Closing date: 19 Mar 2019
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC works with people forced to flee from war, conflict and disaster and the host communities which support them, as well as those who remain within their homes and communities. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.
IRC Emergency Unit
The IRC’s Emergency Unit (EU) leads and oversees IRC’s global emergency preparedness and response activities. The mission of the Emergency Unit 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 Emergency Unit 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 Emergency Unit is also charged with enhancing the IRCs global and country level emergency preparedness capacity.
The Emergency Response Team (ERT) serves as the standing team of specialized professionals ready to deploy to an emergency within 72 hours.
Sexual and Reproductive Health Programming at IRC
The IRC has been among the leaders in the field of Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) in humanitarian for over fifteen years during which time enormous strides have been made in integrating and prioritizing SRH in humanitarian responses. IRC is an active participant in the Interagency Working Group on SRH in Humanitarian Settings (IAWG). SRH programs constitute the largest portion of IRC’s health programs.
The IRC’s SRH services are geared towards addressing the most critical needs of crisis-affected people and are respectful of their cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. IRC strives to ensure that SRH services are made available to all populations affected by acute crises as part of the IRC’s Integrated Emergency Health Package and in line with the Minimum Initial Services Package for SRH in Humanitarian settings (MISP).
SCOPE OF WORK: The IRC Emergency SRH Coordinator is expected to be deployed in the field in an emergency capacity for up to 65% of the time (7-8 months a year) and must be able to deploy to the site of an emergency within 72 hours of notification. Between emergency deployments, the Emergency SRH Coordinator is responsible for supporting the institutionalization of MISP, including contraception and abortion care, as a critical part of the IRC’s Emergency Health Package.
The Emergency SRH Coordinator may be based anywhere in the world and be deployed to emergency health responses. When deployed, s/he will report to the Emergency Field Director, and between deployments, to the Emergency Health Director and the Contraception and Abortion Care Advisor. The Emergency SRH Coordinator, when deployed to an emergency setting, is expected to rapidly initiate a quality MISP response including securing a base of operations, recruiting staff, providing on-the-job train to health care providers, managing the emergency SRH stock, and liaising with other agencies on the ground. S/he will ensure that SRH services, in accordance with the MISP, would be made available to the populations affected by the crises. The length of stay of the Emergency SRH Coordinator in the emergency setting would vary widely in accordance of the evolution of the situation and could last for up to 3 months.
S/he will be responsible for keeping abreast with best practices. The Emergency SRH Coordinator will document IRC’s emergency SRH responses and present data and lessons learned at relevant professional meetings and other forums, and will participate in SRH related relevant inter-agency initiatives.
RESPONSIBILITIES:
Emergency Response
- Be prepared to be deployed within 72 hours; emergency deployments take precedence over other duties;
- Ensure high quality and timely assessments of the humanitarian needs in large scale/complex emergences and provide prioritized recommendations for health program interventions to the Emergency Field Director/emergency lead;
- Design SRH outcomes-driven program response strategy in close collaboration with other IRC response sectors, notably Primary Health Care, Nutrition, Environmental Health, and Women’s Protection and Empowerment
- Develop 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;
- Coordinate the IRC’s emergency SRH responses with the local government, agencies, donors, and other stakeholders, and represent the IRC in relevant forums in locations where mobilized;
- Directly manage and/or supervise staff in management of 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 SRH activities;
- Design and implement appropriate SRH 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;
- In close collaboration with country management and global advocacy units, identify, develop and implement strategies to address IRC advocacy priorities;
- Support media and communications activities as requested by the Emergency Field Director/CD/in-county emergency lead;
- Assess and provide input on SRH 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 and Technical Assistance
- Work with the Emergency Unit and HQ program technical staff to develop, revise and update SRH emergency preparedness and response strategies and tools as part of the integrated emergency health package;
- Collaborate with other Health Unit colleagues in the development and refinement of the IRC SRH strategy, SRH policy and SRH technical resources
- Build the capacity of Emergency Unit team members and Country Emergency Teams to implement the MISP as part of the Emergency Health Package
- Lead or participate in the development and management of global funding proposals to support emergency preparedness;
- Act as IRC representative in related SRH inter-agency and global forums and initiatives;
- Take on other special projects as negotiated with supervisor.
REQUIREMENTS:
- Demonstrable technical expertise and working knowledge of SRH in humanitarian settings and MISP implementation
- At least 5 years progressive public health related international field experience in SRH in low income countries and humanitarian settings, including experience implementing the MISP and working on contraception and comprehensive abortion care programs
- Fluency in written and spoken English. Spoken French and/or Spanish ability is a strong plus;
- A medical/nursing/midwifery degree is a strong plus;
- Excellent capability to represent the IRC in forums in emergency settings and excellent communication skills including the ability to deliver presentations to professional, lay and donor audiences;
- Proven writing and editing skills, including the ability to effectively write and edit grant proposals and reports;
- Effective people and program management skills in acute emergency contexts: the ability to train, lead and manage staff productively under stressful circumstances;
- Flexible work attitude: Be flexible and yet focused & reliable in an environment of changing demands;
- Availability and willingness to travel 65% of the time to regional and international locations (at extreme short notice - within 72 hours) in case of emergencies;
- Good computer skills: facility with MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint and email/internet software.
How to apply:
https://rescue.csod.com/ats/careersite/jobdetails.aspx?site=1&c=rescue&id=3681