Health and Nutrition Officer

Background

 HelpAge International is a global network of more than 113 organizations in 75 countries. As the world’s leading organization dedicated to promoting the wellbeing and inclusion of older women and men as well as reducing poverty and discrimination in later life, HelpAge envisions a world in which all older people can lead dignified, healthy and secure lives.  HelpAge has been working in Ethiopia since 1992 in the areas of health and HIV & AIDS, emergency response and disaster risk management, social protection, livelihoods and care and support, as well as building the capacity of older people associations.

HelpAge International is responding to different crises in the country, drought, conflict and refugee, with special focus on specific needs of older people and other most vulnerable groups in Assosa region. The interventions include Health, Nutrition, Livelihoods, protection of older people and person with disabilities and capacity building of humanitarian actors to ensure inclusion of older people and their specific needs and essential service delivery interventions. The health and nutrition component of the projects cover Home Based care (HBC service for bedridden and home bound older people, organizing outreach eye care service, mass screening malnutrition among older people, CMAM treatments as well as referral linkages for critical illness and SAM cases. The intervention support capacity building and mainstreaming older people specific needs in health and nutrition responses by other actors.  The specific projects are implemented in close coordination and collaboration with the government and other humanitarian actors currently involved in various sectors of the responses.

 We are currently seeking dedicated professionals and committed to contribute to improved living conditions for south affected population located in Assosa with regular visit to project sites, IDP and refugee camps. The Health and Nutrition officers will remain breast state of HelpAge Refugee response for the health and nutrition component in Assosa and part of the over-project team in Assosa  field offices and integrated humanitarian response interventions of HelpAge international. They will be required to demonstrate strong competencies in technical operation, coordination and representation and management of emergency health and nutrition assistance programmes as well as capacity-building support.

 Job purpose

 As a Health and Nutrition Officer, the incumbents under the guidance and direct supervision of the Project coordinators based in Assosa field offices are in charge of emergency health and nutrition components of HelpAge in the corresponding field offices. Responsibilities include leading, planning, implementation, monitoring, documentation, reporting, coordination, and controlling/ensuring quality of health and nutrition intervention of the project in the project sites.  S/He will be responsible for representation and promoting the consideration of older people specific needs in the overall health and nutrition emergency and recovery programs coordinated by responsible offices eg. UNHCR, ARRA and the national Government. S/he is also responsible for building the capacity of the assistant health officer, who works under his/her direct supervision and social supervisors, Home-based care providers and partners and collaborating organizations and ensure appropriateness of field implementations and quality. The role includes supervision of community assistant health officer and community workers. As the emergency H&N intervention is integrated within multi-sectoral responses along with NFI, Food Security, shelter and Protection, the Emergency H&N Officers will link closely with other respective sectors to ensure maximum possible integration of the project activities.

 Key Relationships: 

• Lead the health team that involve health and Nutrition assistants, Community level Health workers and Home-based care providers and OPAs involved in heath intervention of the projects and closely coordinate with other project staff.;
• Direct communication with the Emergency team in Addis Ababa concerning routine updates of the project as well as challenges in the implementation process.;
• Close working relations with the HelpAge International Ethiopia Program and Finance teams, implementing partner program and finance staff in the field.
• Frequent liaison with project implementing partners external audiences, in particular health and nutrition units, technical task forces, health  and nutrition NGOs in  Assosa.

 Job responsibilities

•  Develop detail action plan and Ensure effective implementation of health and nutrition component of projects in line with the existing donor approved project document in collaboration with other staff and other stakeholders.;
• Coordinate and lead older people mapping collection of information about older people and person with disabilities health situation in IDP sites, refugee camps and host community, beneficiary targeting and inclusive verification process for the nutrition and health interventions.
• Promote participatory approaches, in emergency programming to ensure inclusion of all most vulnerable groups including older people, children, women and Persons with disabilities throughout the project cycle and joint learning processes.;
• Promote older people and disability friendly health and nutrition strategies, approaches and modalities in all programming activities.
• Monitor the humanitarian situation, vulnerabilities of older people to health and nutrition risks and crisis and provide weekly update on the humanitarian situation and project implementation progress to the coordinator who compile and communicate consolidated field (Assosa) update to country humanitarian.
• Ensure strict adherence to humanitarian principles and guidelines in the development and implementation of all projects;.
• Contribute to quality and compliance with donor reporting requirements and ensure that the Health and nutrition components are properly addressed in the overall donor reporting and communication with government and others as required.
• Support timely and to the standard procurement of health and nutrition material and delivery to support effective implementation of planned activities.
• Ensure all project activities are implemented efficiently as per the available budget and donor requirement and identify challenges and constraints and suggest possible remedial actions including possible modifications required in the process of implementation to the project coordinator for approved by the Country team, program manager and finance, of HelpAge international.
• Participate in Humanitarian strategy development, proposal writing, technical discussion within HelpAge International in relation to health and nutrition.
• Play active role in Assosa and woreda/site/camp level task force, coordination forums, joint rapid emergency assessments in order to raise awareness, share information and build partnerships in the humanitarian sector.
• Support capacity building project staff, refugee/IDP/community level stakeholders and  Humanitarian actors for improved inclusion of older people in emergency and recovery livelihoods and recovery interventions.
• Support adoption of older people emergency and recovery sensitive humanitarian plans and practices in the area, and the voice of older people and other most vulnerable groups are heard in emergency assessment and joint planning with other actors.
• Ensure regular field level monitoring of projects, in collaboration with local stakeholders and project team in the field, tracking of project activities, effective utilisation of resources and documentation and reporting of accomplishments, lessons, risks and challenges as well as mitigation actions taken achieved.
• Promote organisational learning by ensuring timely and quality information (eg. beneficiaries and indicators) is collected and shared with HelpAge, Partners and humanitarian community.;

Department:  Humanitarian Program - Ethiopia

Responsible to:   Assosa /Project Coordinator

Contract:  1-year fixed term (with the possibility of extension)

• BSc / MSc , MHD  in the field of public health, environmental health, health and  Nutrition  and related field  with relevant experience.
• Excellent analytical skills and able to solve complex problems quickly and effectively in the field.
• Extensive experience at least 4 years in managing health and nutrition focussed projects/programmes at field level, relevant experience at coordination, partnership and project management level.
• Experience of working in remote areas, refugee context and complex emergency situation in a difficult environment.
• Good time, project management and organization skills.
• Experience in working with marginalised most vulnerable groups such as women, older people, persons with disabilities, etc.
• Proven ability to lead and work effectively with others to achieve results, and able to work independently as required.
• Fluency in written and spoken English and the respective local languages in Borena/Gambella is a plus.
• Experience in design and implementation of emergency preparedness, livelihoods, WASH and food security which are complementary to the Health & nutrition component.
• Ability to work in partnership with other stakeholders within an agreed partnership framework.

• Good understanding of budgets and financial management and safeguarding principles.
• Working with local partners.

• Team work skill 
• Ability to coordinate and mentor staff under his/ her responsibility 
• Result oriented 
• Resilient under stressful environment 
• Good analytical skill 
• Self-managed, committed, knowledgeable and confident