Public Health Specialist-Epidemics – Tanzania Country Office
TEAM/PROGRAMME: Humanitarian Response Team
LOCATION: Dar es Salaam with frequent travel to the field
GRADE: Grade 2
CONTRACT LENGTH: Six months
Child Safeguarding:
Level 3: the post holder will have contact with children and/or young people either frequently (e.g. once a week or more) or intensively (e.g. four days in one month or more or overnight) because they work country programs; or are visiting country programs; or because they are responsible for implementing the police checking/vetting process staff.
ROLE PURPOSE:
Save the Children implements programs in all contexts and is currently supporting vulnerable communities in responding to the COVID-19 pandemic. .
Under the responsibility of the Deputy Director of Operations and the Director of Program Development and Quality (DPDQ), the Public Health Specialist-Epidemics will provide technical leadership in the design, monitoring and supervision of all the Country Office COVID-19 response projects. . He/she will represent Save the Children in various COVID-19 working groups at national and regional level. He/she will work closely with Program Managers sharing situational updates regularly and advising on program adaptations. The Public Health Specialist-Epidemics will also support the SCI Tanzania staff health and business continuity pillars to ensure that all staff responding to COVID-19 are protected and safe.
SCOPE OF ROLE:
As the Public Health Technical Specialist – Epidemics you will be responsible for capacity building of staff and partners to ensure that COVID-19 response interventions are integrated with all aspects of Disaster Risk Management and programming. You will ensure that all interventions are inclusive, engendered and age appropriate with specific focus on children. You will need to innovate and work creatively to achieve the objectives of the role in the midst of restrictions on public gatherings.
Reports to: Deputy Director of Operations
Staff directly reporting to this post: None.
Dimensions: The job has five core functions: strategy, quality programming, resource mobilisation, monitoring and evaluation, and advocacy and representation. The job also requires actions to incorporate gender equality and child friendly services throughout the spectrum of humanitarian to development.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY:
Strategy:
Provide overall oversight and strategic guidance, strong leadership and technically sound decision-making processes in line with the COVID-19 Response plans.
Contribute to the country strategy, and ensure alignment with the global Save the Children COVID-19 Programme Strategy
Provide thematic technical inputs into all areas of work
Ensure the project adaptation plans align with COVID-19 Programme strategy and ensure relevant follow up
Ensure technical support to projects in line with the global technical COVID-19 frameworks and standards
Provide adequate technical guidance and support to Project Managers when relevant and in line with strategy, standards and mandatory approaches
Ensure technical learning from projects and contribute to projects’ capitalization.
Contribute to strategic discussions regarding COVID-19 at country level.
Technical Programme Quality:
Based on guidance and in coordination with the D/PDQ and Deputy Director of Operations
Use Save the Children’s Common Approaches as a first point of reference in the design of COVID-19 programming, ensuring they are in line with relevant national policies and guidelines
Provide oversight and technical inputs and lead on the emerging COVID-19 interventions in the country including WASH, surveillance and contact tracing.
Participate in Routine Award Review meetings related to COVID-19
Work with the MEAL and Awards teams to build the capacity of the implementation teams to produce quality donor reports demonstrating clear achievements and our learnings when delivering COVID-19 programming.
Ensure technical support to projects in line with the global technical COVID-19 frameworks and standards
Provide adequate technical guidance and support to Project Managers when relevant and in line with strategy, standards and mandatory approaches
Ensure adequate support to multi-sector responses within projects, in line with other Specialists i.e. Health & Nutrition specialist, CP specialist and Education Specialist
Monitoring and Evaluation
Work closely with operations teams and Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to ensure that logical frameworks and M&E Plans reference Common Approaches and industry standards.
Ensure the control & monitoring of the technical quality and the relevance of save the children activities in the Programmes under his scope
Ensure regular technical quality control of projects and programmes and issue warnings and recommendations
Monitor the implementation in relation to COVID-19
Advocacy and Representation:
Represent Save the Children Tanzania in technical working groups and other national-level technical forums as they pertain to COVID-19. Ensure SMT are included in updates on critical discussions in these forums.
Represent the technical expertise of Save the Children throughout the local relevant networks related to COVID-19
Contribute to advocacy on specific themes in line with the global advocacy priorities related to COVID-19
Contribute to communication messages locally in line with the MOH communication priorities that related to COVID-19
Work with Advocacy and Campaigns Manager in developing national and local advocacy plans, including but not limited to the National Campaign.
Support implementation teams as requested and build their capacity to lead representation and advocacy in technical, government and civil society fora within Tanzania for COVID-19
Resource Mobilisation:
Work together with Awards, PDQ and implementation teams to design high quality, cost-effective, innovative and sustainable project proposals and concept notes related to COVID-19.
Support in the development of budgets with Finance, Awards and operations teams to ensure technical resources are available (human and project activities) for proposed activities.
BEHAVIOURS (Values in Practice)
Accountability:
holds self-accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values;
holds the team and 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 and their team, takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages their team to do the same;
widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale;
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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity;
QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE
Education
Formal Bachelor degree in Medicine, and Master in Public Health/Community Health or related fields (Preferably with specialized training on public health in complex emergencies, in Epidemiology/ or Disease Control)
Skills and Experience:
At least 8 years of work experience in public health programs and/or health humanitarian programs, either for public or INGO sector with field experience in responding to health emergencies. This includes: Coordination and partnerships, risk assessments, planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public health emergency programs relevant communicable disease control
At least 2 years of direct field experience in response to epidemics, either in humanitarian agencies and/or national health systems
Background/ familiarity in emergency preparedness and response, preferably in the control pf EVD
Developing Country work experience and /or familiarity with emergency health is an asset
English language skills is a strong asset
DESIRABLE:
Exposure to NGO project design and delivery.
Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mind sets
Experience of solving complex issues through analysis, definition of a clear way forward and ensuring buy in.
Swahili language skills and experience working in East Africa.
Additional job responsibilities
The duties and responsibilities as set out above are not exhaustive and the role holder may be required to carry out additional duties within reasonableness of their level of skills and experience.
Equal Opportunities
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI Equal Opportunities and Diversity policies and procedures;
Child Safeguarding:
We need to keep children safe so our selection process, which includes rigorous background checks, reflects our commitment to the protection of children from abuse.
Safeguarding our Staff:
The post holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with the SCI anti-harassment policy
Health and Safety
The role holder is required to carry out the duties in accordance with SCI Health and Safety policies and procedures.
Closing Date:
Thursday 24th April 2020. To start as soon as possible
Closing date: 23 Apr 2020 – 23:59 EAT
Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, United Republic of
Department: Risk Management
Type: Fixed-term contract
Schedule: Full-time