Save the Children Health Officers Jobs in Turkana Kenya

Save the Children 

Vacancy: Health Officer 

Position Code: SCI TUR 01

3 Posts 
 

Team / Programme: Health

Location: Turkana

Grade: Grade 3

Post Type: National (1 year contract with possibility of renewal)

Duration: 1 Year
 

Child Safeguarding: Level 3 - the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people

Role Purpose: The Health Officer will plan, guide and support implementation of Save the Children’s UNICEF supported health project in Turkana County.

Scope of Role: This positon is mostly field based; the holder will provide technical expertise in implementation of MNCH activities with clear focus on integrated /holistic approach at community level.

The position holder will be incharge of supporting the SCHMTs in capacity building CHEWs and CHWs through regular on the job training. 

Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. 

Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH... 

Save the Children has an operational presence in Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Meru and Wajir – Bungoma and Turkana being the new entrants in 2014. We work through partners in many other parts of the country. 
 

This project will use a range of complementary and mutually reinforcing methods to achieve the expected results and objectives, namely innovative methods for raising awareness of health issues, a combination of capacity building at community level, health system strengthening and sharing learning to allow replication of successes, and undertaking advocacy to increase prioritisation of MNCH and iCCM initiatives for the benefit of the vulnerable by the county government.

Reports to: Senior  Health  Officer

Staff directly reporting to this Post:  None

Budget responsibility: Yes – as per sub county and delegation scheme. 

Key Areas of Accountability:

Programme

• Plan and supervise implementation of project activities together with MNCH team at Save the Children Lodwar office, and MOH counterparts at the Sub-County level.
• Represent SC in the respective subcounties health county forums in conjunction with senior health officer.
• Consolidate activity reports and ensure timely submission to supervisor for onward submission to project health coordinator, area program manager and country office.
• Organise and coordinate health worker trainings in consultation with the sub counties health authorities.
• Ensure good working relationships maintained with the sub counties Health Management teams (SCHMTs) and community health structures.
• Monitors and ensures that the technical protocols, manuals, guidelines and forms used in the field are in line with validated national MNCH and RH/FP technical tools and guidelines.
• Participates and represents SC in various health coordination forums and at working meetings with partners at field level when necessary.

Staff Management and Development

• Support SC staff working on this project. (Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Communication for Development officer and Community Liaison Officer)

Monitoring and evaluation

• Follow up of project routine monitoring and supervision plan in liaison with the respective SCHMTs; including joint monitoring and supervision plans.
• Take lead in guidance and documentation of best practices in their respective sub county project; including case studies.
• Ensure the compilation of timely reports of the project.
• Monitor project expenditure against budgets in their respective sub counties.

Coordination and representation

• Within delegated authority represent SC and maintain working relationship with relevant host sub county health management teams, UN agencies, International and local non-governmental health organizations  with a mandate to promote the MNCH agenda and  influence policies of Government, UN agencies and other humanitarian actors with regards to MNCH.

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)

Accountability:

• Holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling SCI’s values.
• Holds the partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities - giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved.

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for SCI, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically.

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, Members and external partners and supporters.
• Values diversity sees it as a source of competitive strength.
• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to.

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions.
• Willing to take disciplined risks.

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency.
• Commitment to Save the Children Values.

Qualifications and Experience.

Essential

• Bachelor’s degree/Diploma in public health or nursing with community health experience.
• Minimum two (2) years’ experience in community maternal and newborn health and Integrated Community case management of Case Management programming.
• Experience working with Community Health Units in community health strategy.
• Excellent spoken and written English and Swahili.
• Strong organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Experience of living and traveling in remote and insecure places. Familiarity with the counties in Northern Kenya especially Turkana, will be an added advantage.. 
• Sensitive to issues affecting children and committed to Save the Children’s Child Safe Guarding policy.
• Strong documentation and report writing skills.
• Experience of and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability.
• Culturally sensitive with qualities of mentorship and patience.
• Commitment to Save the Children Values.

How to Apply

Interested candidates are required to submit a CV and mandatory cover letter to Kenya.jobapplications@savethechildren.org  by 4th September 2014 indicating the Position Code on the subject line.  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.