Job Purpose:

The Health System Strengthening (HSS) technical officer will contribute to high quality health programming, especially in HSS and Maternal, Adolescent, Infant, Nutrition and Child Health, through advising project staff, project support, documentation and knowledge management across the range of contexts in which Concern Ethiopia works – emergency, fragile/chronic emergency, development. S/He is expected to ensure all activities are implemented with a high degree of quality, in line with national guidelines and international standards. S/He will be required to keep up-to-date with any changes in global and national policies and oversee the technical direction and quality of health and HSS approaches in collaboration with the Health and Nutrition Coordinator and Managers.

Main duties & Responsibilities:

Key Responsibilities

Technical Support & Quality Assurance

• Harmonise and develop HSS guidance, tools and methodology used in Concern health and nutrition programmes, in line with government endorsed material and Health and Nutrition Strategy and ensure distributed to all programme areas/programme managers
•  Ensure that any health components of wider health and nutrition programming are functioning properly, technically strong and providing quality care to all beneficiaries while respecting guidelines and principles of good practice
• Support staff to work with specific health systems including not exclusive:

-Human Resource: identifying, advocating and strengthening local capacity gaps

-Health information systems: including HMIS/DHIS2, PHEM, any electronic data collection

-Supply Management: bottlenecks (especially last mile delivery)

-Finance: work with government and health facility staff to strengthen financial management skills in order to improve service

-Community health systems: mobilise communities to advocate for health priorities

Capacity Building & Mentorship 

•   Train staff (emergency and development) and government counterparts on understanding and applying an HSS approach to all projects to identify and address key bottlenecks (move from substitution to supporting or strengthening the system)
•   Support health and nutrition programming including but not exclusive to:AIMNCI/ICCM; reproductive health; Public Health management /emergency response /infectious disease/drug usage
•   Support introduction of One health to specific project areas as required
•  Conduct regular technical visits (supportive supervision) to programmes to support effective implementation, monitoring, evaluation and documentation of ongoing health and nutrition/HSS activities
• Build coaching techniques and problem solving to address identified systems barriers

Programme Development & Design

•   Support and lead on the development of proposal and report documentation related to health, nutrition and HSS components
•   Lead on development and adaptation, of “CMAM Surge” for acute malnutrition and to include key childhood diseases and subsequent evaluation, documentation, dissemination and scale up
• Ensure appropriate Health, nutrition and HSS standard indicators are used for monitoring the process, achieved outputs and outcomes, and make findings available for future programming and planning

Monitoring, Evaluation, Assessment & Learning

•  Conduct in-depth analysis of health, nutrition and HSS practices and barriers in different target populations using methodology that includes Knowledge Attitude and Practice (KAP), Barrier Analysis (BA), Trials of Improved Practices (TIPs), Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) and Key Informant Interviews (KII)
•   Collate and share findings from Concern or other agency learning on health and nutrition issues, health system barriers or bottlenecks
•  Prepare reports and learning briefs for external dissemination from all projects in liaison with MEAL unit and H&N coordinator and managers

Representation & Networking

•  Participate in Government workshops/working groups related to health, nutrition and HSS
•  Representation at relevant health technical working groups, including health cluster when requested
•  Build relationships with WHO, key FMOH departments and other health actors

Other: Undertake other related duties as may reasonably be assigned by Programme Director/line manager

Accountability

•    In line with Concern’s commitments under the Core Humanitarian Standard (CHS):
•   actively promote meaningful community participation and consultation at all stages of the project cycle (planning, implementation, M&E);
•  work with relevant colleagues  to ensure that the Complaints and Response Mechanism (CRM) is functional and accessible, that feedback and complaints are welcomed and addressed;
•  work with relevant colleagues  to ensure that information about CRM, safeguarding and expected staff behavior is disseminated among programme participants and communities

Gender Equity 

• Demonstrate an understanding of Concern Ethiopia’s Gender Equality Strategy
•   Contribute to ensuring that Concern Ethiopia is a place where men and women are treated equally and with  dignity and respect
• Demonstrate gender equality awareness and gender sensitivity and an ability to integrate a gender equality perspective into tasks and activities.

Person specification:

Essential:

•    Minimum of a Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health or equivalent (Masters an advantage)
•    At least 3years’ work experience in managing emergency and/or development health projects, including nutrition
•   Experience in health system strengthening and a good understanding of capacity building approaches and advantage
• Good understanding of capacity building approaches
•   Strong verbal and written skills in English
•   Experience in working with team and government
•  Strong verbal and written skills in English

Desirable:

• Experience of data analytical software including EpiInfo, SPSS highly desirable
•  Strong leadership, teamwork, coordination, interpersonal and negotiating skills
•   Strong analytical skills, sound judgment and the capacity to think and plan strategically
•    Representation, liaison and negotiation skills
•   Familiarity with cross-cutting approaches such as HIV mainstreaming, rights-based, gender, equality
• Computer literacy and familiarity with Microsoft Office, including PowerPoint presentations and spreadsheets and budgeting

Competencies:

• Team work: work with other  colleagues in a team manner and contribute to the team so as to achieve the goal
•  Integrate: Honest, encourages openness and transparency; demonstrates highest levels of integrity
•  Communication: Actively communicate with the team
• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength
• Understands the legal, professional, and ethical responsibilities around information sharing.
• Practices in a manner that seeks to reduce the risk of abuse, harm or neglect.

What we Offer

• A competitive salary and benefit package
• Excellent medical benefits (100% cover including dependents)
• 20 days annual leave
•  26 weeks maternity leave, 18 weeks (unpaid) parental leave