HeRoN Team Leader at the International Rescue Committee

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.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: HeRoN Team Leader

Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Requisition ID: req41925
Sector: Health
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Position Reports to:  Deputy Director of Programs
Indirect/Technical Reporting: Consortium Steering Committee, Country Director and HQ Health & Nutrition TAs. 
Position directly Supervises: HeRoN Deputy Team Lead, Senior Pharmacy Manager, Consortium Senior M&E Manager, Consortium Finance Coordinator, Senior Consortium Manager and Senior Project Manager - HeRoN
Open to Expatriates: Yes

Project Overview

• Health Resilience of Northeast Nigeria (HeRoN) is a consortium 2 year consortium project funded by United States Agency for International Development (USAID) from May 2022, being implemented by The International Rescue Committee (IRC) as the lead agency with other partner being Action Against Hunger (AAH) and Society for Family Health (SHF) in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states.
• The project is supporting delivery of quality integrated primary healthcare, reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health services and improving evidence-based decision making, accountability at all levels of service delivery. 
• The consortium partners are working with the local government health authorities (LGHA), state primary health care development agencies, state contributory health care schemes, hospital management boards and state ministries of health in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe States to design and implement effective primary health care services, contributing towards the health system resilience and universal health care coverage.
• The project holds that sustainably improving access to quality primary health care and nutrition services will ultimately build the resilience of the health system in the targeted states, contributing to better health outcomes. HeRoN is offering a holistic response, adaptive and inclusive programming for women, men, boys, and girls including people living with disabilities by supporting the government health systems.

Job Overview

• The Team Leader (TL) will be responsible for the overall technical, financial and operational management of the HeRoN project and ensure effective collaboration with all consortium members implementing the project over the remaining 1 years of the project period, providing the necessary guidance and monitoring to guarantee that the implementation of the program is carried out in accordance with the agreed action plan between IRC and donor contract regulations. S/he will provide high quality coordination, analysis, and strategic technical directions to the implementation of the project to the Consortium Management Unit Team, Steering Committee, Government Stakeholders, various health partners at various levels, donor and other development partners in ensuring the delivery of the project objectives, on time delivery and targets within budget and high-level accountability to beneficiaries. 
• The HeRoN Team Leader will work closely with and under the supervision of the IRC Deputy Director of Programs (DDP), as well as in close coordination and collaboration with the Consortium Steering Committee composed of heads of programs from IRC, AAH and SFH, IRC  Country Director, IRC Deputy Director Field Management (DDFM), IRC Senior Program Coordinators, IRC MEAL Coordinator and IRC Senior Grants Coordinator. S/he will supervise key consortium program team members (as detailed further below) to ensure accountability for the project and donor rules and regulations with relevant teams and organizations. 

Major Responsibilities
Technical Quality Assurance and Strategic Oversight:

• Provide overall technical leadership, financial oversight and operational management of the program. 
• Serve as the consortium’s representative to the donor, State Ministry of Health (SMoH) and other technical agencies and organizations 
• Provide high quality leadership and strategic vision to the consortium, with hands on management ensuring program activities achieve the greatest coverage and impact possible, coordinated inputs and technical/managerial quality and programming that is data driven and adapts and changes with the context.
• In coordination and collaboration with IRC MEAL Coordinator work with the consortium to develop and ensure a strong MEAL system in place for the consortium that adheres to program quality standards and procedures
• Ensure a culture of Client Responsiveness though policies that facilitate client responsiveness through resource allocation, advocacy, and project design and by requesting and using client feedback data to make decisions.
• Regular coordination with the supplier implementing the FCDO contract aspects of their Health Business Case
• Representation to donors and partners including government officials, CSOs, INGOs and development partners.
• Engagement and coordination with humanitarian and development coordination mechanisms, ensuring regular program updates to partners and stakeholders and promotion of joint planning and implementation.
• Program implementation in compliance with FCDO regulations, agreements signed with partners and IRC internal policies and procedures.
• Mobilize and ensure transparent and constructive communication with Consortium partners and IRC management in responding to donor requests.
• Support the implementation of IRC’s Partnership (PEER) system across all areas of sub-award management of consortium partners. 
• Will work closely with the DDP and Senior Grants Coordinator for follow on new opportunity for the HeRoN project and ensure that program design is evidence based and uses theories of change that place crisis-affected people and their voice at the center of IRC's programs.

Program Management, Implementation Oversight and Compliance:

• Lead and ensure quality of Project Cycle Meetings throughout the remaining project period, and ensuring that the continuous implementation meetings and learning meetings are planned and conducted in a timely manner with full participation of the consortium and all relevant stakeholders/staff 
• Provide leadership to the consortium for timely and high-quality implementation of programs, and promote regular reviews of program progress - both internal and external - and budget spending (i.e., through tracking spending plans, BvA meetings, etc).
• Responsible for project management, oversees the implementation, follow up and effective monitoring of IRC and partners’ Program work, expenditure, M&E and procurement plans, organizing, among others, joint and regular monitoring and review meetings, assessing progress and proactively identifying challenges and solutions in order to attain program outcomes. 
• Monitors the use of the budget and ensure sound financial management and the use of funds.
• Actively contributes to the development and review of program approaches, making concrete recommendations for changes in partners' activities, approaches, and areas of action as appropriate. 
• Ensure that programs and partnerships are implemented in compliance with USAID regulations as well as IRC internal policies and procedures.
• Work closely with the Senior Grants Managers to ensure that the consortium partners understand key compliance for donors and IRC internal rules and regulations, and any red flags are addressed immediately.
• Conduct frequent field visits to all project sites for monitoring, quality control and program staff mentoring and coaching.
• Ensure the production of clear and quality donor reports, both narrative and financial, by the consortium 

Promote Project Learning and Analysis:

• Create an environment of continued learning, encouraging innovation and auto-critical analysis, capitalizing on lessons learned to inform programmatic and strategic decisions and contributes to the knowledge base of the sectors covered by the program.   
• Work with the M&E team to build and foster a culture of learning and reflection that uses data to design and adapt programs.
• Coordinate with other HeRoN consortium partners and Health partners at all levels on key assessments and learnings

Coordination & Representation:

• Lead the consortium in developing public messaging and profile of the project.
• Represent the consortium in external relationships with the donor, various relevant government line ministries, technical agencies and organizations and key events relating to the project.
• In coordination with the Consortium Steering Committee and DDFM, assist in organizing donor visits by supporting staff in the smooth design and running of field visits.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development:

• Overall management of a team of diverse staff, cultivating and maintaining a work environment that promotes collaboration, trust, mutual respect, and empowers staff to take responsibility
• Provide a measurable development plan including on-the-job learning with the aim of strengthening technical capacity, exchanging knowledge within the team and providing guidance on career paths. 
• As required identify staff performance issues and work with Human Resources to document and address these in accordance with the National Staff Employment Policies.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices. Support appropriate interventions in response to identified staff care needs of both national and international staff.
• Demonstrated experience in supervision both international and national staff and look for opportunities to support staff in their career growth, where appropriate. As part of succession plan and nationalization goals, identify, train and develop capability and capacity of national staff to successfully transition role and responsibilities, by the end of assignment.
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures and communicates through word and example a high standard of compliance with all applicable policies and regulations.
• Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of team members in relevant technical and management competencies.
• Develop and implement management capacity building approaches and plans to strengths of the consortium team. 
• Coach, train, supervise and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Approve and manage all time, attendance and leave requests to ensure adequate departmental coverage; ensure monthly, accurate timesheet submission and carry out probationary reviews.
• Hold high-quality meetings with each direct report on a regular and predictable basis, at least monthly.

Key Internal Contacts: 

• Country Program:  SMT, Senior Program Coordinators, Senior Grants Coordinator, Senior Program Coordinator, MEAL Coordinator, Compliance Coordinator, Program and Technical Coordinators etc.

Key External Contacts:  

• Donor, Government stakeholder, Technical Line Ministries and Relevant Sectors

Requirements
Education: 

• Master's Degree in a relevant Health related subject, Post-graduate Medical Degree (MPH, MD, RN, PA or Midwife) or other relevant Degree

Work Experience:

• Demonstrated expertise in health and nutrition service delivery in insecure environments and areas affected by crisis.
• Minimum of 10 years of increasingly responsible experience in humanitarian and development program management
• Validated leadership and strategic planning capabilities.
• Excellent IT skills (Word, Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint).
• Ability to handle a large and dynamic workload, work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Previous work experience in Africa, field experience in Nigeria is preferred.
• Strong internal and external communications skills, experience with advocacy an advantage
• Nigeria nationals or long-term residents are particularly encouraged to apply.
• Experience running large, geographically dispersed teams and working in tandem with local and international partners.
• Demonstrated experience leading and managing inter-institutional coordinating functions within a multi-cultural operating environment.
• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills with evidence of ability to productively interact with a wide range and levels of organizations (government, private sector, NGOs, research institutions).
• Demonstrated good judgment and decision-making skills.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written).

Demonstrated Technical Skills:

• Provide high quality leadership and strategic vision to the consortium, with hands on management ensuring program activities achieve the greatest coverage and impact possible, coordinated inputs and technical/managerial quality and programming that is data driven and adapts and changes with the context.
• Demonstrated experience in program management, project design and use of project design tools.

Demonstrated Managerial/Leadership Competencies:

• Excellent oral, written, and interpersonal skills with evidence of ability to build and maintain good relationship with people in wide range and levels of organizations (consortiums, government, private sector, NGOs etc).
• Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures and work independently and cooperatively with team members.
• Ability to handle a large and dynamic workload, work under pressure and meet deadlines.
• Delivers quality results for clients, partners and colleagues.

Languages:

• Fluency in English (spoken and written)

Computer/Other Tech Requirements:

• Full professional competency in Microsoft Office Suite, especially Word, Excel, Outlook, and PowerPoint.  

Ability to Travel:

• At minimal.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply