Health Officer – Afar (2 Positions)

• Department: Health & Nutrition
• Reports to: Project Coordinator
• No of position: 2
• Salary: As per the organization scale
• Duty Station: Afambo / Amibara Woredas, Afar Region

Organizational Overview

Nexus Ethiopia is a national Ethiopian civil society organization that supports vulnerable and crisis-affected communities through humanitarian, development and peace building programmes. It works with local partners, communities and government institutions to strengthen locally led humanitarian action.

With funding from the Ethiopia Humanitarian Fund (EHF), Nexus Ethiopia leads the Integrated Lifesaving Humanitarian Response for Drought, Flood and Displacement-Affected Communities in Afambo and Amibara Woredas, Afar Region.

Project Background

The project brings together Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Multi-Purpose Cash (MPC) and Agriculture assistance for displaced people, returnees and vulnerable host communities. Nexus Ethiopia directly implements WASH and MPC, while PHE-EC implements Agriculture. Under a proposed revision currently under EHF review, Nexus Ethiopia would also directly implement Health and Nutrition. The Health and Nutrition component supports four health centres: Huadaytu and Alasabol in Afambo, and Awash Arba and Sedehafage in Amibara. Mobile health and nutrition teams will complement facility services in communities where flooding, distance or pastoral mobility limits access to care. Priorities include primary health care, maternal and newborn health, outbreak detection, acute malnutrition screening and treatment, infant and young child feeding counseling, and referral and follow-up for patients who need higher-level care.

To strengthen the project team and ensure effective, accountable and timely implementation, Nexus Ethiopia invites qualified, experienced and committed Ethiopian professionals to apply for this position.

Position Overview

The Health Officer is responsible for delivering essential primary health care services through a mobile health team reaching under-served and emergency-affected populations. The role includes clinical service delivery, coordination of the mobile team, community engagement, reporting, and ensuring quality of care in line with national guidelines and donor requirements.

Key Duties & Responsibilities

A. Clinical Service Delivery

• Lead primary health care services during mobile outreach, including diagnosis, treatment, follow-up, and referral.
• Provide curative and preventive outpatient services for all age groups based on national clinical guidelines.
• Ensure proper triage, case management, and infection prevention and control (IPC) practices.
• Conduct screening and management of common communicable and non-communicable diseases.
• Provide maternal, newborn, and child health (MNCH) services, including ANC, PNC, IMNCI, and FP.
• Support mental health screening and referral in coordination with the MHPSS officer.
• Ensure proper dispensing of essential medicines according to treatment protocols.

B. Coordination & Team Management

• Serve as the technical lead for the Mobile Health Team at field level.
• Coordinate daily team movement and activity planning with the team leader and field coordinators.
• Work closely with nurses, midwives, health extension workers, nutrition staff, and MHPSS officers for integrated service delivery.
• Liaise with local health facilities, woreda health offices, and community leaders.

C. Community Engagement

• Conduct health education and awareness sessions on communicable diseases, hygiene, maternal health, and other priority topics.
• Support community mobilization for outreach activities in collaboration with community volunteers and HEWs.
• Strengthen community referral pathways for emergency cases and chronic conditions.

D. Monitoring, Data & Reporting

• Maintain accurate and timely patient registers and service utilization data.
• Prepare and submit daily, weekly, and monthly reports to the team leader and M&E.
• Ensure proper documentation of referrals, drug consumption, and outreach coverage.
• Participate in needs assessments, rapid assessments, and health surveys when required.

E. Logistics & Supply Management

• Ensure availability of essential drugs, supplies, and equipment before each deployment.
• Conduct periodic inventory checks and ensure rational drug use.
• Report stock levels and procurement needs to the logistics unit.

F. Quality Assurance & Compliance

• Ensure compliance with national treatment protocols, IPC standards, and donor requirements.
• Monitor the quality of services delivered by the mobile health team.
• Support capacity building of team members and community health workers on clinical topics.

Qualifications & Experience

Educational Requirements

• MSc or Bachelor’s degree in Public Health Officer from a recognized institution.
• Additional training in IMNCI, ICCM, family planning, outbreak response, IPC, or related fields is an advantage.

Professional Experience

• Minimum 5 years of relevant professional experience.
• Experience in primary health care delivery, emergency response, and outreach/mobile clinics, or humanitarian settings are strongly preferred.
• Experience working with community health systems and local health structures.

Technical Skills

• Strong clinical and diagnostic skills.
• Knowledge of national health guidelines and health program standards.
• Familiarity with data collection tools, reporting templates, and referral systems.
• Ability to work effectively in remote locations with limited resources.

Personal Competencies

• Strong interpersonal and communication skills.
• Ability to lead a multidisciplinary team.
• Flexible, adaptable, and able to work under pressure.
• Respect for cultural diversity and humanitarian principles.
• Strong problem-solving and decision-making abilities.