Health Officer at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Health Officer

Requisition ID: req17576
Location: Monguno, Borno
Sector: Health
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No

Background

• The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the worst humanitarian crises globally and assists people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC is present in over 40 countries and the United States. IRC’s presence in Nigeria is dated back to 2012, when the organization responded to flooding in Kogi state.
• In February 2014, the IRC moved into Adamawa State in NE Nigeria to provide humanitarian interventions through a multi-sectoral, integrated approach for conflict affected population. IRC Nigeria now operates a country office in Abuja, and field offices in Adamawa State (Mubi and Yola), Borno state (Maiduguri, Monguno, Bama and Gwoza) and Yobe State (Damaturu). Currently, IRC Nigeria implements programs in Primary Health Care PHC), Nutrition, Environmental Health (EH), Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE), Protection, Child protection, Education, Food security & livelihoods.
• With a background of poor Reproductive, Maternal, Newborn and Child Health (RMNCH) indices, made worse by the ongoing humanitarian crises and advent of COVID-19 pandemic; the RMNCH outcomes in Northeast Nigeria could face a downturn, without intensified intervention. Over the years, the IRC has provided comprehensive package of SRH services (including Family Planning (FP), Antenatal Care (ANC), Basic Emergency Obstetric and Neonatal Care (BEmONC), Post-Natal Care (PNC), treatment and prevention of Sexually Transmitted Infections (STIs), Post Abortion Care (PAC) and Clinical Care for Sexual Assault Survivors (CCSAS). IRC seeks to continue these services with the objective to ensure women and girls’ safety needs during the Covid 19 pandemic are met. Thus, we are recruiting to fill the vacant position of midwife supervisor.

Job Overview

• The Health Officer is responsible for patient care at the mobile clinics and overseeing the mobile clinic activities in Monguno LGA, Borno State.
• She/he is also responsible for ensuring adherence to the implementation of program activities according to proposal and nation

Major Responsibilities
Clinical Supervision: 

• Provides accurate diagnosis, treatment and management of patients in a primary health care setting. Using  standard national or internationally endorsed protocols, ensure quality of clinical and non-clinical service provision in health sites by assessing and monitoring performance against standards and guiding and motivating staff to meet and maintain standards
• Promote behaviour change by providing health and nutrition messages in the communities, in collaboration with community volunteers.
• Ensure adequate infection prevention and control standards are maintained at all times in the facility.
• Ensure health basic protocols and other IEC materials are well displayed in the facilities and outreach sites.
• Establish effective referral mechanism between the mobile clinic and the hospital/IPD.
• For new location: Liaise with local leaders and other partners in identifying new mobile clinic site and sensitize community on project implementation.

Technical Support and Quality of Care Management:

• Ensures staff adherence to universal hygiene standards/precautions, appropriate waste management, bio-hazard prevention, infection prevention and control in the health facilities. Works with cleaning staff to maintain general cleanliness of the working environment.
• Liaise with the referral officer to facilitate referral of patients who need emergency or special care.
• Ensure all SRH services are in line with national/adopted protocols, and RH policies and guidelines
• Ensure all the staff follow the established IPC standards and international standard of infection prevention protocols.
• Ensure adherence to instrument processing and sterilization protocols.
• Conduct quarterly clinical skills’ assessment for midwife and follow up on areas that need improvement.
• Works with community mobilization team to ensure strong linkages between services and communities.

Staff Management:

• Routinely monitor supervised the CHVs performance according to their job description, conduct performance evaluation and provide written feedback in a timely manner.
• Provide on-the-job trainings to all midwives and support staff, define their training needs, and support the RH manager to implement them according to project objectives.
• Provide supervisory support to the pharmacy technician and dispenser to ensure the availability of essential drugs and medical supplies at the facility as per the approved tracer drug list. Liaise with the pharmacy warehouse to prevent stock out of drugs, other medical supplies while working with the RH manager to procure other consumable required in the facilities.
• Monitor staff daily attendance to duty posts and ensure time sheets are correctly filled and submitted monthly.

Representation, Project Implementation and Reporting:

• Focal person for intersectoral integration between Reproductive Health and Women Protection and Empowerment sector.
• Ensure teamwork and maintain relationship with different sectors and government agencies.
• Responsible for validation of program data and timely submission to M&E on weekly basis.
• Work with M&E team to analyze data on a weekly/monthly basis, feeds information back to the program, and adapts strategies accordingly.
• Provide weekly/monthly activity reports to the supervisor.

Others:

• Consistently and proactively monitors and assesses the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to IRC management and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs.
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position directly reports to the Health officer
• Position directly supervises the pharmacy technician, incentive clinicians and CHVs
• Indirect reporting: Snr Health officer
• Other Internal and/or external contacts: Health Program staff and managers, and ALL other IRC sectors
• External:  Other partners- NGO’s, MOH etc.

Qualifications

• Registered Nurse / Midwife (Diploma in Nursing / Midwivery, Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing Sciences an added advantage)

Work Experience:

• Minimum of 2 years work experience as midwife
• Familiarity with local context and experience working with displaced population.
• Others desired skills/qualities:
• Quality oriented
• Self-motivated, resourceful, honest, highly responsible, committed, and punctual.
• Comfortable attending and facilitating meetings.
• Ability to independently organize work, prioritize tasks, respect and adheres to deadlines.
• Ability to work as part of a team and lead teams
• Basic computer literacy including the use of Microsoft Word, Excel, Outlook
• Good communication skills, fluent in written and spoken English for report writing

Working Environment:

• Borno State is categorized as security phase 4 (Red). The midwife supervisor (and staff under his/her supervision) are thus expected to work closely with IRC safety and security team (SST) to receive routine security briefings and comply with all security protocols/ guidelines.

Benefits

• Competitive Monthly salary.
• Health Insurance Coverage for staff and family.
• Annual earned leave days.
• Pension scheme.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. 
• In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.