the health program by implementing and following up indicators.
• Foster innovation in health interventions in the country, ensuring that solutions are contextually appropriate for the emergency and conflict settings.

Specific Responsibilities / Context   « tasks »

More specifically he/she has the following responsibilities:  

• Emergency health strategy and steering:

Emergency response:

• Take immediate leadership in responding to the health challenges caused by the recent floods in conflict-affected areas, coordinating rapid health assessments and deploying resources in line with Tdh’s humanitarian priorities.

Strategy development:

• Contribute to the development and implementation of the health strategy as part of Tdh Nigeria’s country strategy, ensuring alignment with both short-term emergency needs and long-term development goals.

Health project management:

• Supervise health project managers and ensure effective health interventions implementation, particularly of cross-cutting/thematic health projects, in hard-to-reach and conflict-affected areas (e.g., Benue state).
• Ensure that projects meet both donor requirements and the needs of affected populations.

Data collection and reporting:

• Monitor key health indicators, especially those related to maternal and child health, disease outbreaks (e.g., cholera, malaria), malnutrition and SRH for GBV survivors. Lead the collection and analysis of health data for reporting and to inform decision-making at national level, and adjust programs as needed.  
• Principles, standards, methodologies

Standards and guidelines:

• Ensure that Tdh’s health programs adhere to international standards, including WHO standards for emergency health responses and support the dissemination of Tdh’s principles, approaches, methodologies and standards within the health project at the Delegation level.

Technical support:

• Provide technical support to field teams, particularly in emergency settings, to ensure health interventions meet the necessary quality and effectiveness benchmarks. Knowledge sharing: Facilitate the sharing of knowledge and lessons learned within the health program to strengthen future responses and build team capacity.  

Financial Management and Resource Mobilization Funding acquisition:

• Identify donors and funding opportunities relevant to the health program, especially for emergency response, and engage in strategic dialogue with potential favorable representations of institutional or major donors.

Budget management:

• Develop and manage the health program budget, ensuring effective use of funds and regular monitoring of expenditure, especially in rapidly changing emergency contexts.

 Insurance and quality control Quality assurance:

• Implement systems for monitoring and quality assurance of all health interventions. Technically support the project teams, ensuring that services are accessible, effective, and tailored to the local context.

Risk management:

• Ensure risk assessments (e.g. due diligence) are conducted regularly, especially given the challenging environment in conflict zones, and implement risk mitigation strategies aligned with the Delegation’s Operations.  

Management and knowledge sharing Team management:

• Lead and support health project managers and teams across the country, ensuring they are well-trained and motivated to deliver high-quality health services under challenging conditions.
• Actively participate in recruiting thematic advisers and/or heads of project in his/her field at the national level.

Training and capacity building:

• Foster skill development within the health program and global exchange of practices, especially in emergency response, M&E, and innovative health solutions in conflict zones (e.g., research, capitalization, assessment, etc.).

Reporting:

• Oversee the preparation of program reports, both for internal use and donor submission, ensuring transparency and accountability.  

Advocacy and networking: External representation:

• Represent Tdh in key health and humanitarian forums at the national level, including health cluster meetings, to ensure the organization’s presence and influence in policy discussions, particularly concerning emergency health response.

Advocacy campaigns:

• Contribute to developing and executing advocacy strategies that highlight the health needs of vulnerable populations in flood-affected and conflict-affected areas, with a focus on child and maternal health, and SRH for GBV survivors.  

Partnership building:

Coordination with stakeholders:

• Actively engage with local health authorities, humanitarian actors, and community-based organizations to ensure coordinated and comprehensive health responses, leveraging the strengths of local partners.

Capacity building of partners:

• Work closely with local health actors to strengthen their capacity in health service delivery, with a particular focus on emergency preparedness and response.

Skills

This function requires possession of fundamental personal, social and leadership skills (CPSLs), technical and methodological skills (CTMs) and Managerial and strategic skills (CMSs)

In particular:

• Proven ability to work in high-pressure and potentially volatile emergency environments, particularly in humanitarian contexts with significant operational constraints.
• Proper integration and application of guidelines and strategy in the development and carrying out of health activities.
• Proper knowledge and command of the stakes in health in the country.
• Strong leadership and team management skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate diverse teams in challenging contexts.
• Excellent negotiation and communication skills, with the ability to engage donors, partners, and government agencies.
• Demonstrated ability to secure funding and manage donor relationships.
• Experience in implementing innovative health solutions in difficult contexts.
• Strong knowledge of child protection and safeguarding policies, and commitment to Tdh’s risk management frameworks.

As well as the following specific “trade” skills:

• Confirmed experience in coordinating and implementing projects in an NGO and/or international organization in his/her field of expertise, in international cooperation and/or humanitarian contexts.
• An excellent capacity of and ease in expressing him/herself in public (conferences, workshops) and adapting to their audiences (governments and local authorities).
• A collaborative attitude with colleagues in- and outside the team.
• Management of time and priorities; meeting deadlines.
• Enthusiastic, reliable and independent with a strong organizational capacity, decision-making and conflict resolution.
• A capacity to identify challenges, foresee risks and inform the management with substantive recommendations.
• Experience in drafting project proposals and managing subsidies, fundraising and a good knowledge of financial partners.
• Good knowledge and experience of the project management cycle and M&E.
• Excellent interpersonal qualities: integrity, a capacity to judge, diplomacy.
• Proactive, creative and out-of-the-box thinking.

Job Requirements/Required Conditions

Training /Qualifications

• Public Health; Perinatal Health (including SRH expertise), nutrition, or a related field. A Masters degree is considered an asset.

Professional Experience

• At least 5 years in a similar position, with substantial field experience in emergency settings, particularly in conflict-affected and hard-to-reach areas.

Technical Skills

• Strong understanding of health program management, including experience with emergency health interventions, M&E, and managing health portfolios in humanitarian settings.

Languages

• Fluency in English (written and spoken) is mandatory.
• Knowledge of local languages in Benue (e.g., Tiv, Idoma, Igede, Hausa) is a strong asset.

IT know-how

• Proficiency in Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, PowerPoint)

Others

• Fully comply with Tdh Code of Conduct and ensure Child Safeguarding Policy, PSEA are always upheld.
• Ensure adherence to Tdh standards and quality requirements in all the project activities.
• Adhere to and ensure the team under her/his responsibility follows Tdh administrative and logistical regulations and procedures.

Security

•           Comply with Tdh Security Regulations

General Code of of Conduct and Tdh’s Risk Management Policies

• Commits to complying with the General Code of Conduct and systematically reports any breach of the Code through the Tdh warning procedure raises the awareness within the Foundation on violence and abuse and the rights that derive from them regarding children, community members and our own employees.
• Commits to complying with the Risk Management Policies, including Safeguard policies (the policy of Safeguarding Children, the Policy of Protecting against Exploitation and Sexual Abuse, the Guideline on Abusive Behavior at Work), the Safety/Security Policy and Anti-Fraud/Corruption Policies and the Prevention of Funding Criminal Activities.
• Commits to reducing the risk of abuse by developing an open and informed culture of management within the organization and in our work with children and the communities where we work.