Reproductive Health Technical Advisor, Kenya - Nairobi (IRC)

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Reproductive Health Technical Advisor

International Rescue Committee (IRC)
Closing date: 03 May 2011
Location: Kenya - Nairobi

BACKGROUND:
Comprised of a team of health professionals, IRC?s health unit:
(1) Promotes quality, effectiveness and sustainability of IRC?s health programs worldwide;
(2) Facilitates the professional development of health program staff;
(3) Contributes to the improvement of humanitarian practice globally.

Health programs represent the largest single sector within which IRC operates, constituting approximately 45% of the international budget with activities in 20 country programs. IRC?s health programs conform to recognized standards for humanitarian assistance and are built upon IRC?s guiding principles: protection and promotion of rights, participation, partnership, capacity-building, holistic programming. The Health Unit is committed to the development of the field of humanitarian assistance through advocacy, documentation and research.

Reproductive Health Programming at IRC
The IRC has been among the leaders in the field of reproductive health in conflict-affected settings for over fifteen years during which time enormous strides have been made in integrating and prioritizing reproductive health in humanitarian responses. IRC is a founding member of the Reproductive Health Response in Conflict Consortium and an active participant in the Interagency Working Group on Reproductive Health in Crises. Reproductive health programs constitute the largest portion of IRC?s health programs

IRC?s reproductive health services are geared towards addressing the most critical needs of conflict-affected people and are respectful of their cultural, religious, and ethnic backgrounds. They are committed to addressing reproductive health needs that include antenatal care, delivery care, emergency obstetric care, and postpartum care; postabortion care; family planning services; Sexually Transmitted Infections including a range of HIV prevention, care and treatment strategies; clinical care for survivors of gender-based Violence; and adolescent sexual and reproductive health.

The IRC conducts exclusive family planning (FP) and postabortion care (PAC) programs in the Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Pakistan. Despite been at times embedded in broader RH programs, these programs only focus on providing PAC to women in need and FP services with a special focus on long- and medium-term methods.

SCOPE OF WORK:
The Reproductive Health Technical Advisor (TA) would be based in Nairobi and would be responsible for ensuring that the above mentioned FP and PAC programs in The Democratic Republic of Congo, Chad and Pakistan are implemented according to plan and that the services provided are of high quality. S/he will report directly to the Senior Technical Advisor ? Reproductive health (STA-RH). The TA will ensure the timely collection and analysis of project data leading to quality and timely reports on all three country programs. S/he will look for capacity building needs of the IRC staff in the three programs and ensure that those needs are met through appropriate trainings and inter-program visits. S/he will ensure that the IRC program teams work well with our local partners to implement programs of good quality. S/he will be responsible for keeping abreast with best practices and disseminating relevant technical materials and technical advice to the FP / PAC programs in all three countries. The TA will document and present IRC data and lessons learned at relevant professional meetings and other forums, and will participate in interagency initiatives related to FP and PAC.
Principal duties and responsibilities:
? Provide regular, on-going technical assistance to field RH programs in DRC, Chad and Pakistan, with a strong emphasis on the implementation of the FP and PAC services funded by the Buffet foundation according to plan.
? Conduct field visits and maintain weekly phone contact with the 3 RH programs and conduct of assessments and evaluations of all three programs with a strong emphasis on the implementation of the FP and PAC services.
? Collaborate with the RH Specialist based in New York and the STA-RH in improving the monitoring and evaluation of the FP and PAC components
? Review project progress quarterly and document the programs? effectiveness, impact and lessons learned
? Make presentations on the progress of the FP and PAC initiatives at relevant forums.
? Identify programmatic gaps in all three country programs and make recommendations on addressing them
? Contribute to the development of field staff through training, mentoring, and assisting with professional advancement.
? Collaborate with other Health Unit colleagues in the development and refinement of the IRC RH strategy, RH policy and RH technical resources.
? Facilitate the sharing best practices among the three FP and PAC programs and with other programs internal and external to IRC.
? Act as a representative of IRC to external agencies on matters related to FP and PAC.
? Take on other special projects as negotiated with supervisor.

QUALIFICATIONS:
? Advanced medical or nursing degree
? Demonstrable technical expertise and working knowledge of reproductive health in developing countries;
? At least 5 yrs. progressive public health related international field experience in reproductive health in developing countries
? Excellent communication skills, including the ability to deliver presentations to professional, lay and donor audiences;
? Proven writing and editing skills, including the ability to effectively write and edit grant proposals and reports;
? Fluency in written and spoken English. French ability a strong plus;
? Effective people and program management skills: the ability to lead staff and promote productivity in a positive style;
? Solid training skills; the ability to develop and implement successful training sessions;
? Strong organizational skills and the ability to work well under pressure in a fast-paced team environment;
? Flexible work attitude: the ability to be flexible and yet focused & reliable in an environment of changing demands;
? Availability and willingness to travel 50-60% of the time to regional and international locations;
? Good Computer skills: facility with MS Word, Excel, and email/internet software.
How to apply
Please apply at: http://tbe.taleo.net/NA2/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=IRC&cws=1&rid=6904
Reference Code: RW_8ELL99-40