Health & Nutrition Coordinator

Background/IRC Summary:

 The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. 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 has been working in Pakistan for over 40 years, and manages and delivers large, complex programs to meet the needs in health, education, protection, environmental health and livelihoods for displaced, poor and disaster affected communities. IRC works in partnership with local government and non-governmental organizations and currently works across all major provinces of Pakistan.

Job Overview/Summary: 

Health and Nutrition Coordinator will provide leadership, strategic vision, and technical support to all aspects of ongoing Health and Nutrition programs in Pakistan. The coordinator will report to the Deputy Director Programs and will be a key part of technical team in the identification of health and nutrition relevant programmatic priorities for program design and business development and to find/propose convergence where possible with other thematic areas and/or outcomes. He/she will be ensuring quality of IRC’s healthcare interventions be it in reproductive health sector, immunization, child health, communicable and non-communicable diseases, emergency response, nutrition, SRH, MHPSS and other areas as and when needed. In addition, the coordinator with the health and nutrition project team(s) will ensure that on-ground support and interventions are aligned with international protocols, guidelines, and best practices. He or she will promote the gender and inclusion in IRC health services. The incumbent will also be part of the Project support or governance committees, as required, to provide guidance and support to the project implementation team.

  Major Responsibilities: (Primary and fundamental responsibilities):

Program Design and Quality Assurance

• Reflective of IRC’s policies and emerging best practices, provide technical and management leadership to ongoing health, nutrition, and subsector integrated programs in Pakistan. Support the development and maintenance of a coherent and evolving health and nutrition strategy across all concerned areas of interventions.
• Work in close coordination with Head of Business Development Unit to develop technical proposals of highest quality for health and nutrition interventions.
• Responsible for guiding health and nutrition teams & implementing partners for ensuring that strong data collection and information management systems are in place for ongoing performance analysis and programmatic action, and that all members of the team know their roles and responsibilities for monitoring and evaluation.
• Monitor evolving needs of the target communities, identify health and nutrition needs in new project areas and adjust the programmatic priorities as necessary in collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure robust monitoring systems are in place and that reviews are undertaken periodically in conjunction with the team, partners, and relevant local stakeholders.
• Setting up quality assurance mechanisms and checks in collaboration with other staff.Work in close coordination with Head of Policy, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, Head of Business Development, other technical coordinators and Heads of Offices to ensure cross departmental coordination and strategic engagements, profiling and visibility of health-related interventions. 

Technical Support to project implementation teams for Quality assurance

• Ensure that health and nutrition programs comply with international and national quality standards, policies and guidelines.
• Ensure that health and nutrition interventions adhere to donor agreements and IRC’s core policy documents and guidelines.
• Work with project teams and respective head of offices to facilitate the timely achievements of project and strategy outcomes, goals and objectives.

Team Leadership and Management

• Maintain open and professional relations with teams, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their respective positions.
• Conduct regular meetings with all direct reports and ensure the same is done throughout the team management structure.
• Identify training needs and develop capacity-building plans for health and nutrition staff.
• Promote and ensure staff care and well-being.

Coordination & Representation

• Develops and maintains effective ongoing coordination and liaison with both internal & external stakeholders in the health and nutrition sectors. Thereby representing IRC positions, promoting Country Program’s strategy, and build strategic partnerships.
• Closely coordinate with operational departments and cross-sectional outcomes for aspiring towards better results/reach for our clients and/or beneficiaries.

 Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Deputy Director Programs, Pakistan

Position directly supervises Program Manager Health and provides technical oversight for Health and Nutrition Project Team Leads/Project Managers based in field locations.

Other Internal and/or external contacts: Technical Advisors in the Head Quarter and Region, Head of Policy, Advocacy and Strategic Partnerships, Sector Coordinators, Business Development unit, Support departments, M&E Coordinator, Sr. Finance manager, donors, UN and clusters.

Job Requirements:

1.          Education: Health professional – MD/ MBBS, MPH (preferred)

2.          Work Experience: Strong Public health background with a minimum 6 years’ experience in health program management/technical capacity with INGO, NGO, UN. Prior experience of, PHC, Reproductive Health, nutrition and health response in emergencies. Experience in developing technical proposals, concept notes and report writing.

3.          Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Ability to query and analyze data to aid the development of retention strategies, diversify programming and other related activities required. Excellent oral and written communication skills required. Ability to work with a diverse constituent group. Effective interpersonal skills, and utmost attention to detail required. Ability to work on multiple projects simultaneously, set priorities, and meet deadlines required. Ability to work independently as a self-starter and as part of a team required. Ability to use good judgment, maintain confidentiality and handle sensitive issues with tact and diplomacy required. Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure effectively and productively.

4.          Language Skills: Fluency in Urdu and English is must and knowledge of local languages (such as Pushto, Punjabi, Sindhi etc.) is preferred.

Others: Strong digital literacy: must be competent in the use of Windows MS office programs (Word, Excel), email programs, etc.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments.

The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity Anti-Retaliation and Combating Trafficking in Persons

IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have the knowledge s/he need to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding Policy.

IRC ensures that its staff must actively practice the roles and responsibilities related to client responsiveness, and accountability to people in affected communities and must have competencies to solicits and listens to feedback and other’s perspectives, responds to feedback with maturity and sensitivity and takes appropriate decisions and makes changes to behavior or actions in response to feedback.

IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures and actions demonstrate this commitment.

Women candidates and differently-abled persons are highly encouraged to apply