The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian network. Our secretariat supports local Red Cross and Red Crescent action in more than 192 countries, bringing together almost 14 million volunteers for the good of humanity.

The Community Health Delegate will be the technical focal point and will lead and support the scale-up of the Community Health Workforce on the African continent, work with the Africa CDC team on the management of the shared Africa CDC and develop technical guidance documents in support of country-level efforts to scale up the Community Health Workforce.

The Community Health Delegate will collaborate with external partners and donors to advocate for and raise funding to support the expansion of the Community Health Workforce on the African continent as well as build the capacity and improve the performance of countries and National Societies through tailored, expert, mutually agreed support. He/she will support the design and implementation of advocacy activities with the Member States for community health systems strengthening across the continent.

Job Duties And Responsibilities

Scaling up community health workforce:

• Support the scale-up community health workers’ capacity to assist people affected by public health emergencies.
• Support the building of a sustainable community-based regional capacity for health security in Africa.
• Support the enhancement of the role of community health workers in community-based COVID-19 testing, contact tracing, referral, COVID-19 vaccine availability and distribution.
• Integrating the efforts in addressing the COVID-19 pandemic within a long term multisector health system strengthening strategy, aimed at reinforcing community-based epidemic and pandemic preparedness, reducing inequalities in accessing essential health services.
• Develop tools and guidelines that are based on evidence and applicable international standards and ensure their implementation.
• Ensure delivery of high-quality activities against the agreed operational plan.
• Identify and facilitate opportunities for strategic cooperation between Africa CDC / IFRC and other partner agencies.
• Ensure compliance and accountability on all funds and contractual agreements.

Main Duties And Responsibilities

• Support the identification, recruitment, training, and management of 5 million community health workers over 5 years, strengthening their capacity to assist people affected by public health emergencies, building a community based regional capacity for health security in Africa.
• Support the institutionalization, retention and financial/ operational sustainability of the 5 million community health workforce within the health system.
• Enhance community-based COVID-19 rapid diagnostic test (RDT) antigen testing as well as a community-based epidemic and pandemic surveillance, preparedness and response.
• Establish a link to health facilities for reporting test results/data using ICT technology.
• Improve awareness and uptake of COVID-19 vaccines amongst community members, strengthening RCCE and CEA in relation to epidemic and pandemic risks, and support in community management of local / community quarantine and lockdown measures and referral for severe cases.
• Provide operational support to countries to increase vaccines availability and distribution, increasing the proportion of the population fully vaccinated against COVID-19, reducing COVID-19 related morbidity and mortality among most at-risk individuals.
• Provide technical support to countries to design and implement health systems strengthening reforms aimed at greater integration of services at the community level for public health emergencies preparedness and response.
• Develop, provide technical inputs to, and review proposals for various donors.
• Engage new technical and funding partners in the programme and coordinate with them to ensure smooth collaboration.
• Prepare and provide technical inputs to reports for donors.
• Document community health best practices, knowledge management and facilitate inter-country learning.

Contribute To An Effective, High-quality Team

• Ensure that all project activities remain on track and that financial and narrative reporting is of high quality and on time.
• Be a pro-active team member fostering a customer service-oriented culture that values proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, high performance and cost-effectiveness.
• Foster a creative environment and an open and cooperative view to external actors for developing and reinforcing partnerships.

Requirements

Education

Advanced university degree (master’s or equivalent) in health.

Required Experience

• At least 5 years working experience in the humanitarian or development sector, with a focus on Community Health. Required
• Demonstrated professional credibility in the sector and experience working in an international or cross-cultural environment. Required
• 3 years management or supervisory experience in a multicultural environment, with developing countries and/or with an international organization. Required
• Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or Federation/ICRC. Preferred

Knowledge, Skills and Language

• Knowledge of addressing Community Health / public health and experience in practically applying this knowledge into policy, programmes and positioning. Required
• Programme and project management. Required
• Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations. Required
• Highly developed leadership and management skills, including the ability to lead within a matrix management structure and utilise talent and experience of team members in a productive way. Required
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive. Required
• Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and developing new approaches to engaging partners. Required
• Professional credibility, able to work effectively at all levels across the organisation. Required
• Proven good judgment and ability to work with complete integrity and confidentiality. Required
• High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels. Required
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment. Required

Competencies and Values

• Fluently spoken and written English. Required
• Good command of other African union official languages (French). Required