Position: Health Specialist – Secondary Care (NES)
Location: Amuda, North East Syria
Type of contract: Contract of collaboration
Duration: 12 months (3-month probation period) – with possible renewals
Closing date of the vacancy: 28/07/2024 (applications on a rolling basis)
Starting from: August/September 2024
GENERAL CONTEXT
Un Ponte Per (UPP) is an Italian NGO established in 1991 with a mission to prevent armed conflicts, protect human rights, and support local civil society in Middle Eastern and Mediterranean countries. Since 2015, UPP has been leading the way in the North East Syria (NES) response in the Health sector, developing a comprehensive system of health services delivered in more than 30 facilities, including mobile units, hospitals, primary health care centers, and rural health posts, as well as providing capacity building for local actors on Gender Based Violence (GBV) prevention and response, Child Protection (CP), Psycho-social Support (PSS) and protection mainstreaming in health programs. In 2024, UPP plans to offer comprehensive support to one of the main public hospitals in the region, to upgrade their services and standards to meet the growing demand from both IDPs camps and the host community.
For further information please refer to our website: www.unponteper.it/en/
DEFINITION OF THE POST
The Health Specialist – Secondary Care will be responsible of ensuring the direct technical implementation, supervision and guidance of UPP activities in secondary health care (comprehensive support to 1 public hospital in Hassakeh, in terms of technical assistance, staff salaries, supplies, equipment and medicines), under the line management and coordination of UPP Medical Coordinator. The Specialist will form integral part of UPP Medical Department in NES, composed by both international and national health staff. She/he will also regularly coordinate with UPP Health Governance Coordinator to streamline approaches and ensure health strategy alignment, with relevant departments to ensure a smooth and comprehensive support, and with the relevant Project Manager to ensure alignment with donor’s requirements and standards. She/he may work in tandem with and mentor national Health Specialist/s assigned to the hospital.
ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES
The Health Specialist – Secondary Care, in coordination with the key figures mentioned above, will be responsible of:
- Develop and ensuring all standard medical protocols are followed and implemented in AL-Hassakah National Hospital (HNH).
- Develop and checking universal precautions are followed at all times and reducing bio-hazard risks and improving infection control.
- Assess and make the necessary arrangements with the hospital authorities for smooth flow of referral patients from IDPs camps and those in need of advanced care that is not available at HNH and have to be referred.
- Ensure professional confidentiality is respected.
- Oversee UPP Staff seconded to the HNH to ensure work is performed efficiently.
- Collaborate with technical specialists to develop and manage strategic capacity building and operational plans for the HNH staff.
- In collaboration with the hospital authorities provides ongoing leadership and mentorship for the staff including core management duties, performance management, supporting professional development.
- Ensure that there is a system in place for regular evaluation of staff performance, including the provision of technical support and opportunities development
- Assesses institutional staff capacities and works closely with DOH, Hospital Director and other head of departments to provide strategic and technical capacity strengthening, mentorship and support.
- Provide weekly and monthly report to the Medical Coordinator and closely monitor the project’s indicators
- Work closely with other departments (WASH, Protection and PSS, Program, Logistic and Medical supply chain, Admin and HR)
- Any other activity as requested by the Line Manager directly related to the achievement of UPP objectives in support to secondary health care.
ESSENTIAL REQUIREMENTS
- Bachelor’s University Degree in Medicine and/or Master in Public Health/Hospital Management, Healthcare Administration or equivalent.
- Minimum 3 years of experience from working on hospital management or general managerial positions in a health care facilities in humanitarian/recovery context.
- Solid understanding of healthcare procedures and regulations.
- Proven record of effectively leading high performing, diverse technical teams, including in mentoring and coaching.
- Previous experience working for international organizations in Humanitarian/emergency context projects, donor agencies, host country governments, private-sector institutions is desired.
- Experience in designing and delivering capacity building programmes
- Fluent in English, Arabic is considered a significant asset
REQUIRED SKILLS:
- Proven work experience as a Hospital Administration/ Manager or similar role
- Knowledge of healthcare industry
- Solid understanding of healthcare procedures and regulations.
- Hands-on experience with database systems and MS Excel.
- Excellent organizational and time management skills.
- Ability to supervise and train team members.
- Problem-solving attitude.
- Teamwork, commitment, cooperation, and behavioural flexibility
- Good management of stress and willing to work in a volatile context.
- Essential computer literacy.
- Fluent in English and Arabic language.
UPP requires criminal background check certificate (released max 3 months before the date of job offer) to confirm a job offer. We are aware that in some countries the release of criminal background certificate by the competent authorities might require several weeks. However, UPP runs selections to deploy staff in emergency programs and time-lapse between job offer and field deployment is often very short. Thus, we kindly ask all candidates to get prepared on time and be able to submit their certificate promptly in case of success in the selection.
OTHER REQUIREMENTS:
Un Ponte Per is an International NGO committed to diversity and inclusion within its teams, in line with the principle of non-discrimination. UPP encourages all candidates irrespective of gender, religion and ethnicity including persons with disabilities to apply and become part of the organization.
Ethical Conduct: UPP upholds all the minimum standards in terms of Ethical Conduct and strives to increase its standards over the minimum. Zero tolerance is reserved to Sexual Abuse and Exploitation and to Child Abuse, Violence, Harm, Injury and Negligence. UPP participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme, therefore, any candidate assures that s/he has never breached any standard in terms of SEA and Child Safeguarding and that s/he will not in the future. UPP will conduct extensive reference check and vetting on shortlisted candidates that might compromise candidates’ privacy. Shortlisted candidates shall promptly provide an up-to-date criminal background check. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.
How to apply
Interested candidates are invited to submit a detailed CV (PDF format) with the authorization to use and process data on the base of the EU Regulation 2016/679 – GDPR and a brief cover letter (PDF format) that includes the contact information for three Professional References (relevant and recent) to: vacancy@unponteper.it
Please reference “HS Secondary care – Name Surname” in the subject line of your email application and name the files attached to your application as surname_name_CV, surname_name_CL, etc.
Be informed that UPP screens prospective colleagues through anti-terrorism/anti-money-laundering/anti-corruption/anti-fraud sanctions lists before job offer. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.