Officer, Public Health in Emergancy

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The Harare Cluster Office based in Zimbabwe (Harare) covers 3 countries (Malawi, Zambia and Zimbabwe).

Job Purpose

Public Health in Emergencies (PHiE) Officer deploys in response to disasters (including disease outbreaks) and crises around the globe as part of IFRC Emergency response. The Public Health in Emergencies Officer will work in collaboration with other Movement Partners, delegates, national staff and volunteers, local health authorities and affected communities as part of a team within the mandate of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). In support of the IFRC operation, the PHiE Officer guides and develops the overarching emergency plan of action and implementation of activities. This must build on evidence, best practices, solid understanding and participation of local communities, the changing external humanitarian context and the interests and capacities of the host National Society and internal and external stakeholders. The PHiE Officer works closely with the Operations Manager to set up the necessary steps for guaranteeing that public health considerations and needs are met in the immediate response through high quality, effective and appropriate public health interventions. This includes direct support to PHiE programming implementation that builds upon community capacities and accountability to affected populations. 

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The PHiE profile is responsible for assessing, coordinating and overseeing quality implementation of all IFRC public health interventions in response to emergencies, in conjunction with the host Red Cross Red Crescent National Society health department.

• Support coordination and communication with local government and partners, and other humanitarian agencies to ensure effective rapid assessment, along with a holistic approach to public health that prevents gaps and/or duplication in services.
• Provide technical oversight to implement activities based on evidence, best practices and core standards, to ensure quality of services, including supervision, quality assurance and routine monitoring or public health activities.
• Advocate for the role of the Red Cross Red Crescent in public health response internally, and externally in coordination with the National Society.
• Ensure IFRC public health emergency programming aligns with and considers the needs, capacities, strengths and limitations of the host National Society, while meeting humanitarian needs.
• Assess the public health needs of communities affected by outbreak, disaster or crisis.
• Establish, manage and/or support community-based public health interventions, including epidemic control, health promotion, and disease prevention interventions.
• Manage and/or support epidemiological data collection, interpretation and application to programming to ensure timely and appropriate public health interventions.
• Work with local counterparts and Information Management colleagues to establish secure and confidential data management systems for monitoring and supervision of public health activities.
• Collaborate with public health ERUs deployed to implement public health response.
• Support in taking a strategic approach to public health intervention design to successfully plan for and incorporate transitions to early recovery/long term recovery and exit.
• Provide technical advice in matters of public health needs and implementation as part of emergency response management and ensure links to relevant IFRC structures.
• Ensure public health interventions are complementary to and/or feed into the broader health system, including IFRC clinical ERUs (e.g. referral pathways)
• Liaise regularly with the community through local health committees and seek feedback on the community’s perception of health services, promoting community involvement in all aspects of health programming.
• Take a capacity building approach to work, providing training, technical support, mentoring and dissemination as part of emergency response and recovery activities.
• Reinforce, when possible and appropriate, the capacity of the National Society’s volunteers through basic and/or specialized public health training, e.g. community-based health and first aid (CBHFA), epidemic control for volunteers (ECV), community-based surveillance (CBS), or other standardized IFRC public health methodologies.

Education

• Relevant university degree in Health management, public health or other related 
  fields. (Required)
• Master’s degree in public health or related Discipline (preferred)

Experience

• 5 years of experience of working for the Red Cross or other humanitarian
  organizations on health in emergencies.
• Experience implementing IFRC health tools and approaches in emergencies.
• Experience working in a coordination role in an international health emergency.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Very good interpersonal, communication and presentation skills.
• Motivated, self-started personality, sense of responsibility and organization skills.
• Ability to multi-task, work under pressure, and prioritize workload in order to
• meet tight deadlines.
• Ability to identify and handle sensitive and confidential information with
• Discretion.
• Good negotiation skills, good judgment and maturity.
• Good knowledge of the operational context and area.
• Flexibility and ability to travel in the operation’s areas.
• Fluently spoken and written English

Competencies, Values and Comments

• Communication
• Collaboration and Teamwork
• Judgement and Decision Making
• National Society and Customer Relations
• Creativity and Innovation
• Building Trust