Immunization Delegate (ME crisis operation)

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs 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.” 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 has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

The Palestine Red Crescent Society (PRCS) and Lebanese Red Cross (LRC) are implementing a multi-country Gavi-funded immunization and primary health care project to deliver life-saving vaccines and prevent the spread of vaccine preventable diseases (VPD) in response to the escalation of hostilities since October 2023. PRCS and LRC, with support from IFRC, will reach children who have been unable to access immunizations because of compromised access to health services due to the conflict and/or because they have been forced to flee conflict several times. IFRC will support both NSs to integrate immunization services into primary health care facilities work in the oPt and Lebanon. The National Societies in Jordan, and potentially Egypt as the situation evolves, will additionally be engaged to move medical and non-medical supplies across borders. The Immunization Delegate is responsible for supporting PRCS to assure an effective management of the GAVI funded project.

Job Purpose

The Immunization Delegate will be based in the Amman, Jordan, and will report to the Middle East Crisis Operations Manager with frequent travels to oPt and Lebanon on short mission bases.

The role holder will exert technical leadership and provide technical support, in close collaboration with relevant IFRC technical subject-matter experts including the IFRC Geneva Immunization Team and MENA Regional Office, on immunization programming, and in close liaison with relevant focal points in the national societies and Ministry of Health (MOH) with a view to ensure effective implementation, solid contextual analysis, monitoring and evaluation of programmatic and operational data, as well as timely and quality reporting to Gavi.

Furthermore, the incubent will closely work with GAVI and other external actors’ focal points (e.g. UNICEF) in collaboration with MOH colleagues to understand resource needs for gaps in immunization services, especially the community component and outreach immunizations throughout oPt. The Immunization Delegate will support the work of IFRC and the National Societies in filling the immunization gaps, especially for identifying and reaching high-priority target populations in hard-to-reach and acute conflict affected areas, for mobile populations, and especially for community and outreach components.

The Immunization Delegate will oversee the standards compliance and grant technical conditions, including providing timely reporting and status updates to the donor, of the programmes’ implementation, in close coordination with the grant officer.

The role requires experience in leading immunization programmes and overall health programme management and strengthening, including emergency health, with a strong command on planning/budgeting, capacity building, mentoring, monitoring, evaluation and reporting. The role additionally requires previous experience implementing programming in acute conflict settings. the post-holder may also provide, support to other immunization and health files on a case-by-case basis, within the operational portfolio.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

GAVI vaccination

• Act as the main technical reference and backstop to advise on different technical aspects related to grant implementation and immunization health-related issues.
• Support NSs in the delivery, monitoring, evaluation and reporting of immunization activities and analyses and interpretation of immunization data through agreed strategies, targets, common risk management approaches, and effective monitoring, evaluation and reporting mechanisms, and provide guidance on any needed adjustments programme implementation to improve performance and/or adapt to changing situations.
• Attend regular immunization/health meetings with NSs and the Ministry of Health EPI Program and key immunization stakeholders, including UNICEF and URNWA.
• Provide technical expertise on vaccination campaigns, as needed, including on catch-up efforts and emergency vaccination for vaccine preventable diseases, such as cholera, measles, and polio, in coordination with MOH, UNICEF and other partners.
• Support NSs engagement to collaborate and coordinate with the MOH in order to ensure that health programs adhere to national standards, priorities, policies and partnership modalities.
• Support NSs, in coordination with Movement and non-Movement partners, to increase self-reliance and health service sustainability by gradually downscaling its dependence on external financial support.
• Support and encourage NSs to liaise regularly with authorities, UN agencies and other respective immunization stakeholders and to attend regular immunization meetings.
• Mainstream a gender-sensitive approach and gender minimum standards across health program design and implementation.
• Build on NSs’ health team management capacities through IFRC tools, concepts and training opportunities utilising IFRC resources.
• Ensure and support effective and dynamic planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting functions across IFRC-supported immunization programs and in support to PRCS capacity enhancement.
• Ensure the production of regular, timely, accurate and quality narrative and financial reports as well as any other required updates and situation reports, both internally for IFRC and externally for the donor. Facilitate the generation of quality content which can be used for publicity and promotional purposes.
• Promote documentation and dissemination of achievements and undertake advocacy actions.
• Represent IFRC in different meetings and scientific platforms to profile the project and national societies work in this file.

General

• Ensure close collaboration and coordination with IFRC internal counterparts for health programme, especially around immunization, management, reporting and/or resource mobilisation.
• Ensure effective working relationships with NSs counterparts and technical leadership.
• Ensure effective working relationships, close collaboration and effective teamwork with IFRC MENA Regional Office technical leads and counterparts.
• Strengthen the collaboration with relevant government agencies and other non-Movement actors including UN and governmental bodies to inform and participate in coordinated response strategies.
• Participate and contribute to the work of the coordination mechanism and other relevant meetings i.e., humanitarian Clusters, regional and national level coordination platforms to promote the RCRC position.
• Represent the IFRC at community or local official level and liaise with the inter-agencies and organisations when/where appropriate and be the focal point for Inter-Agency coordination and other NGO meetings, task forces and governmental co-ordination mechanisms (National/regional ECOWAS, OCHA, EU platforms) as required, fostering co-operative alliances where appropriate.
• Provide direct technical support on health and immunization activities implemented in Palestine, Lebanon, Jordan and Egypt as need and as discussed with the line-manager.

Duties applicable to all staff

1. Actively work towards the achievement of the IFRC Secretariat’s goals.
2. Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
3. Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Education

• Bachelor’s degree in medicine, pharmacy, nursing, public health – Required.
• Post-graduate degree in public health or other related topics – Required.

Experience

• Relevant experience in project and budget management – Required.
• Minimum of 5 years of experience in emergency health programming, including field operational experience in fragile and conflict affected settings – Required.
• Minimum of 3 years of experience establishing or implementing immunization activities, project managing and coordinating immunization programmes, and working with immunization partners – Required.
• Experience developing technical guidance and providing technical support on immunization – Required.
• Experience working for Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement – Preferred.
• Proven experience capacity building and training local organizations – Required.
• Experience in project cycle management (Project writing, Log Frames, Financial management, Reporting, Monitoring and Evaluation) – Required.
• Experience working with Gavi-funded programmes – Preferred.

Knowledge, Skills and Languages

• Creative and result-oriented problem-solving skills – Required.
• Proven track record of high-quality information analysis and report writing skills – Required.
• Ability to work with a degree of autonomy – Required.
• Excellent interpersonal, oral and written communication and networking skills – Required.
• Time management and organisation skills – Required.
• Fluent spoken and written English – Required.
• Good command of spoken and written Arabic – Preferred.
• Good command of another IFRC official language – Preferred.

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

IFRC ensures equal employment opportunities.