Delegate Health Engineer – South Sudan

We help to strengthen resilience of vulnerable people exposed to hazards and crisis situations and we respond to disasters and conflicts to save lives and alleviate suffering. We act before, during, and after disasters to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people.

We do this without regards to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinion. Our seven principles guide our humanitarian work: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.

The International Assistance department is responsible for all Netherlands Red Cross international support for victims of disasters and conflicts and for vulnerable people exposed to hazards.

The Netherlands Red Cross is engaged in a partnership with the South Sudan Red Cross Society to build resilience and provide durable solutions to vulnerable communities in Northern Bahr el Ghazal and Jonglei states that are prone to water borne diseases. NLRC, in consortium with Danish Red Cross (DRC) and SSRC are implementing a DG ECHO funded Programmatic Partnership pilot (PPP): “Accelerating local action in humanitarian and health crisis”, for which IFRC is a global grant holder (since this programme will be implemented in multiple countries). In South Sudan, the project has assisted SSRC in the fight against communicable diseases through strengthening both prevention and response. As a result, NLRC is looking for a Health Engineer:

Position title: Delegate Health Engineer – South Sudan

Duty station: Juba, South Sudan

Time period: 12 months

Starting Date: 1st March 2023

Status: Single posting with R&R

Purpose of the position

The project aims to support South Sudan Red Cross in the fight against communicable water-borne diseases through strengthening both prevention and response activities. You will ensure technical oversight and coordination among the various budget holders, national societies and respective technical staff as this programme is organized by multiple stakeholders and will be implemented in multiple countries. You must be a Health Engineer, who keeps oversight on community health promotion, WASH interventions and implementation of epidemic control measures, ensuring cholera and other epidemics contingency and response plans are in place, as well as the capacity building of National Society staff. The key is to empower communities as part of a larger initiative to strengthen community resilience.

Background

We have been supporting South Sudan Red Cross since its foundation in 2011, to implement projects developed under their strategic plan. Other projects include complex and integrated programs with components addressing access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and reducing public health threats including water borne epidemics and pandemics. WASH is an important pillar of South Sudan Red Cross 2022-2026 strategy, recognizing the dire needs of access to water, sanitation and hygiene in South Sudan. The project is expected to play a substantial role in supporting the South Sudan Red Cross strategy.

This DG ECHO-funded Pilot Program Partnership project in South Sudan is assisting, among others, in the fight against communicable diseases through strengthening prevention and response. The project will enable communities and local actors to anticipate, prepare for, withstand, respond to, and recover from humanitarian and health crises. This is expected to be done through integrated multi-sectoral programming approach including community health promotion, WASH interventions and implementation of epidemic control measures and ensuring national cholera and epidemics contingency and response plans are in place. In addition, the project also aims to build the capacity of SSRC staff and volunteers to detect and respond to any possible water-borne epidemics or pandemics due to floods or indeed lack of basic WASH services. The project will also support formation and training of community disaster response teams in the targeted communities. Furthermore, the project will support national and local authorities including MoH and other key stakeholders in terms of capacity building within the spectrum of water-borne epidemic preparedness and response.

Position in the organization

The Epidemic Preparedness and Response Delegate will report directly to the NLRC Country Representative based in Juba, South Sudan, but with frequent travels to the field. On technical matters there are colleagues within the South Sudan Red Cross and within the Netherlands Red Cross HQ to liaise with. You will work closely with the Danish Red Cross Program Delegate who is the consortium lead coordinating all activities on the country level.

Summary statement and responsibilities

Project Implementation

• You provide technical and project cycle management support in accordance with NLRC and SSRC procedures
• You are responsible for the project budget management, adequate and timely quality narrative and financial reporting and you undertake project evaluations
• You coordinate information on progress with the key stakeholders: Program and WASH Departments, country representative, and HQ colleagues (advisors, PM&E, Data team (510)
• You provide mentorship, capacity building and technical support to South Sudan Red Cross on topics like project management, WASH structures design & BoQ, data management, water quality testing and surveillance, financial management, WASH and health need assessment and identification of priority needs
• You undertake regular monitoring field visits and meetings in order to advise relevant actors including the targeted community members, MoH, Ministry of Water and Irrigation, Relief Recovery Commission and project partners in assessing the Epidemic and Pandemic trends, patterns and changing needs
• You support national/branch level pandemic preparedness plans, linking to wider preparedness and anticipatory systems developed under the ECHO PPP project
• You review and test response plans and provide feedback for further strengthening plans and preparedness to respond to water borne epidemics
• You support the development of community-based surveillance system as part of an early detection system for water-borne diseases and you facilitate training activities relating to early detection and response
• You support in health promotion through training volunteers and conducting household visits and group sessions in the community using BHI approach
• You support wash needs assessment in targeted locations
• You ensure WASH activities and services implementation (focus on WASH in HCF and rehab of existing WASH infrastructure) taking into account people with disability, elderly, women and girls
• You develop operations and maintenance (form and train water user committees, and pump mechanics) strategy for program area
• You ensure integration of Protection, Gender and Inclusion and Community Engagement and Accountability

Program Design & Development

You contribute to NLRC South Sudan proposal development and country strategy, in coherence with other Netherlands Red Cross delegates and you contribute to the continuous scoping and development of the WASH and DM project proposals

Representation & Coordination

You coordinate with the purpose of high quality and timely implementation. But you also support South Sudan Red Cross in maintaining and coordinating external relations and partnerships with State and National stakeholders, including relevant line ministries and agencies of government of South Sudan.

Besides, you are an advocate for quality WASH and Disaster Preparedness activities/services to promote risk reduction among the targeted communities and you promote and contribute to coordination among RC/RC Movement partners and other actors active in the area of humanitarian aid.

Requirements/Qualifications

• University degree or professional qualification in Public health engineering, civil engineering, WASH or equivalent professional experience

• At least 5 years of experience working in the humanitarian or development sector

• Experience focusing on water borne epidemics preparedness and response

• Experience in working in African context, preferably South Sudan

• Experience working and living in another country than your domicile

• Experience in working with DG ECHO and with implementing actions funded by DG ECHO

• Experience in procurement

• Excellent writing skills for reporting, proposal development and designing development programs

• Experience with community-based epidemics detection and response and knowledge of CEA

• Experience with rehabilitation and reconstruction of rural communities’ water infrastructures, experienced in solar water system design, and drilling supervision

• Experience with capacity strengthening

• Experience in narrative and financial reporting and data management

• Red Cross/Red Crescent knowledge and experience is preferred

Competencies and skills

• Strong interpersonal skills

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with independent decision-making capacity

• Excellent communication skills with the ability to represent NLRC

• Ability to transfer knowledge, skills, and/or abilities to staff and volunteers.

The Red Cross is looking for employees with talent and excellent competences for a position and is not guided by cultural background, physical limitations, gender identity, religion, sexual orientation or age.

We offer

• A full time appointment (based on 40-hour work week) for 1 year, with the possibility of extension
• An international and dynamic team in Juba and professional support from Netherlands Red Cross Head Quarters
• Well balanced employment conditions with a separate personal budget for professional development