Head of Health Programme

Position Start Date : August 15th, 2022

Duration : CDI

Working time : 100%

Location : Lausanne HQ, Switzerland

Terre des hommes does not set closing dates for this position; recruitment is on-going until the position is filled

Tdh :

Terre des hommes (Tdh) is Switzerland’s largest child relief organisation. Since 1960, Tdh has been helping to build a better future for disadvantaged children and their communities through innovative and sustainable solutions. Present in 38 countries with an operational budget of over 90 million Swiss francs, Tdh works with local and international partners to develop and implement projects in the field which improve the daily lives of over four million children and their families in the fields of health, protection and emergency.

Context :

Terre des hommes’ maternal, Newborn and Child Health (MNCH) Programme focuses on developing and strengthening health activities to improve the conditions of the most vulnerable children and their families around the world and make a sustainable systemic change.

In the strategic cycle, Tdh will continue to ensure the right of every child to grow up healthy while providing, in a disciplinary manner, the best possible access to quality care for newborns, children under five, and their mothers in rural and semi-urban areas of Africa and Asia. Tdh will progressively explore other health fields of action in other countries, notably in the Middle East, North Africa, Latin America, and Europe. Tdh will focus on ensuring that local actors (at community, district and national levels) and people in the affected communities have a strong leadership role.

General Responsibilities :

Strengthening health systems to ensure sustainable impact. Whatever the context, Tdh will continue to strengthen existing health systems through the development of resilient local capacities to manage health systems effectively, as well as the rehabilitation of health facilities and the prevention and control of infections.

Digital health as a tool to amplify impact. Tdh is a pioneer in exploiting the digital revolution in this field. Today, Tdh is one of the first organizations to explore the use of artificial intelligence in its interventions while promoting ethical use and equitable access to digital technologies. By 2024, beyond Burkina Faso, Tdh plans to become a reference organization in West Africa in this field. In Africa, as in Asia and progressively in other regions, Tdh will continue – thanks to access to digital technologies – to improve the quality of care, to increase the performance of the health system, the accuracy of diagnosis and treatment, and the exploitation of data (including epidemiological surveillance). Digital tools will also support the integration of the different levels of the health system to ensure the continuum of care from community health care workers to referral to secondary health services

Perinatal health, to reduce mortality due to lack of quality care at birth. By 2024, a “perinatal health” component will be integrated into all countries where Tdh develops health interventions linked to Tdh’s perinatal health strategy “Safe Births for Every Baby and Mother”. To achieve this, Tdh will rely on the digital tools and innovative responses developed in recent years in the field of perinatal health. The SIMESON project will continue to strengthen the capacity development of partner actors by the continuous training of midwives through simulation. The digital IeDA project will help health workers provide quality pre-and post-natal care, including family planning for mothers.

Specific Responsibilities :

Under the supervision of the Deputy Director of Operations and in coordination with the Heads of Portfolios, Programmes and Transversal Expertise, the Head of Health will be responsible to:

• Lead and define the Health strategy, ensure its implementation and steer it.
• Contribute actively to the global strategy of Tdh.
• Define Health principles, standards, methodologies, approaches, and modes of action and ensure their appropriation by all teams.
• Develop, promote and manage innovation and digital health within Health activities.
• Develop and strengthen the network of partners; position and anchor Tdh in the health network (local, regional and global levels).
• Identify new activities in fundraising, lead all adequate follow-up and strengthen current network; ensure the adequate follow up.
• Ensure the quality of projects and their monitoring.
• Develop and coordinate management and sharing of operational knowledge related to Health and quality and accountability.
• Define and implement advocacy at international and regional levels in the areas of Health.
• Lead and influence global health and represent Tdh in fora (local, regional & international).
• Contribute to the strengthening of organizational structures at regional and national levels.

Profile :

Experience :

• At least 10 years of proven experience in an international leadership role in humanitarian and/or development aid, both in headquarters and in the field.
• Proven experience in Global Health.

Competencies

• Confirmed leadership and ability to share a vision and unite around a common project.
• Excellent interpersonal communication and emotional intelligence (active listening skills and diplomacy).
• Flexibility, reactivity, adaptability, pragmatism.
• Rigour, organisation.

Languages :

Excellent writing and presentation skills in French and English.

IT :

Absolute mastery of the usual office automation tools.

Salary :

Salary between CHF 7’000.- and CHF 8’700.-, gross x 13 depending on the level of experience.

Tdh Global Code of Conduct and Risk Management Policies :

• Fully complies with Tdh’s Global Code of Conduct and systematically reports any breach to the Code through the whistleblowing procedure: raises awareness within the Foundation on abuse and violence and the rights deriving therefrom, respecting the rights and dignity of children, members of the communities and our own Staff
• Commits to respecting Risk Management Policies including: Safeguarding Policies (Child Safeguarding Policy, Policy on the Protection against Sexual Exploitation and the Directive on Staff Misconduct at the Workplace), Safety and Security Policy and Anti-Fraud/Corruption and Prevention of the Financing of Criminal Activities Policies
• Commits to reducing the risk of abuse and harm by developing a culture of open and informed leadership within the organization and in our work with children and the communities in which we intervene in.

We offer an exciting and varied work, useful and meaningful, in a team that wants to make a difference for vulnerable children.

Are you interested? Do you want to face this challenge?