Rehabilitation Field Specialist – Afghanistan

Context

HI Afghanistan’s operational strategy, formulated in early 2022 for the subsequent two years, delineates the framework for its activities. This strategy encompasses three key pillars: Health and Basic Needs, Economic Inclusion, Armed Violence Reduction and Protection of Vulnerable Populations.

Currently, HI is engaged in various sectors, including physical and functional rehabilitation, mental health and psycho-social support (MHPSS), protection, inclusive livelihood programs, mine risk education, and the ATLAS initiative. These activities are conducted in both development and chronic crisis contexts.

HI operates from five offices situated across different provinces in Afghanistan. The central office, located in Kabul, houses the management team, comprising operations, finance, logistics, human resources, technical expertise, humanitarian access and advocacy, and security functions.

In response to the ongoing humanitarian crisis, HI/AL aims to enhance the delivery of aid, particularly in conflict-affected, disaster-prone, and hard-to-reach areas. To achieve this, plans are underway to establish a logistics platform for storage and mutualized transport services in Bamiyan.

HI Afghanistan employs 490 national staff and ten international staff, with fundraising and donor relations primarily managed at the Kabul level.

To contribute to the implementation of the mandate and the 10-year strategy of HI we recrute a Rehabilitation Field Specialist.

Description / Responsabilities

Under the management of the Technical Head of Program, The Rehabilitation Specialist will oversee the functional management of the Rehab Technical Officers, Physiotherapists, and P&O Technicians.

In this role, the Rehab Specialist will engage with both internal stakeholders and external parties (including partners, local authorities, other rehabilitation organizations, health clusters, and health NGOs).

The Rehabilitation Specialist will assume four primary responsibilities within the HI Afghanistan framework across seven bases (Kabul, Kandahar, Nimroz, Bamiyan, Kunduz, Herat, and Nangarhar), where comprehensive physical rehabilitation services are implemented through mobile teams, static teams, and four physical rehabilitation centers specializing in Prosthetic and Orthotic services.
These responsibilities aim to ensure quality assurance, capacity building, recognition, prioritization, and sustained support for physical rehabilitation activities within humanitarian and health initiatives.

Mission 1: Expertise

• Contribute to regional strategies aligned with global strategies.
  Provide technical support to projects adhering to global technical frameworks and standards within the sectorial scope.
• Facilitate technical learning from projects.
• Monitor and maintain technical quality and relevance of HI’s activities in the programs under the scope.
• Ensure alignment of technical propositions with nexus stakes (interconnected humanitarian, development, and peacebuilding efforts).
• Contribute to the development of research and innovation projects in the region within the sectorial scope.
• Assist in facilitating the Professional Channel within the Technical Division’s framework within the program.

Mission 2: Influence

• Enhance HI’s external prestige and influence locally within the sectorial scope of expertise.
• Collaborating with the Disability Task Force to advocate for the importance of physical rehabilitation services and the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian efforts.
• Working closely with health clusters to ensure that physical rehabilitation activities are recognized and prioritized within broader health initiatives.
• Engaging with government agencies to advocate for policies and resources that support the provision of physical rehabilitation services to those in need.
• Building partnerships and alliances with relevant stakeholders to amplify the impact of advocacy efforts and garner support for physical rehabilitation activities

Mission 3: Business Development

• Foster the development of major opportunities or new projects within the region within the sectorial scope.

Mission 4: Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Participate in or support emergency preparedness actions within the program(s) and adapt working methodologies during emergencies to contribute to effective humanitarian response efforts by HI.

Requested Profile

Qualifications: A master’s degree in physical rehabilitation, (physiotherapy, or occupational therapy) is required.

Experience:

• Ideally, the candidate should possess 5+ years of relevant and progressive experience, indicating a profound understanding of technical priorities in conflict and early recovery settings. This experience should be demonstrated through projects implemented in international development and/or humanitarian contexts.
• The ideal candidate must demonstrate recognized technical leadership in providing physical rehabilitation services, including physiotherapy and prosthetics & orthotics services.
• Essential skills include successful interaction with host country agencies, health partners, civil society, and community-based organizations.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and overseeing projects focused on physical rehabilitation service delivery and systems strengthening, with specific expertise in working with children (e.g., cerebral palsy, clubfoot, developmental dysplasia of the hip) and victims of war in healthcare settings.

Responsibilities:

• Proven experience in providing technical direction, assistance, and oversight for project implementation, including measuring performance against targets and leading necessary training and mentoring for staff, partners, and key stakeholders.
• Demonstrated ability to manage teams effectively, employing both in-person and remote management approaches for supervising staff across various locations

Skills:

• Strong leadership and management skills, with a track record of leading and motivating multidisciplinary and multicultural project teams.
• Demonstrated strategic thinking, creativity, acute problem-solving, and analytical skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.

Languages:

• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
• Proficiency in Dari and/or Pashto languages is advantageous.

Conditions

At HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission. https://hi.org/en/join-the-team

• 12 months International contract starting from May 15th 2024
• The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation:
  • Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals
  • Pension scheme
  • Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution
  • Repatriation insurance paid by HI
• Salary from 2757€ gross/month upon experience
• Per diem: 603,89 € net/month – paid in the field
• Hardship: 500 € net/month paid with your salary
• Paid leaves: 25 days per year;
• R&R: 5 days every 8 weeks & possible transport/package support.
• Position: unaccompanied
• Payment for travel costs (air ticket & visa) and transport of your personal effects
• Housing: Collective taken in charge by HI