Health Director

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 50 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC began working in Myanmar in May 2008 with emergency response and early recovery interventions for communities affected by Cyclone Nargis. Since then, the IRC has broadened its portfolio with health, protection, livelihoods, and social development programs aiming to employ a holistic approach to meeting the needs of crisis affected and vulnerable communities to survive, recover, and gain control of their future. In conjunction with longer-term programs working in system strengthening, participatory community-driven development, and local stakeholder capacity development, the IRC works in emergency preparedness and response, supporting its staff and its partners to be able to become more resilient and responsive to shocks and respond quickly when they occur. The IRC is committed to a long-term presence in-country with the aim of improving the well-being of vulnerable populations living in the most hard-to-reach areas. IRC primarily focuses on the most marginalized areas of the country, including Chin, Rakhine, Kachin, Shan, Kayah, and Kayin States.

In Myanmar IRC’s health program responds to the diverse and complex needs of a country at the nexus of development and emergency response. IRC continuously adapts its programming to respond directly or through partners, using strategies including mobile health teams, trained community health volunteers, and support to partner facilities and services. programming.

Scope of work

The Health Director will provide leadership, strategic vision and technical support to all aspects of the IRC Myanmar’s health program. The Health Director will identify programmatic priorities, partnership and funding opportunities, and guide the design and implementation of health projects. The Health Director will ensure that the health program is implemented in accordance with international protocols, guidelines and best practices, including meaningful integration with social protection, WASH, and other sectors. He or she will provide technical oversight, supervision and capacity building to program staff and, by establishing tailored support, to partners. She or he will serve as key technical liaison with health stakeholders, including MOH representatives, peers at other I/NGOs, UN agencies and donors.

Responsibilities:

Program Strategy & Leadership

• Support the development and maintenance of a coherent health strategy across all health interventions in Myanmar.

• Identify unmet needs in the health sector and identify potential means for the IRC to address those needs. Conduct or support needs assessments, as required.

• Provide key technical input to the design process of new project proposals and extensions of current ones, including technical narrative, budgets, and logframes, etc. collaborating closely with other sectors to integrate programs for maximum impact.

• Evaluate staffing structure, identify gaps or areas where work can be consolidated and work with DPP and grants to ensure all roles are adequately budgeted.

• Manage IRC’s health program master budget and ensure that all new projects are designed according to IRC’s guidelines and consistent with the health strategy.

• Review new funding opportunities and make recommendations based on IRC Myanmar’s health strategy and capacity.

• Work closely with the MEAL team to ensure MEAL plans for health programs are designed to provide the information needed to effectively track program performance, including client responsiveness, as well as meeting donor requirements.

• Monitor the evolving political and funding context, develop key networking relationships and represent IRC in advocating for best ways to support a do no harm approach that promotes optimum development/provision of services consistent with humanitarian principles.

• Support the development and implementation of a context-appropriate learning agenda for IRC’s integrated programming.

• Ensure regular communication with Health Unit technical staff for feedback, updates and guidance as required.

Program Implementation

• Provide technical and management leadership to all health programs in Myanmar in accordance with best practice and IRC policy and consistent with donor agreements.

• Supervise management of project implementation consistent with the project management cycle, program objectives, activities and indicators.

• Regularly review health program data to identify areas for improvement in implementation and service delivery quality; model data use throughout the project cycle.

• Collaborate with the MEAL team to ensure robust monitoring systems are in place and that reviews are undertaken periodically in conjunction with the team, project partners and relevant local stakeholders.

• Ensure procedures are in place for high quality patient records, collection and safe transmission of data, drug management, infection prevention and control, and referral.

• Work closely and coordinate with IRC logistics, finance and grant staff to ensure timely and complete program activities and expenditures; including active participation in grant opening/closing and review meetings.

Staff Supervision & Development

• Directly recruit and supervise all health program staff.

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit.

• Mentor health technical and project leadership, ensuring they have the appropriate knowledge and skills to lead their workstreams and developing a plan to maintain and build capacity to support program quality and staff professional growth.

• Supervise staff management including maintenance of up-to-date organizational chart, staff workplans, work and vacation schedules, and staff training/ development activities.

• If/as required, identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.

• Assist the Country senior management team in managing country program staff safety and health prevention and promotion actions.

Partner Management

• Collaborate with senior management and the partnerships team to identify implementing partners and cultivate partner relationships.

• Ensure regular performance monitoring of partners and periodic capacity assessments are conducted while adhering to IRC’s partnership principles of equality, solidarity and mutuality.

• Ensure thorough and regular capacity building plans and activities for partner organizations and identify needed capacity and resources from IRC.

• Ensure that timely and appropriate transparent communications with partners, including inclusion in key relevant meetings and timely notice of deadlines, requirements, and opportunities for input to joint collaboration.

Coordination & Representation

• Develop and maintain effective strong collaborative and long-term relationships with external stakeholders in the health sector, representing IRC positions, promoting the IRC program strategy/approach and resolving problems/conflicts.

• Represent the IRC health program to external stakeholders in close collaboration with Field Coordinators and senior management team.

• Work closely with IRC Thailand to promote collaboration between the country programs and promote the “One IRC” approach.

Position Requirements:

• M.B., B. S or MD or RN, with post graduate degree in Public Health or a related field.

• At least 5-7 years of experience establishing and managing complex health programs in a humanitarian context and demonstrated high level skills in program and project coordination, management, team building and mentoring.

• At least 7-10 years of health and related working experience in UN/INGOs/LNGOs.

• Experience in managing comprehensive primary health care programs with particular expertise in primary health care, maternal and child health, reproductive health, community-based nutrition, and emergency health responses in disasters.

• An excellent understanding of the political, cultural, and public health contexts of Myanmar.

• Strong budget management skills and experience managing grants from European and US donors.

• Experience in design, implementation and analysis of health program assessments and surveys.

• Experience and skills in managing and mentoring multidisciplinary health program team in multiple sites within a country program.

• Excellent communication skills, fluent written and verbal Myanmar and English skills.

• Good computer literacy and understanding of health information systems; comfort with data collection and newly developing technologies.

• Professional demeanor, ability to work under stressful conditions while maintaining perspective and a sense of humor.

• Patience, diplomacy, flexibility, critical thinking and analytical skills.

• Ability to travel extensively to program implementing hard to reach rural areas.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.