HEALTH COORDINATOR

[Erbil,Iraq ]

Preliminary Job Information
Job Title	Health Coordinator
Reports to	Deputy Head of Mission- Programs
Country and Base of Posting	Erbil- Iraq (with movement to all bases)

 

 

Job Description

 

Overall objective

 

The Health Coordinator is responsible for the success of the mission’s medical strategy and the quality of current and future medical programmes at the definition, implementation and evaluation phases. He/She provides support to programme managers who report to them on the basis of a dotted-line relationship.

 

Humanitarian Context in Iraq:

 

Wide-scale violence and armed conflict erupted in Iraq in January 2014. In Anbar governorate, the cities of Ramadi and Falluja were particularly affected, the violence and its impact quickly grew. Also in June 2014, ISg, together with other armed groups, attacked and seized control of Mosul and large portions of northern Iraq, including areas of Diyala, Kirkuk, Ninewa, and Salah al-Din governorates. The Government of Iraq (GoI) has conducted multiple military operations since 2016 to regain control of territories held by ISg and announced in November 2017 that military operations had successfully concluded in their retaking of all Iraqi territory. Military operations in Mosul, Anbar and Salah Al-Din have led to ongoing massive internal displacements, serious and systematic violations of civilian protection and basic human rights, interrupted access to basic services, and put a severe strain on host communities. The country is now gradually moving from an emergency situation which required lifesaving operations to a post-conflict transition towards durable solutions. As per  Humanitarian Needs Overview (HNO) concluded in early October 2020, the Government of Iraq (GoI) announced it would close all camps hosting internally displaced people by the end of the year. From mid-October 2020 to the time of HNO publication in mid-January 2021, 14 formal IDP camps in areas under GoI administration were closed, consolidated or reclassified as informal sites. As a result, 25 per cent (or 65,000) of the people whose needs are presented in this HNO as “in-camp IDPs” were no longer living in camps. In line with the trends observed since October 2020, some 43,000 are assumed to have become returnees and 22,000 out-of-camp IDPs.

In the 2021 Humanitarian Response Plan (HRP), humanitarian partners set out to cover the critical needs of 1.5 million people living in 63 districts out of Iraq’s total 101 districts. Despite the continuation of the COVID19 pandemic, humanitarian partners provided at least one form of assistance, at least one time, to 641,000 people (43 per cent of the target) from January to July 2021.

 

PUI in Iraq:

 

 Implemented in Iraq since 1983 through Aide Médicale Internationale (AMI), and since 1997 through Première Urgence (PU), PUI (Première Urgence Internationale) brings help to vulnerable refugees, displaced persons as well as host communities (to avoid marginalization when the pressure on available resources becomes unbearable), in order to improve their living conditions and reinforce their resilience to enable them to regain dignity and autonomy. PUI’s objective in Iraq is to provide a humanitarian response to needs arising from movements of population through actions aimed at reinforcing the existing Health system, and providing Mental Health Psychosocial Support to the people in need, but also at providing access to Shelter, to drinking Water, Hygiene and Sanitation. Given the scale of the crisis and the needs observed, PUI emphasizes multiple sectoral interventions and develops as much as possible an integrated approach, keeping health the core sector of its intervention.

 

Current programs of PUI in Iraq

1. Supporting Returnees, out-of-camp IDPs and Host communities by providing comprehensive life-saving and wellbeing healthcare services across Iraq.

Project aims to provide health services through support to static PHCCs, MMUs, vaccination and nutrition activities in Dohuk and Ninewa governorates.

2. Strengthening health service delivery for Halabja hospital for the treatment for the victims of chemical weapon.

Provision of support for the victims of chemical weapons hospital with Medical and non-medical items, capacity building of the staff, comprehensive IPC program and supporting the implementation of HIS system in the facility

3. Support the COVID-19 quarantine and isolation (Q/I) area set up in IDP camps.

Support two Q/I areas of Berseve and Bajet Kandala IDP camps in Dohuk governorate of KRG and support Covid-19 hospital i.e. Al-Shifa hospital in Ninewa governorate of Federal Iraq.

4. Strengthening quality and access to mental health services in Iraq, in consortium with ACF-lead, IMC and HI

 

The project aims at improving the access to quality mental health and psychosocial care in Iraq through enhancing technical capacities of governmental institutions at the ministry of health level, capacity building of stakeholders at national and governorate levels and promotion of mental health care. In particular, the project supports the mental health authorities in Iraq in order to improve the access and quality of services as well as increase community resilience.

 

 

Tasks and Responsibilities

 

–              Strategy: Working alongside the Head of Mission and cooperating closely with the Head Office Medical Department, he/she contributes to the development of new medical initiatives for the mission. He/She carries out epidemiological monitoring for the country and analyses strengths and weaknesses from the point of view of public health.

–              Programmes: He/She ensures that medical programme(s) are in line with PUI’s health policy and monitors them for quality and efficacy.

–              Representation: He/She represents the association to partners, authorities and local stakeholders involved in implementing medical programmes.

–              Human Resources / Training: He/She supervises the medical coordination team (PUI employees), provides support to programme managers for recruiting technical staff and supervises technical training activities on the basis of identified needs.

–              Logistics and Administration: He/She ensures the activities for which he/she is responsible comply with logistical and administrative procedures.

–              Safety: He/She contributes to compliance with safety rules within the mission and communicates any safety-related information to the Head of Mission. He/She ensures healthcare is provided for expatriate staff involved in the mission.

 

Specific objectives and linked activities

1. MONITOR AND UPDATE MEDICAL STRATEGY

–              He/She contributes to the development of the mission’s operational medical strategy in line with PUI’s health policy and the country’s national health policy.

–              He/She submits any proposals for the development of new medical activities in new areas of operation to the Head Office Medical Department. He/She ensures that the medical activities of the mission’s programmes comply with PUI’s health policy and operational framework.

–              He/She ensures tools and practices across the whole of the mission are harmonised and capitalised in relation to PUI tools and helps to update them in conjunction with the Head Office Medical Department.

–              He/She ensures that epidemiological data, medical protocols, national health policy and assistance programmes from key players in the healthcare sector (WHO, UNICEF, UNFPA, UNAIDS, etc.) for the country are monitored and analysed in conjunction with the Head Office Medical Department.

–              He/She promotes the production (publication) of research documents relating to the mission where appropriate, in conjunction with the Head Office Medical Department.

–              He/She attends coordination meetings as an active contributor. He/She organises annual reflection and strategic development workshops with the mission’s medical staff as necessary.

 

2. MONITOR THE MISSION’S MEDICAL PROGRAMME(S)

–              He/She provides continuous information to the Head of Mission and project managers on new directions on medical policies at a national level and within PUI.

–              He/She ensures reports on medical activities (quarterly for the medical department), in particular in relation to epidemiological data, consumption of medical supplies, indicators and results of the mission’s medical programmes are monitored and analysed.

–              He/She supervises the operation of medical activities, including project and site visits, monitoring the quality of care, meeting medical staff and organising meetings and training for medical staff.

–              He/She provides technical support for programmes by responding to technical questions, analysing medical strategy and identifying solutions to problems.

–              He/She contributes to adapting implementation and monitoring methods for medical activities on projects run by the mission.

–              He/She ensures that orders for medical equipment, medicines and consumables are appropriate to programme requirements and local constraints (country certification, health monitoring, etc).

–              He/She communicates internal and external reports to the Head of Mission and Head Office Medical Department in line with internal approval timescales (situation report) and external contractual deadlines (project reports).

 

3. SUPERVISE THE MEDICAL TEAM

–              He/She is familiar with PUI’s Internal Regulations in relation to the mission and ensures these are understood and complied with by his/her team.

–              He/She draws up job descriptions for the members of his/her team, has them approved by the Head of Mission and plays an active role in recruitment (interviews, tests, etc). He/She participates in the decision to terminate the employment contract of members of his/her team.

–              He/She ensures that all staff are assessed in writing at least once per contract and once a year, and as a minimum before they leave their post.

–              He/She introduces coordination mechanisms specific to his/her team and organises team supervision.

–              He/She identifies training needs for his/her team and supplements this through the provision of organisational, methodological and technical support, organising training, etc.

–              He/She draws up an organisation chart for his/her team and has it approved by the Head of Mission.

–              He/She participates in defining all medical positions for the mission (recruitment, training, monitoring, setting objectives, support and assessments for local staff).

 

4. ENSURE LOGISTICAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE MONITORING OF MEDICAL PROGRAMME(S)

–              He/She participates in analysing orders for medicines, consumables and medical equipment placed by project technical managers.

–              He/She contributes to analysing bids made by suppliers for purchases with stringent technical specifications.

–              He/She provides all the information needed to produce a cash flow forecast for his/her own department to the Administration and Finance Coordinator on a monthly basis.

–              He/She ensures up-to-date budget monitoring for the department for which he/she is responsible on a monthly basis and participates in analysing, identifying any discrepancies and proposing adjustments to the Administration and Finance Coordinator.

 

5. REPRESENT PUI TO KEY PLAYERS IN THE HEALTHCARE SECTOR

–              He/She represents the association to key national and local players (NGOs, health authorities and institutional stakeholders) involved in implementing medical programmes and ensures good relationships are maintained with each of them (ensuring compliance with PUI’s principles of neutrality and independence).

–              In the event of a visit by a donor, he/she plays an active role in preparing and managing the visit.

6. ENSURE THE SAFETY OF PROPERTY AND PEOPLE

–              He/She ensures the safety plan is understood by the team for which he/she is responsible and that safety rules are respected.

–              He/She contributes to gathering information relating to safety in his/her area of operation and disseminates this on a regular basis or ad hoc in the event of an emergency.

–              He/She ensures that the medical teams have access to safety equipment appropriate to their activities (e.g. PEP kits, gloves, etc).

–              He/She participates, as necessary, in managing medical evacuations in conjunction with the Administration and Finance Coordinator, Head of Mission and Head Office.

 

7. CONTRIBUTE TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF NEW PROPOSALS

–              He/She participates in and/or supervises exploratory missions in conjunction with the Head of Mission.

–              He/She provides monitoring of the healthcare coverage provided by health authorities and NGOs in the country.

–              He/She participates in identifying healthcare needs in conjunction with the project teams.

–              When defining new operations, he/she works with the project teams to prepare and draft project proposals for health-related activities.

–              He/She participates in drafting the mission’s annual action plan.

Required Profile
Required knowledge and skills
	required	Desirable
Training	Medical diploma OR Paramedic training + completed a Medical internship	5 years post-secondary education in Pharmacy Public health Project management
Professional Experience –          Humanitarian –          International –          Technical	X   X	X
Knowledge and Skills	–     Good written communication skills –     Knowledge of project management	–     Knowledge of procedures of institutional donors OFDA, ECHO, AAP, UN agencies, etc.)
Languages –          French –          English –          Other (Arabic) –          Other (Kurdish)	X X	X     X
SOFTWARE –          Pack Office –          Other (please specify)	X
Required Personal Characteristics (fitting into the team, suitability for the job and assignment)
–     Ability to work independently, take the initiative and take responsibility –     Resilience to stress –     Diplomacy and open-mindedness –     Good analytical skills –     Organisation and ability to manage priorities –     Proactive approach to making proposals and identifying solutions –     Ability to work and manage professionally and maturely –     Ability to integrate into the local environment, taking account of its political, economic and historical characteristics

In order to submit an application, all candidates are invited to fill the following google form by clicking on the link below: 

APPLY HERE – HEALTH COORDINATOR

Premiere Urgence will proceed to the preselection of candidates on a rolling basis and reserve the right to close the advertisement as soon as a candidate is identified for the position. Therefore, you are kindly invited to submit your application as soon as possible.  

 

Kindly note that all applications received by email or by paper will not be considered. Only those submitted through the application link will be processed.

Premiere Urgence International thank you for your interest in the organization.