Health Officer -Assosa Zone

Location: Assosa Zone, Benishangul-Gumuz Region, Ethiopia (with frequent travel to Sherkole, Bambasi, Tsore, Ura, and Kurmuk sites)

Reporting To: Program Manager, Assosa field Office

Contract Duration: 22 months (August 2026 – July 2028)

Start Date: October 2026

1. Organizational Background

HelpAge Ethiopia (HAE) is an independent national NGO established in May 2025, building on over 30 years of impactful work in Ethiopia as HelpAge International. Since 1992, HelpAge has been supporting older persons, persons with disabilities (PwDs), and other vulnerable groups through protection, health, and livelihoods interventions. In the Assosa Zone, HelpAge Ethiopia implements humanitarian activities targeting refugees, IDPs, and host communities affected by the Sudan crisis, with a focus on inclusion, dignity, and equitable access to essential services.

2. Job Purpose

The Health Officer will lead the implementation of HelpAge Ethiopia’s health-related activities in Assosa Zone, ensuring that older persons, persons with disabilities, and other persons with specific needs (PSNs) have access to inclusive, quality primary healthcare, and home-based care services. The role will also focus on strengthening community health services, with particular emphasis on NCD management, and integrated care for older people. The role will coordinate closely with MdM Germany, local health facilities, community structures, nutrition actors, and government counterparts to strengthen referral systems, deliver integrated care, and ensure accountability to affected populations.

3. Key Responsibilities

A. Program Implementation and Technical Support

•Oversee the delivery of health & nutrition services for older persons and PwDs, including NCD management (screening, & support, and follow-up), physiotherapy, and home-based care for bed-ridden individuals.

•Ensure the provision of essential NCD drugs and equipment to health facilities near refugee camps and IDP settlements.

•Support implementation of integrated services for older persons and persons with disabilities.

•Promote community-based health interventions including NCD screening, health education, home visits, and follow-up of vulnerable individuals.

•Collaborate with the rehabilitation officer to support the activation and regularization of rehabilitation services, including higher-level referrals for complex cases.

•Promote community-based health interventions including NCD screening, health education, home visits, and follow-up of vulnerable individuals.

•Coordinate with MdM Germany and local health facilities to avoid duplication and ensure complementary service delivery.

•Coordinate with nutrition actors to ensure older people are systematically included in nutrition programming, from identification to support, and ensure referral mechanisms are functioning well.

B. Capacity Building and Training

•Train Community Health Workers (CHWs), Home-Based Care (HBC) providers, and community volunteers on the Integrated Care for Older People (ICOPE) tool, inclusive protection, and basic NCD management.

•Build the capacity of local health facility staff on age- and disability-inclusive health service delivery, screening, and case management.

•Provide on-the-job mentoring and supportive supervision to health workers and community volunteers.

C. Community Engagement and Coordination

•Collaborate with the protection team, to strengthen Older Persons Associations (OPAs), PwD associations, and women’s groups to advocate for inclusive health services and participate in decision-making.

•Facilitate community dialogue sessions on health, protection, and GBV prevention, engaging men, boys, and community leaders.

•Collaborate with RRS, UNHCR, health clusters, and other stakeholders to ensure alignment with humanitarian response plans and cluster objectives.

D. Monitoring, Reporting, and Accountability

•Collect, analyses, and report on health-related indicators (e.g., number of OPs/PwDs screened, NCD cases managed, referrals completed, mobility aids distributed).

•Ensure data is disaggregated by age, sex, disability, and displacement status.

•Support beneficiary verification exercises in collaboration with community representatives and UNHCR databases.

•Document success stories, lessons learned, and best practices for inclusion in donor reports.

E. Safeguarding, Protection, and Compliance

•Ensure all activities adhere to humanitarian principles (Humanity, Impartiality, Neutrality, Independence) and the “Do No Harm” approach.

•Promote safeguarding, PSEA (Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse), and confidential reporting mechanisms.

•Ensure compliance with HelpAge Ethiopia’s policies, donor requirements, and national regulations.

SAFER RECRUITMENT

All employments at HelpAge Ethiopia will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include misconduct disclosure schemes and terrorism finance checks

Qualifications and Experience

Essential:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in medicine, Public Health, or Nursing, a related field. A master’s degree in public health is an advantage.
• Experience: Minimum of 5 years of experience in humanitarian health programming, with a focus on older persons, NCDs, rehabilitation, or disability-inclusive care.
• Technical Knowledge: Familiarity with NCD management, ICOPE, WHO rehabilitation guidelines, and community-based health approaches.
• Skills: Strong coordination, training, and communication skills; proficiency in data collection and reporting; ability to work in remote and insecure settings.
• Language: Fluency in English and related local languages

Desirable:

• Experience working with refugees, IDPs, or host communities in Benishangul-Gumuz or similar settings.
• Prior experience with humanitarian organizations and humanitarian donor-funded projects.
• Training or certification in protection, GBV, or psychosocial support.

5. Competencies

• Commitment to the rights and dignity of older persons and PwDs.
• Strong interpersonal and intercultural communication skills.
• Ability to work collaboratively in a consortium setting (with MdM Germany and other partners).
• Resilience, adaptability, and problem-solving skills in challenging environments.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, PowerPoint) and data management tools.

6. Working Conditions

• The role requires frequent travel to refugee camps, IDP settlements, and health facilities in Assosa Zone.
• Some travel to Addis Ababa & Gambela for coordination meetings, training, and reporting may be required.

Safeguarding

HelpAge Ethiopia is committed to safeguarding the communities with which we work, our partners, staff and any others who we come into contact with. The post holder will also be responsible for:

·         Preventing harm, abuse, including SEAH from our people, operations and programmes to anyone that encounters our work.

·         Reporting all safeguarding incidents you see, hear, hear about or suspect, using our internal reporting mechanism.

·         Complying with all safeguarding framework policies and practices.

·         Completing mandatory training courses relating to our safeguarding policy framework and complying with HR vetting procedures.