Organizational Context
The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 192-member National Societies. The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies 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.” The IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
The 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.
The 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.
The IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas. The 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.
The MENA Regional Office based in Beirut; Lebanon supports 17 National Societies in the region. The MENA Health, Disasters, Climate and Crises (HDCC) Unit within the MENA Regional Office and works with the unified regional plan as well as provides technical support & thematic quality assurance to country/country cluster delegations. Most of the National Societies in the MENA Region are heavily engaged in MHPSS. The MENA HDCC Unit has articulated its alignment with the IFRC global strategic priorities and the relevant enabling actions recognizing the importance of MHPSS programming, goals and objectives and the specific needs in MENA especially due to protracted conflict, population movement, climatic disasters, and economic and political instability in the region.
Job Purpose
The Regional MHPSS senior Officer (MENA) is expected to provide strategic and technical leadership, coordination, and management of MENA MHPSS files as part of the HDCC Unit to further contribute and support Regional and country level programs and operations including:
- delivery of all regional initiatives and activities covered by the MHPSS programs ensuring sound and consistent coordination both inside and outside the movement in support of MENA National Societies interventions.
- contribute to and backstop coordination of MHPSS support during emergencies and provide growth and quality assurance to developmental MHPSS efforts.
- provide additional support and contribute to the efforts of the Global MHPSS focal points and reference center where appropriate while contributing to resource mobilization and localization of MHPSS capacities in MENA.
Co-chair the MHPSS regional network and work toward utilizing this platform in enhancing capacities of NSs in different aspects related to MHPSS services during various contexts.
Job Duties and Responsibilities
Provide technical support to National Societies to build further MHPSS capacity and deliver quality services:
- Provide technical support for development and maintenance of best practice in the field of mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) through ensuring that NSs are aware of and operate within RCRC MHPSS policy, resolution, and road map. And acting as a knowledge broker in the areas of needs assessment, programme design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation of mental health and psychosocial support interventions
- Deliver capacity building and provide trainings, including the materials and tools that are adapted for country contexts and maintaining a positive learning environment.
- Actively engaged into drafting, reviewing, and preparations of DREF Operations, emergency operational strategies, as well as other funding applications and proposals.
- Report on MHPSS areas of responsibility utilising the IFRC plan and budget 2021 -2025 and provide a first referral level for technical questions arising from Federation stakeholders in PSS and re-directing these to the relevant technical focal points in the secretariate and the PS Center and for further assistance as needed.
- Support staff through promotion of staff development, monitoring implementation of the supervision policy and effective workload management.
- Contribute to the effective implementation of IFRC 2030 strategic goals, working with colleagues across the RCRC MHPSS stakeholder, partners, INGOs and civil societies at the regional and national level.
- Support IFRC Regional Office, country delegations, and MENA NSs in developing proposals and concept notes to seek fund from various donors targeting MHPSS interventions in different contexts.
- Be available and when required backstop and deploy to RCRC Regional MHPSS surge mechanisms and, as part of the cross organizational Emergency Support Team and in conjunction with partner and host National Societies, ensure that the right people with the right skills and equipment can be deployed to the right places at the right time to support National Societies MHPSS needs in the MENA
- Design special tailored MHPSS messages to support MENA NSs response to different public health emergencies.
Supporting PMER and quality assurance for all MHPSS programs:
- Ensuring monitoring and evaluation of Federation-wide MHPSS activities, by directly engaging and/or by promoting and overseeing the monitoring activities of the National Societies in the operational region in close collaboration with the PMER staff and country and cluster representatives.
- Ensure the timely reporting for the MHPSS at regional level in close collaboration with the programme coordination and PMER staff and country and cluster representatives.
- Maintain a platform for sharing, evaluation, and reporting of the National Society MHPSS challenges, needs and progress with the PMER staff and country and cluster representatives.
- Assure the appropriate documentation to capture the learning from the challenges and successes of the ongoing medical operation.
- contribute to enhancing NSs capacities in PMER related to MHPSS programs in different contexts and operations.
Job Duties and Responsibilities (continued)
Lead the coordination and relationships building in MHPSS files with movement and non-movement partners:
- Lead and support the coordination of the work of RCRC at relevant country and regional levels and on occasion regional fora, in publications, conferences and meetings and ensure that relevant advocacy themes are well presented and to the positioning of the RCRC as a regional leader in all MHPSS aspects, both emergency and community led developmental MHPSS.
- Build effective working relationships with the regional and global health team and contributing to the global Federation health team effort in addressing PSS needs and contributing to the team projects on the research & learning agenda, developing a holistic health and resilience approach and building capacity in behavioural change approaches.
- Maintain effective relationship with the RCRC movement partners in MHPSS at regional and global level.
- Ensure a proper representation and effective relationship with Non RCRC Movement partners in MHPSS.
- Engaging in a broad spectrum of external relation activities to improve the quality of the MHPSS program activities and the availability of resources, and with particular attention to the nurturing of operational alliances.
Lead the MHPSS component to contribute effectively to a high quality HDCC Unit:
- Be accountable to the health & care Team Lead by providing regular progress reports on results against
- Be flexible in your work definition according to needs and targets and improve efficiencies and effectiveness within available
- Be a pro-active team member fostering a customer service-oriented culture that values proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, high performance, and cost
- Contribute effectively to Resource Mobilization.
- Foster a co-creative environment with colleagues in the HDCC Unit and MENA Region and the with National Societies including an open and cooperative view to the actors in the relevant external
- Manage aspects of the Regional MHPSS Budget under supervision of the Budget Holder.
Duties applicable to all staff
- Actively work towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals
- Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles
- Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager
Education
- University degree in relevant discipline (Medicine, Psychiatry, Psychology, Social Sciences) -Required
- Advance degree or diploma in relevant discipline -Preferred
- Relevant professional training courses (Red Cross/Red Crescent related, humanitarian and development sector, management, etc.) -Required
Experience
- Minimum 3-5 years working in the humanitarian sector in MHPSS/Public Health related activities in a leadership and strategic and coordination role -Required
- Minimum of 3 years work experience with the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement, including time in the field and with a National Society. -Required
- Experience working in a change management situation, preferably as an active participant in that change. -Required
- Work experience with other international organisations, large NGOs and/or governmental development agency is preferred. -Preferred
- Experience working with vulnerable communities and individuals at grass roots -Preferred
Knowledge, Skills, and Languages
- Strong knowledge of information sharing tools, and the ability to implement them -Required
- Budget and finance management -Preferred
- Demonstrated skills in analytical and strategic thinking -Required
- Comfortable working with current donors and communicating with potential donors - in particular, with National Societies -Preferred
- Knowledge of and first-hand experience with Agenda for Renewal and membership coordination preferred. -Preferred
LANGUAGES
- Fluently spoken and written Arabic and English -Required
- Good command of another IFRC official language (French) -Preferred
Competencies, Values, and Comments
- Collaboration
- Communications
- Building Trust
- National Society Relationship
- Teamwork
- Integrity
IFRC Ensures Equal Employment Opportunities!
How to apply
For interested applicants, applications will ONLY be accepted via the following link: