Health Coordinator (Head of Program) - Beirut - NATIONAL CANDIDATES ONLY

BACKGROUND:

 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.

The IRC in Lebanon provides both emergency response and long-term support to address the urgent needs of refugees through direct assistance and supporting the Lebanese host communities and government in responding to the crisis through social and economic development projects. Currently, the IRC implements education, economic recovery and development, protection, child protection programs, early childhood development (ECD) and works to respond to and prevent gender- based violence (GBV) in the North, Bekaa, Beirut and Mount Lebanon.

In Dec 2020, the IRC has conducted a health feasibility assessment to better understand emerging needs within the health sector, which have been compounded by COVID-19 and economic crisis. Locations covered by this assessment were Akkar, Beirut, Bekaa, and Tripoli. The health feasibility assessment has highlighted health services accessibility and quality gaps, which prompted the IRC program strategy to decide on initiating a health program to tackle the identified gaps.

IRC Lebanon is currently starting up a health program and aiming to scale up to meet the health needs of  the vulnerable population, with increased Health-focused interventions in Bekaa and Akkar under which the IRC will provide primary health care services and GBV case management in static PHCCs and through medical mobile units whenever possible.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Health Coordinator is the focal point for health programs in Lebanon and ensures the implementation of quality primary healthcare programing in Bekaa and Akkar, while providing inputs to support the expansion to new areas. The Health Coordinator will be responsible for maintaining regular contact with all partners, including the Ministry of Public Health, UN agencies and other national and international NGOs, and will also be responsible for fulfilling IRC’s strategic objectives for the health sector. The Health Coordinator supervises all health staff, and reports to the Deputy Director of Programs. The Health Coordinator will receive technical support from the regional Technical Advisor for Health Programs. The position is based in Lebanon to supervise IRC’s health programs and interventions targeting vulnerable population that include, Syrian refugees, vulnerable Lebanese, Palestinian refugees and migrant workers.

The position is also responsible for ensuring IRC internal processes for grants and financial management of the Health-funded grants are adhered to, and the health team is working in compliance with the above mentioned processes.

Finally the Health Coordinator is accountable for pharmaceutical procurement planning and utilization monitoring, and work closely with the supply chain department to ensure the best practice and technical support of pharma and medical commodities across different stages such as, vendors’ pre-qualification, procurement, warehousing, distribution, and quality spot-check.

The Health Coordinator works in close coordination with the Program Coordinators, the Supply Chain Coordinator, the Field Coordinator and the M&E team.

The Health Coordinator will report to the Deputy Director of Program, and technically supported by the Health Technical Unit to ensure timely and affective implementation of the project and submission of solicited/unsolicited proposals and reports to sustain and expand this body of work.

Technical Monitoring and Program Quality

• Overall responsibility for the quality of implementation of all Health programs
• Ensuring internal harmonization within the Health portfolio
• Working with the M&E team to ensure sound data collection and information management systems are in place for ongoing performance analysis and programmatic action based on data and identified needs.
• Ensuring close alignment with the SAP and producing data and information for SAP annual reviews
• Project Management & Reporting
• Support the identification, contracting and managing the partners and facilitating interactions with relevant Departments within the IRC.
• Ensure the timely submission of quality donor reports and updates, including reporting against the logical framework.
• Review all reports prepared by the field staff and provide appropriate feedback to the concerned staff, and ensure that reports are written and submitted to concerned bodies in a timely manner.
• In collaboration with program managers, review Budget vs. Actual expenditure for health programs on a monthly basis with staff.
• In consultation with the Supply Chain Coordinator, oversee the pharmaceutical and other supplies and equipment procurement for all health programs.

Representation and Coordination

• Identify opportunities to collaborate and coordinate with MOPH, UN agencies, and NGO partners, to ensure complementarity of IRC’s health strategy within the broader humanitarian health sector.
• In consultation with the DDP, represent IRC to government departments, international agencies, local partners and donors as required.
• Meet with the IRC potential health donors and represent the IRC health portfolio.

Staff development/ capacity building

• Develop the staff capacity building plan and identify the partners’ technical areas that need technical capacity building.
• Building the capacity of the health teams and providing mentorship to Health Managers and Senior Managers.
• Participate in training and mentoring of health and other staff members in response to capacity building needs.
• Supervise the health team’s adherence to internal policies and practices, and appropriate use of tracking mechanisms.

Proposal Writing

• In consultation with the DDP and the health technical advisor, the coordinator will design health projects that ensure continuity and expansion of this work stream.
• Lead the development of health project concept nots, health cap statement, and required documents for fund raising like the program fact sheets, and capacity statements.

Partner Management

• Identify implementing partners when necessary and oversee the IRC – partner relation.
• Ensure the development of regular performance monitoring plan of partners to achieve the set project’s objectives; provide technical support and guidance.
• Conduct partner’s assessment to understand and plan for the technical capacity building support.
• Development of capacity building plan for partner organizations along with close monitoring of performance improvement and training uptake.
• Arrange regular meetings with implementing partners to discuss the future program implementation cycle and understand the challenges and barriers that might delay the progress.

Other

• Contributes to the development of country program strategy and plans
• Leads sector specific strategy development and technical proposal design.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

KEY WORKING RELATIONSHIPS

Position reports to: Deputy Director Programs

Closely collaborate with:

• Internal: close collaboration with other program Coordinators and Managers, other IRC Lebanon programs (Protection/Rule of Law),partnership, Grants, Supply Chain, HR, and Finance Departments
• External: close collaboration with other humanitarian actors, local implementing partners, UN agencies, government, and service providers

JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Health professional background (general practitioner, nurse, pharmacist) with an MPH or other suitable public health, and health management degree.
• Five years’ experience in coordinating, implementing and managing health programs in developing or volatile countries. Experience working in Lebanon a plus.
• Experience implementing health programming in insecure environments, hard-to-reach areas, and displaced communities.
• Experience implementing both emergency and development-oriented health programming.
• Adapt and develop where necessary functional Primary healthcare systems and services that can include: Reproductive health, Child health, Communicable diseases, Non-communicable Diseases, health information, drug management, infection control, referral systems, etc.
• Experience integrating health programs with other sectors (especially ECD, WPE and protection).
• Demonstrated skills in project design/ proposal development and grant management, including working with work, spending and procurement plans.
• Experience in capacity building and mentoring of national and international staff.
• Knowledge and experience in participatory design methods, community development and partnership.
• Background in situation analysis, health assessments, and program implementation.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, and facilitation skills; ability to delegate responsibilities.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills.
• Excellent coordination and networking skills.
• Fluency in English is required and Arabic will be an asset.
• Willingness to move around Lebanon whenever needed.

Working Environment

The position will be based in Beirut with frequent field visits.