The Health and Nutrition Project Manager develops, leads, monitors and evaluates the assigned emergency health and nutrition projects. This involves coordinating and identification of locations with health and nutrition needs, takes lead in all health and nutrition assessment and interventions. Other important aspects of the role include managing (supervision) and training primary healthcare, reproductive healthcare and nutrition staff to meet international quality standards in healthcare delivery, encouraging beneficiary participation, liaising with other stakeholders, and anticipating, planning, and contributing to the development of new health and nutrition project proposals and reports.
Project Overview
The Emergency Response Team (ERT) operates multi-sector relief programme including Nutrition, Health, WASH, NFI and shelter response across South Sudan, with an overall objective to reduce morbidity and mortality of vulnerable populations through the provision of emergency WASH (water, sanitation and hygiene), healthcare, and nutrition services. Medair is implementing integrated Community Case Management (iCCM) in remote villages where access to healthcare is difficult and has set up Care Groups through which behavioural change communication messages reach more than 6,000 households. Medair Health and Nutrition projects also seeks to address the inadequate coverage and quality of life –saving services for treatment of common illnesses, psychosocial wellbeing, reproductive health services & acute malnutrition in children <5y.o. and PLWs. The programme will also address some key determinants of malnutrition through promotion of improved IYCF practices and healthy behaviour linked to unnecessary deaths among the vulnerable population. Medair works across South Sudan in camps for internally displaced persons (IDPs), transit centres and within host communities providing primary healthcare and outpatient nutrition services.
Workplace & Working conditions
Position based in Juba with frequent travel, often for extended periods, to work in any of the states within South Sudan.
Starting Date / Initial Contract Details
April 2024. Full time, 12-24 months.
Key Activity Areas
Technical
- Manage assigned H&N projects in order to meet project objectives within budget and allotted time frame, report promptly any operational concerns to line manager and country H&N advisors
- Provide strong leadership of assigned H&N project, working to ensure short & long-term positive impacts and outcomes for the beneficiaries, local health authorities (where applicable) and local health and nutrition staff
- Contribute to develop & implement appropriate, effective H&N strategy incl. quick deployment, integrated multi sectoral H&N projects (CMAM, IYCF, iCCM), proactive responsible exit planning in collab. w/country sector advisors, ERT PC, H&N staff and field managers
- Set clear objectives, indicators for H&N assessments & interventions (incl. care management & prevention) in collab. w/Medair country sector advisors, H&N staff, field managers and with local communities
- Continuously monitor & supervise emergency H&N activities, evaluating progress through outputs & impacts using quant & qual data, involving H&N team (and local health authorities) and taking appropriate action to ensure continued progress
- Provide input into integration of beneficiary participation & accountability in all project aspects in collab. w/MEAL manager
- Ensure accurate & timely reporting of all H&N activities according to Medair, donor, other applicable timeframes and formats
- Develop new proposals, linked to the assessed needs and gaps and the Medair country strategy, in conjunction with the relevant field managers and the country sector advisors
Staff Management
- Line-manage H&N Managers, Medical managers, incl. day-to-day management, development and training, appraisals…
- Oversee and ensure quality recruitment, training and line management of all health and nutrition field staff
- Facilitate regular meetings to assist information sharing between project staff, to ensure all staff members are aware of project objectives and current work plans and to provide the opportunity for feedback
- Provide coaching & technical staff supervision to develop ownership & full responsibility for H&N activities, programme quality
- Assess the training needs of health and nutrition staff and ensure that appropriate training is conducted when possible
Financial Management
- Manage the health and nutrition budget for the assigned project(s) and ensure all expenses are according to budget and meet the Medair standards with regard to financial management, including accountability and good governance
- Track expenses against project budgets, working w/PC & Finance Manager to address issues of over or underspending
- Draft annual budget for Health and Nutrition emergency response project
Communication and Coordination
- Develop & maintain appropriate, regular, transparent and supportive communication structures with H&N team, HQ H&N managers, advisors and other relevant stakeholders to ensure good cooperation and partnerships
- Participate in health and nutrition ERR coordination meetings, Medair internal trainings, and other working groups or meetings as required, representing Medair and feeding back to the health staff and field managers on relevant issues
- Coordinate externally & internally to timely identify locations w/multisectoral/H&N needs, initiate assessments/interventions
- Coordinate early in response w/partners on ground, agree on intervention modalities, Memorandum of Understanding signing
- Represent Medair and feedback to relevant staff as necessary (ERT teams, Advisors)
Logistics
- Collaborate w/ERT Logistics Manager to ensure timely procurement of medicine, equipment, medical & nutrition supplies
- Liaise w/health, logistics and finance staff to ensure items are transported, stored, managed and accounted for accurately
- Ensure H&N supplies and equipment is ordered on time to ensure buffer stock is readily available in Juba warehouse
- Submit timely requests to H&N partners (UNICEF, WFP, WHO) to release core pipeline supplies and monitor their utilisation
Quality Management
- Promote, use Medair intranet & other operating procedures, ensuring usage of all standardised formats, guidelines
- Ensure health and nutrition projects are implemented in line with donor proposals and requirements and in accordance with Medair, donor, country and international standards i.e. Sphere and HAP standards
Security Management
- Responsible for ensuring field team compliance w/security procedures, ensure teams are equipped w/appropriate communications equipment, quick run bags, security money and equipment
- On the ground, work w/ERT PC to monitor security situation, gather info from various sources, feeding back to Medair mgmt.
Team Spiritual Life
- Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts
- Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith-based team settings. Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of your team, including team devotions, prayers, and words of encouragement.
Qualifications
- Clinical degree or diploma (nurse, midwife or doctor)
- Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written)
Experience
- 2 years’ post-qualification nursing/medical professional experience
- At least 1-year management experience in a health context
- At least 1-year work experience in health or nutrition in a developing country
- Team-player with good inter-personal skills, willingness to support others and share workload
- Aptitude for community mobilisation and capacity-building
- Experience in training / mentoring / coaching staff
- Capacity to work under pressure and manage personal stress levels
- Creative, open-minded, flexible, self-learner
- Able to cope with basic living conditions in the field
- Problem solving ability and willingness to manage project implementation
- Good numerical, report writing and administration skills
- Clinical skills within a Primary Health Care setting
- Knowledge of humanitarian principles, Sphere, HAP Standards, other international humanitarian guidelines and protocols
- Knowledge and experience of primary health care principles and management
- Able to prioritise clearly and oversee multiple tasks
- Able to take the initiative in project decisions, enforce procedures, set clear objectives for staff and to delegate
- Committed to consultative and servant minded leadership
How to apply
Please ensure you are fully aware of the:
a) Medair organizational values
b) Medair is committed to safeguarding the protection of beneficiaries, volunteers, staff and partners, and particularly children. Therefore, we do not employ staff whose background we understand to be unsuitable for working with children. Medair staff are required to give the utmost respect to, and comply with, Medair’s accountability policies and best practices.
c) Medair Relief & Recovery Orientation Course (ROC) (which forms part of the recruitment selection process for field positions).
Application Process
To apply, go to this vacancy on our Medair Page.
Please do not make multiple applications. We will not review email applications. Only English-language applications / CVs will be reviewed.