Health Systems Strengthening Officer

Medical Teams Calling  

   Daring to love like Jesus, we boldly break barriers to health and restore wholeness in a hurting world. 

Medical Teams International holds strict child and vulnerable adult safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct related to sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered. Parallel to technical competence, recruitment & selection, hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates’ eligibility thorough background checks, police clearance, and professional reference check processes.

JOB SUMMARY

Health Systems Strengthening Officer contributes to the calling of Medical Teams by ensuring quality health care services for vulnerable refugee and host populations in Medical Temas operations in Ethiopia. The role is responsible for implementing HSS interventions across the community, facility, and public health system, with a focus on improving access and quality of health services according to MoH and Medical Teams standards.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Identify needs of the clinic in order to restore operations to full capacity and communicate them with the Medical Teams International Field Coordinator and Health and Nutrition Manager
• Ensure that the provision of healthcare services complies with the standards set forth by Regional Health  Bureau
• Verify that at the moment of health delivery, all services are carried out using the highest standards and upon identifying processes which do not comply with Medical Team’s standards, report findings to the Health and Nutriotn Manager.
• Perform quality control checks, ensuring quality control at all levels of services offered (referrals from the community, PHC, pharmacies, laboratories and referrals for higher levels of care).
• Ensure that patient flow between clinic, pharmacy and other health referral institutions is efficient and meets MoH standards in partnership with the Regional Health Bureau.
• Ensure compliance with all quality standards defined at each level of health attention.
• Ensure proper registration of all patients.
• Maintain compliance with all health care protocols as set forth by the Secretary of Health and International standards.
• Ensure weekly monitoring and evaluation reports from assigned health facilities and health offices is provided to Medical Teams..
• Provide technical support to members of the health team in the field office to ensure that all objectives are carried out according to national standards
• Work closely with the assigned health facilities and health offices and the Medical Teams  program team to help provide capacity building for healthcare staff at the clinics where services are being offered.
• Provide technical support to health facilities to properly manage medical stock and track stock consumption.
• Identify needs for training at the clinics where services are offered, report training needs to the Health and Nutrition Manager   and support the development and implementation of training plans.
• Promote strong linkages between Community Health Workers and other members of the healthcare team.
• Support outbreak monitoring and response in assigned health catchments and assist with disaster planning and management as required.
• Ensure all patients are treated based on the Guidelines of the Ministry of Health and the IMCI guidelines.
• Provide technical support on rational use of drugs to ensure that only those essential for treatment are prescribed and mitigate overprescribing and mis-prescribing in assigned health facilities. Provide technical support to assigned health facilities to maintain good infection control practices to prevent spread of illnesses within the clinic and among the staff.
• Support the integration of accountability practices into program activities by following established procedures during planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting. Help ensure that accountability is reflected in day-to-day tasks, team interactions, and when working with partners or communities.
• Support safeguarding of program participants and employees through promoting an environment of awareness and upholding the code of conduct provisions of Medical Teams Protection from Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, Child & Vulnerable Adult protection, and harassment-free workplace policies. Incumbents will remain alert and responsive to any child and adult safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the child and adult safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding.

Other Duties

• Support other areas of the health activities as requested or needed to ensure efficiency and quality
• Support or manage HEWs, community volunteers and incentive workers when appropriate for public health campaigns and initiatives.
• Maintain a clean and safe working environment, disposing of waste and sharps appropriately.
• Other duties as assigned

EDUCATION, LICENSES, & CERTIFICATIONS

• MPH in public health, BSC Degree in Health Officer, Health policy, and related field.

EXPERIENCE

• Minimum of three years of experience working at the primary healthcare (PHC) level and a minimum of two years of experience managing health service operations, including health system strengthening and health governance.
• Experience working in a humanitarian setting or with INGOs is an added advantage.

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of humanitarian standards, donors, systems and principles, e.g., Sphere, CHS, Red Cross Code of Conduct etc.
• Understanding of the Ethiopian MoH health systems and standards.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills for cross-cultural teamwork.
• Knowledge of MoH systems including HMiS and Dagu.

Skills:

• Moderately skilled with office software: Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.
• Moderately skilled with communication software: Outlook, Messaging applications (Signal, WhatsApp, Telegram), Internet, CRM (or other database programs).
• Humanitarian motivation.
• Analytical and problem-solving Computer literate, able to work efficiently in Microsoft office on standard or mobile platforms.
• Negotiation and representation skills.
• Fluent spoken and written Amharic (or relevant local language) and English.
• Emotionally and spiritually mature .
• Team player – practical, desire to support the field teams.
• Understanding and sensitivity to cross cultural issues .

Abilities:

• Ability to work flexible schedule and weekends as needed.
• Proven ability to foster collaboration with diverse stakeholders, including government health facilities.
• Willingness to pitch in and get the job done .
• Ability to remain calm under pressure.
• Able to build new relationships and gain people’s trust quickly.
• Ability to work cooperatively in a team environment.
• Ability to prioritize multiple competing priorities and tasks.
• Ability to embrace and promote Medical Teams International mission and vision.
• Ability to represent the organization in a professional manner to donors, volunteers, and the public.
• Integrity in representing Medical Teams Willing to travel to insecure environments.

Physical Requirements:

The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• Frequent use of personal computers, database and digital platforms, and other office productivity machinery, such as copy machines and computer printers.
• Frequently uses hands, fingers, and arms to reach, handle, touch or feel equipment, medical instruments, materials, computers.
• Frequent communication and exchange of information among colleagues and persons of concern requires the ability to speak, hear, convey, and express oneself.
• Frequent close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Occasionally ascends/descends stairs, steps, or ladder
• Occasionally, moving inside an office to access file cabinets, office machinery, meet with colleagues, etc.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 25KG
• Seldom to occasionally position oneself to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• If in travel status, occasional to frequent traversing over rough or steep terrain in either a motor vehicle or on foot.