Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies 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.”  The 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 the 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 delegation and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

IFRC Country Delegation in Pakistan is part of the Asia-Pacific Regional set-up and its role and mandate in Pakistan are defined as support to the Pakistan Red Crescent (PRCS) in programme/service delivery, international resource mobilisation, ensuring quality and accountability to donors, coordination of NSD/BD activities towards PRCS development and ensuring effective implementation of the Annual Operational Plans agreed with the PRCS.

The Country Delegation in Pakistan is led by a Head of Country Delegation (HOCD). IFRC CD in Pakistan is part of the Asia-Pacific Regional set-up and its role and mandate in Pakistan are defined as support to the Pakistan RC in programme/service delivery, emergency preparedness and response, international resource mobilisation, ensuring quality and accountability to donors, and coordination of NSD activities towards PRCS development.

Pakistan is experiencing unprecedented floods with more than 33 million people affected and around 5,7 million people in need of humanitarian aid. Nearly 1.7 million houses have been impacted by rains and, an estimated 750,000 livestock have died as a result of the heavy rains and floods. The situation is expected to worsen as heavy rainfall continues and the extended Monsoon season still ongoing, leaving communities unable to cope and infrastructure over-strained. A DREF operation was launched on end of July, expanding the operation with a second allocation request in August, before launching an Emergency Appeal (25 million Swiss Francs) which included a third DREF allocation increasing the DREF loan to 1 million Swiss Francs.
The strategy of the IFRC response is to urgently scale up live saving actions as millions of people have no shelter or food and still need rescuing as well as address recovery needs and increase the adaptive capacity and resilience of vulnerable households. The emphasis of this response is meeting the immediate basic needs of the flood affected population including health and wash services, transitioning timely to address recovery activities through livelihood interventions.

Job Purpose

---The Health Coordinator, under the management of the Operatoins Manager, 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 IFRC.

In support of the IFRC operation, the Health Coordinator guides and develops the overarching emergency plan of action and implementation of clinical and public health 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 Health Coordinator works closely with the  Operations Manager to set up the necessary steps for guaranteeing that health considerations and needs are met in the immediate response through high quality, effective and appropriate clinical and public health interventions. This includes direct support to health programming implementation that builds upon health system and National Society capacities, and accountability to affected populations.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

The Health Coordinator is responsible for assessing, coordinating and overseeing quality implementation of all IFRC clinical and public health interventions in response to emergencies, in conjunction with the host Red Cross Red Crescent National Society Health Department. In large-scale emergency responses, the Health Coordinator is responsible for leading the overall health strategy and may directly supervise the medical and public health in emergencies coordinators, if applicable.

  • Coordinate and communicate with local government and partners, and other humanitarian agencies to ensure effective rapid assessment, along with a holistic approach to health that prevents gaps and/or duplication in services.
  • Ensure evidence, best practices and core standards are applied to all levels of emergency health programming, to ensure quality of services.
  • Advocate for the role of the Red Cross Red Crescent in health response.
  • Ensure IFRC emergency health programming aligns with and considers the needs, capacities, strengths and limitations of the host National Society, while meeting humanitarian needs.
  • Assess the health needs of communities affected by outbreak, disaster or crisis.
  • Establish, manage and/or support health interventions, including clinical service provision, health promotion, and disease prevention interventions
  • Manage and/or support collection and proper use of Red Cross Red Crescent Health Information System (RCHIS) and other necessary health information management systems, interpretation and application to programming to ensure timely and appropriate health interventions
  • Work with local counterparts and Information Management colleagues to establish secure and confidential data management systems.
  • Support and coordinate clinical and/or public health ERUs deployed to implement health response. This could include assessment, deployment and installation support for health ERUs; supervision; mentoring; and training.
  • Take a strategic approach to health intervention design to successfully plan for and incorporate transitions to early recovery/long term recovery and exit.
  • Act as technical advisor in matters of clinical and public health needs and implementation as part of emergency response management and ensure links to relevant IFRC structures.
  • Ensure health interventions are complementary to and/or feed into the broader health system, including IFRC coordination between IFRC health and WASH ERUs.
  • 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 and/or its volunteers.

Education

Required

  • MPACT, BTC or equivalent experience.
  • Degree in public health, nursing or medicine

Preferred

  • Health ERU training

Experience

Required

  • 3-5 years health experience, preferably in emergency or humanitarian contexts or working with disadvantaged or remote communities.
  • 3-5 years of experience working for the Red Cross or other humanitarian organizations on health in emergencies

Preferred

  • Experience implementing IFRC health tools and approaches in emergencies.
  • Experience working in a coordination role in an international emergency

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

Required  

  • Familiarity with current health international standards and guidelines.
  • Able to work in an insecure context and manage stress.
  • Excellent communication and interpersonal skills.
  • Effective team and project management skills
  • Demonstrated coordination and management skills.
  • Demonstrable accountability.
  • Able to work well in a multicultural team and in a changing environment.
  • Self-supporting in computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word-processing, email, etc.)

Languages

  • Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred

  • Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies, Values and Comments

Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability

Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust

Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others.

Managerial competencies: Managing staff performance; Managing staff development.

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Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify. Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.