Switzerland: Team Leader, Health in Complex Settings

Background

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian organization, with 190 member National Societies. As part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, our work is guided by seven fundamental principles; humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

Organizational Context

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network. The Federation is a membership organisation established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. The Federation is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity of the International Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies. The Secretariat’s focus includes providing support to the IFRC governance mechanisms; setting norms and standards; providing guidance; ensuring consistency, coordination, and accountability for performance; knowledge sharing; promoting collaboration within and respect for the RCRC Movement; and expanding engagement with partners. The Secretariat’s headquarters is organized in three main business groups: (i) Partnerships, including Movement and Membership; (ii) Programmes and Operations; and (iii) Management Services. The Programme Services Division is in turn organised in three Departments, each of them led by a Director. The department of Health consists of 3 teams, of which Health in Complex Settings is one. The leader of that team serves as a member of the Health Management Team. IFRC, in support of organization wide goals and consistent with Fundamental Principles, has created a special team within the Health Department to support National Societies in delivering community based health care in complex operating environments. Complex operating environments are those areas where repeat disasters, limited health infrastructure, poor economic development and intermittent security risks result in very high need for essential health care. However, the operating environment in these areas can be extremely challenging. To be successful, close collaboration between IFRC and NS and major global health initiatives as well as direct support to NS to manage complex grants and continued cooperation with ICRC are needed. The situation in these areas can be volatile and unpredictable. Flexibility in approach, highly developed risk and financial management skills and ability to draw on organizational wide health emergency and health development capacities is needed to effectively support NS working in these environments.

Job Purpose

Under the supervision of the Director of Health, the Team Leader Health in Complex Settings (HiCS) supports the IFRC's programmatic vision for ‘reaching the unreached’ and its translation into programmatic interventions, in close collaboration with Regional Offices. The Team Lead has direct line responsibility for team members based in Geneva and those based elsewhere with global functions. Under the matrix management arrangement, the Team Leader has technical (secondary) supervisory responsibilities over staff who work directly on HiCS in the Regions. Regional Directors retains primary supervision over regional staff. The Team Leader liaises closely with a wide array of partners with respect to HiCS. The Team Leader is expected to support resource mobilization, in close coordination with the Partnership Office.

The Team Lead is expected to manage and supervise (1) support to National Societies to deliver community based health services in complex operating environments (2) collaboration with major global health initiatives and Funds focused on supporting delivery of essential health services in complex operating environments (3) strengthen collaboration with ICRC on the provision of essential health services in complex operating environments and addressing ‘Health Care in Danger’.

Job Duties and Responsibilities

Enable IFRC to be a global leading player in delivering health care through community based approaches in Complex Settings

• Coordinate and represent (under the direction of the Director of Health) the work of RCRC at relevant international fora, in publications, conferences and meeting and ensure that relevant advocacy themes are well presented and followed up internally and externally.
• Position RCRC as a global leader in community led health care in complex operating environments particularly in the areas of immunization in hard to reach populations to support elimination, in community based prevention, diagnosis and treatment for malaria, TB and HIV in high burden populations and in basic maternal and child health care in complex settings where avoidable mortality is unacceptably high.
• Lead and co-ordinate active and productive engagement with Global Fund, GAVI, GPEI, AMP, Global Measles Initiative and Every Woman Every Child and other relevant global initiatives supporting (technically and financially) delivery of essential health care in complex settings.
• Promote equity based investment and advocate the need to pro-actively address basic health needs in complex operating environments in order for Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and other relevant global health development targets to be reached.
• Develop global approaches for working in complex settings – working closely with ICRC develop and disseminate lessons learnt across the Movement in order to strengthen global capacity.

Support National Societies in order to improve performance in Complex Settings

• Map global practices and priority needs of National Societies in these sectors.
• Coordinate with major global health initiatives to support National Society to reach those most in need and uphold the Fundamental Principles.
• Create and supervise a number of different disease focused programmes to support National Societies to deliver health services in complex settings.
• Work across the organization to develop an effective Quality and Risk Framework (QRF) to support appropriate oversight of work in complex settings. Use the QRF to identify and mobilize appropriate internal and external technical, administrative, financial and legal assistance for National Societies working in high need/high risk/high return areas.

Deliver quality in operations

• Ensure that tools, guidelines and projects in the unit are based on evidence, applicable international standards within the Quality Framework.
• Ensure that operational questions and challenges are addressed by operational research in partnership with different research institutions and other partners.
• Ensure that behavioural change components and training are following good standards and are aligned to department wide approaches.
• Work closely with Security Unit and with ICRC to enhance safe access.
• Work closely with ICRC to advice commitments in ‘Health Care in Danger’ Resolution, IC 2015.

Be a role model in leading and managing an effective, high quality team, fit for purpose

• Define clear roles, accountabilities and activities, and assign them across the team members on an ongoing basis while improving efficiencies within available resources.
  
• Plan, manage and monitor the use of available resources (people, budgets, etc.) of the team in order to deliver the agreed activities for area of responsibility.
  
• Foster a customer service-oriented culture that values accountability for results, proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, and high performance.
  
• Lead the delivery of service improvement, good practice, continuous learning and knowledge sharing between the IFRC and NSs and between colleagues.
  
• Create a working environment that ensures staff growth, motivation and satisfaction.
  
• Work effectively in a matrixed, multilevel organization actively working to reduce silos, enhance collaboration and provide direct support where humanitarian imperatives exist.
  Education

Advanced university degree or equivalent relevant working experience in relevant area of work is required.

Experience

Required:

At least 10 years working in the experience in the humanitarian or development sector, with proven operational field experience in complex settings.

Demonstrated professional credibility in the sector and experience working in an international or cross-cultural environment.

5 years’ management and supervisory experience in a multicultural environment, with developing countries and/or with an international organisation at management level.

At least 3-year experience working with Global Fund and other major global health initiatives and managing large grants.

Preferred:

Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or Federation/ICRC.

Knowledge, skills and languages

Required:

Proven knowledge of health operations and programmes in complex settings and experience in applying this knowledge into health policy, standards, programmes and positioning.

Programme and project management with know how to standardize and apply quality criteria.

Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.

Demonstrated 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.

Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive.

Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engaging partners.

Professional credibility, able to work effectively at all levels across the organisation.

Proven good judgment and ability to work with complete integrity and confidentiality.

High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels.

Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment.

Fluently spoken and written English.

Preferred:

Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic).

Competencies and values

Values : Respect for Diversity, Integrity, Professionalism, Accountability

Core Competencies : Communication, Collaboration & Teamwork, Judgement & Decision Making, National Society & Cusstomer Relations, Creativity & Innovation, Building Trust,

Managerial Competencies : Managing Staff Performance, Managing Staff Development

Functional Competencies : Strategic Orientation, Building Alliances, Leadership, Empowering Others

Comments

The Federation is an equal opportunity employer.

Please apply under organization's website : http://www.ifrc.org/en/who-we-are/working-with-us/current-vacancies/job-description/?id=2598