Job description
Requisition ID: req3287
Job Description
The IRC’s Emergency Unit
The IRCs Emergency Unit (EU) leads or oversees IRCs global emergency preparedness and response activities. The mission of the EU is to help meet the immediate survival needs and reduce suffering in conflict or disaster affected populations during the acute phase of an emergency. The EU also works in protracted emergencies, where the risk to life may be reduced but the population is still subjected to rights abuses and a lack of basic services.
The EU is also charged with enhancing the IRCs global and country level emergency preparedness capacity. We do this by supporting the development and training of Country Emergency Teams, assisting in the development of emergency focused partnerships with local civil society organizations, maintaining regional and global capacity to rapidly identify and deploy qualified emergency response personnel and supporting country-level contingency planning.
The Health Unit promotes the health of IRC’s beneficiaries from relief through post-conflict. The Health Unit contributes to the effectiveness of health programs through technical support, staff development, and institutional learning. Health Programs conform to standards of humanitarian assistance and promote self-reliance, participation, sustainability, equity, and human dignity. The Health Unit is committed to advancing the practice of humanitarian assistance through documentation of lessons learned, collaborative research, and advocacy.
SCOPE OF WORK
The IRC ERT staff is expected to be deployed in the field, either in an emergency or roving capacity, for up to 65% of the time and must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72 hours of notification.
Members of the Emergency Response Team are deployed to either support existing country programs in their emergency response, or to initiate a new program in the crisis zone. The overall responsibility of the team is to rapidly and effectively design, develop and manage the IRC’s on-site humanitarian response to meet the immediate needs of the affected population. The ERT is also responsible for supporting the transfer of responsibilities and knowledge to the long-term staff to ensure the continuity of IRC programming and operations.
The IRC ERT Health Coordinator is expected to provide leadership and direction in strengthening an effective, high quality and timely emergency health response as well as coordinating different components of the emergency health response including primary health, reproductive health and nutrition.
S/he is a member of the Health Unit and the Emergency Unit (EU). The ERT Health Coordinator will report to the Director of Emergency Health on an ongoing basis and during periods of non-deployment. During emergency deployments ERT staff will work under the direction of IRC’s Emergency Field Director or designated country emergency lead.
Responsibilities
Emergency Response
Provide leadership in strengthening an effective, coordinated, integrated high quality and timely emergency primary health, reproductive and emergency nutrition responses
In coordination with EU and HR, identify health-staffing needs (both national and international) for emergency programs, and ensure rapid recruitment, induction and training of new staff.
Be prepared to be deployed within 72 hours; emergency deployments take precedence over other duties;
Ensure high quality and timely integrated health assessments of the humanitarian needs and provide prioritized recommendations for program interventions to the ERT Field Director/emergency lead
Design program responses and strategy, including geographic areas of intervention, in coordination with internal and external actors
Draft technical proposals and budgets for international donors, work in close collaboration with IRC grants and finance staff to finalize proposals and respond to any requests for additional information
Manage Coordinators in managing grant/program implementation including staff recruitment and training, workplan development, procurement and inventory planning, and budget management;
Prepare high quality and timely donor and management reports on grants and sector activities.
Select and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluation systems; ensure consistent reporting and analysis of results to enhance program effectiveness and quality
Ensure compliance with IRC policy and procedures throughout the program team and activities
Represent and coordinate with other agencies, local government, donors and other stakeholders to promote deliver of best practice humanitarian assistance;
Support media and communications activities as requested by the ERT Field Director/CD/in-county emergency lead.
Assess and provide input on post emergency strategies and transition plans for IRC programming.
Provide a comprehensive handover to successor, including ensuring transfer of all related documentation, program monitoring data and staff performance information
Emergency Preparedness
Working with EU and HQ program technical staffs lead the development of emergency preparedness and response strategies and tools via the Sector Toolkit for Emergency Programming (STEP) Initiative.
Develop a capacity building strategy in emergency preparedness and response in selected IRC countries. Work together with selected IRC countries in developing emergency preparedness and response plans.
Contribute to the continual development of appropriate and cost-effective contingency stocks, revising the stock list in accordance with lessons learned in the field and monitoring replenishment.
Non-emergency
Provide technical support to existing country programs remotely and through in-country visits or short-term deployments
Contribute to the continuing development of the overall strategic approach in emergency health response.
Actively participate in preparedness and capacity building initiatives for EPRU staff, partners and country program staff ;
Actively contribute to the development and roll out of the EPRU roadmap and IRC Strategy.
KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS
Position Reports to: Director, Emergency Health
Position directly supervises: n/a
Works closely with: Other ERT staff, country health and support teams.Indirect Reporting: Emergency Team Leader (while deployed)
Requirements
University degree, and technical accreditation or equivalent
3-5 years experience developing and managing technical projects including 3 years in emergency/conflict areas
Demonstrated ability in resource mobilization for health emergencies.
Demonstrated ability to work effectively with international institutions and agencies, local governments and community leaders and develop multi-stakeholder support for humanitarian priorities and advocacy initiatives
Superior internal and external communication and coordination capabilities and excellent team management skills
Demonstrated ability to communicate technical standards and best practice approaches to ensure rapid, consistent, high quality emergency response strategies and programs
Experience managing donor funded programs and grants; including resource mobilization, staff management, budget oversight, monitoring and evaluation systems, and technical input to proposal-budget development and donor reports.
Fluency in English required, with priority placed on French, Spanish and Arabic as well.
