Deputy Health & Nutrition Advisor  

Role & Responsibilities

The Deputy Medical Advisor is a new position to Medair DRC, thus the following Job Description may be adjusted over time based on candidate’s strengths and current projects. Following growth of the country programme, there is need for technical assistance in the health and nutrition sector. A large part of this position is to support Health and Nutrition Advisor and to speed up proposals, having reviewed and updated SOPs, log frames, budgets and so on for sector.

Workplace & Working conditions

Emergency health and nutrition projects target displaced, conflict affected and vulnerable populations in regions that are in crisis in DRC as well as those affected by disease outbreaks. WASH interventions in health centres and communities support the health and nutrition sector as part of our health emergency responses. Infrastructure supports humanitarian access to remote areas.

Workplace & Working conditions

Field based position in Goma, D.R.Congo.

Starting Date / Initial Contract Details

As soon as possible. Full time, 24 months.

Key Activity Areas

Health Project Technical Oversight

• Maintain an overview of the country health programme and of the regional context, with a view to strategically consider new projects in current sites and / or in surrounding regions.
• Focus on cross-cutting issues and make them implementable after they have been proposed to donors
• Give technical advice to field project managers with the support of the Health and Nutrition Advisor on potential new health interventions and support internal health capacity for implementation.
• Assist to Define and Standardize guidelines and SOPs such as tools for Rapid Response Framework for the health aspects of Medair’s work in country, in consultation with GSO advisors and the Country Health and Nutrition Advisor, other field managers and in line with relevant government, Sphere and WHO guidelines.
• Provide technical support including through on-site field visits to the health teams in all project sites in coordination with the medical advisor.
• Help to support logframe development at the country level for new projects and proposals!
• Participate in improving assessment tools and in creating automatic analysis tools to facilitate the writing of assessment reports!
• Help to develop reporting systems for data collection, analysis and follow-up and feedback to relevant staff, donors, partners, Medair GSO and other agencies!
• Provide input into the monitoring and evaluation of health programmes including the planning of KPC surveys for Medair project areas in conjunction with the Health and Nutrition Advisor and the M&E team!
• Provide input into the integration of beneficiary participation and accountability in all aspects of the project.
• Support and encourage the integration of key community engagement activities in DRC Health projects.
• Help to liaise with the GSO MHPSS advisor and develop plans for the continued roll-out of Supportive Communication skills training and Psychological First Aid at the health facility and community levels!
• Support research on thematic areas either desktop or operational research projects for improving work in DRC health programming in coordination with the medical advisor and GSO advisors!

Representation

• Develop and maintain relationships with Ministry of Health, health Cluster, UN including UNICEF, NGOs, donors, partners and other stakeholders, with objective of raising public awareness of Medair and ensuring good co-operation and partnerships.
• Accompany donors on field trips, as requested, and ensure programme details are transmitted in a timely and professional manner.
• Represent Medair at health cluster coordination, sector and bilateral meetings and with national and / or local government departments and any other relevant meetings or events, facilitating supportive synergies and overall progress in the health and nutrition sector and avoiding duplication with the work of other agencies.
• Support health cluster in identifying priority areas for health response and contribute to technical working groups as able.
• Support the sub-national cluster leads from Medair in their understanding of the role, skills development, and coordination at the Goma level.

Staff Management

• Be involved in recruitment of staff for country programme, providing advice on technical skills and experience.
• Be the staff health focal point.
• Support the training of health staff, if necessary, create possibilities for capacity building, mentoring and coaching, within budget constraints. Plan and develop training material as required with support from Health and Nutrition advisor and GSO advisors as needed!
• Support line managers through shared responsibilities with the Health and Nutrition advisor for inductions of health managers and health project managers!

Financial Management

• Participate in harmonizing and standardizing budgets across bases and projects.
• Analyse, on a quarterly base, the projects’ budget burn rate to avoid under or overspending, especially on beneficiary lines; share report with Managers, Projects Coordinator, Advisor and DCD.

Quality Management

• Promote and use the Medair Teams / SharepPoint/ OneDrive filing and other operating procedures, ensuring that all standardised formats are used, and guidelines are followed!
• Gain awareness of BHA, ECHO, and other donor guidelines to help support development of proposals and reports!
• Regularly assess and provide feedback and recommendations on the quality of health programme implementation and interventions during field visits and at other relevant times Attend Medair yearly health and nutrition workshop as well as well as periodic online meetings with GSO advisors.

Team Spiritual Life

• Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts.
• Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith- based team settings. Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of your team, including team devotions, prayer, and words of encouragement.
• Encouraged to join and contribute to Medair’s international prayer network.

Qualifications

• Medical doctor or nurse with Graduate Degree in public health or community health
• Good English (spoken and written)
• Fluent French (spoken and written)

 Experience

• 1 year of experience managing a humanitarian health/nutrition project
• Strong Christian commitment
• Team-player with good inter-personal skills
• Proven ability to work with people from a range of cultural, social, ethnic backgrounds and with different skills.
• Capacity to work under pressure and manage personal stress levels.
• Creative, open-minded, flexible, self-learner
• Able to cope with basic living conditions in the field and during field trips.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills
• Able to handle multiple tasks and to prioritise clearly.
• Experience in managing and promoting staff.
• Pro-active approach
• Excellent communication skills
• Problem solver, dynamic, mature
• Confident decision maker
• Committed to consultative working culture

All new deploying international staff to Medair’s country programmes (and other roles which require field travel) should be fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved COVID vaccine, supported with a COVID vaccination certificate as evidence.

 How to apply

a) Medair organizational values

b) Medair is committed to safeguarding the protection of beneficiaries, volunteers, staff and partners, and particularly children. Therefore, we do not employ staff whose background we understand to be unsuitable for working with children. Medair staff are required to give the utmost respect to, and comply with, Medair’s accountability policies and best practices.

c) Medair Relief & Recovery Orientation Course (ROC) (which forms part of the recruitment selection process for field positions).

Application Process

To apply, go to this vacancy on our Medair Page.

Please do not make multiple applications. We will not review email applications. Only English-language applications / CVs will be reviewed.