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Senior Reproductive Health Manager

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.

BACKGROUND
South Sudan is emerging from decades of brutal civil war rooted in disputes over religion, ethnicity, resources, governance and self-determination. The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement ushered in an era of post-conflict development efforts which have taken on new dimensions following the January 2011 referendum on secession. The security situation remains fragile and testing operational challenges abound. IRC programs address health, protection and education needs of the people residing in our areas of operations in South Sudan.
Health indicators from the South Sudan Demographic and Health Survey of 2006 revealed that one in six children born die within their first year of life and the maternal mortality ratio (MMR) is over 2,054 per 100,000 live births with Northern Bahr Ghazal recording the highest ratio among the states in South Sudan( 2,182 per 100,000 live births). Only 105 deliveries were assisted from January to August 2010 at the IRC supported facilities out of the estimated 7,680 for the target population. From October 2009 through September 2010, only 29.1% of pregnant women in the 14 catchment areas attended two or more antenatal care visits with less than one percent of the women accepting family Planning methods. The IRC intends to reverse these trends in 2011 by increasing demand through community mobilization for Reproductive Health, encouraging health facility deliveries, promoting family planning, rolling out focused antenatal care and improving the quality of reproductive health services at all its health facilities. The Senior Reproductive Health Manager with be key to the Implementation of these strategies.
IRC operates 30 Primary Health Care facilities (4 PHC Centers/17 PHC Units) in Aweil East, West, Center and North Counties of Northern Bahr el Ghazal State and 1 PHC Center and 8 PHC Units in Unity State. IRC primary health care projects provide basic curative care; antenatal, delivery and postpartum care; and EPI and Family Planning. IRC’s separately-managed, though co-located, Community Case Management project provides home-based treatment of malaria, diarrhea and pneumonia for children under 5 years of age.

SCOPE OF WORK
The Senior Reproductive Health Manager is the focal point for IRC’s Reproductive health care services in South Sudan; s/he reports to the Health Coordinator and works closely with the Health Managers for specific program sites. The Senior Reproductive Health Manager ensures the implementation of good quality reproductive health program activities, in accordance with national and international standards. The Senior Reproductive Health Manager will identify gaps in reproductive health services and advise on the necessary steps to address those gaps. S/he provides technical oversight and training to field-based health staff in the area of reproductive health, with an emphasis on national staff capacity building. S/he is responsible for RH data recording and regular reporting.

RESPONSIBILITIES
Under the supervision of the Health Coordinator, the RH Manager is responsible for:
Program Management
• Overall quality of reproductive health services at all the IRC health program sites.
• Ensuring that reproductive health programs are implemented in accordance with IRC programming principles.
• Ensuring that all stated RH goals and objectives are met, that projects are monitored and evaluated, and that reports are submitted in a timely manner.
• Proper RH data recording in IRC supported facilities, compilation of that data and production of RH reports on a regular and timely manner
• Assisting the Health Coordinator in proposal writing for RH funding opportunities
• Scale up of Community Mobilization on Reproductive Health at all the program sites.
• Developing and implementing strategies to steadily increase facility based deliveries at the all the program sites including the planned incentive programs targeting mothers and TBAsl
• Implementing strategies to increase family planning uptake with a special focus on community awareness raising and ensuring the availability of FP supplies in IRC supported facilities.
• Implementing trainings to create capacity for MVA and long term family planning service provision at all supported PHCCs
• Continuously assessing Reproductive Health needs and suggesting new projects to address identified unmet needs.
• Promoting a culture of learning whereby lessons-learned and good practices are documented and shared for institutional memory
Financial Management
• Reviewing Budget vs. Actual financial reports on a monthly basis and acting to correct any discrepancies.
• Actively participating in the development of budgets for future activities and proposals.
Staff Management
• Determining personnel needs for field-level activities, developing Job Descriptions, and assisting in recruitment.
• Undertaking RH capacity-development programs for clinical health staff.
• Working with health management staff to build their capacity to oversee RH activities.
Coordination and Representation
• Ensuring a cross-sectoral, integrated programming approach.
• Representing IRC to other agencies, with respect to Reproductive health programs, including the Ministry of Health, WHO and other UN agencies, non-governmental organizations.
Other
• Responding to the Reproductive health needs of IRC team as appropriate.

REQUIREMENTS:
Education
• Health professional (MD, RN, PA or CO) with strong public health background, MPH preferred.
Experience
• 5 years experience in coordinating, implementing and managing reproductive health programs in developing countries and/or refugee settings. Experience in grant management and report writing is preferred.
• Experience technically supervising reproductive health staff in a complex setting
Skills and abilities
• Ability to validate and interpret health data.
• Demonstrated ability to support and build staff capacity.
• Ability to work independently and as a collaborative team member
• Fluency in English. Skill in other languages spoken in Southern Sudan an advantage.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Ability to live and work under pressure in an unstable security environment.
• Excellent computer skills: MS Wod, Excel, PowerPoint, EpiInfo/SPSS, Outlook and the internet.
• Ability to operate HF & VHF radios, satellite telephones a plus.

WORK ENVIRONMENT
Security
• The security level is yellow. Major concerns are common criminality, presence of armed troops, inter-tribal violence.
Housing
• The position is based in Malualkon, Northern Bahr el Ghazal.
• Lodging is on the IRC compound in a traditional hut with separate shared latrines and shower.
• Electricity, internet and cable TV are available on a daily schedule.
• Food is prepared by IRC-employed cooks, with groceries purchased through communally-agreed staff contributions from their location differential
How to apply
Please apply online: www.ircjobs.org or http://tbe.taleo.net/NA2/ats/careers/requisition.jsp?org=IRC&cws=1&rid=6931 .