Officer, Health (Colombia)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is a membership organisation, consisting of the world’s 191 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, acting through more than 160,000 local branches or offices and with 14 million community-based volunteers. They are supported by the IFRC Secretariat, which works to support, coordinate and represent the action of National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies worldwide. Together, the members and their Secretariat are known as the “IFRC network”.

Each National Red Cross and Red Crescent Society is an independent national organisation dedicated to saving lives, promoting community health, safety resilience and well-being, and building inclusive societies. As auxiliaries to the public authorities in the humanitarian field, National Societies support their authorities to reduce risks, protect human dignity, delivery assistance and improve the lives of vulnerable people, while always acting in conformity with the Fundamental Principles. Their unparalleled local presence, combined with the IFRC Secretariat’s role in global coordination and response, brokering knowledge, strengthening capacities, mobilising resources and representation, form the world’s largest and most effective humanitarian network. The IFRC has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment and other forms of harassment, abuse of authority, discrimination, and lack of integrity (including but not limited to financial misconduct). IFRC also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles.

In the Americas, the IFRC Secretariat supports 34 National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies through the Americas Regional Office (Panama) and Country Delegations across the region. The Regional Health Department leads on health and wellbeing programming across the Americas, spanning epidemic preparedness and response, climate change and health response, health response to emergencies and disasters, and basic health resilience (First Aid, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support).

This position is administratively hosted by the Colombia Country Office, while operating with a regional scope under the technical and functional supervision of the Strategic Lead, Health and Wellbeing, Americas Region — an arrangement consistent with similar regionally-scoped posts hosted in Country Offices elsewhere in the Americas structure.

The Health Officer supports the Strategic Lead, Health and Wellbeing (Americas Region) in delivering technical assistance and health program implementation across National Societies in the Americas region, covering the program files under the Regional Health Department's portfolio. The post holder provides support across the priority program areas, especially: epidemic preparedness and response; climate change health adaptation and response to emergencies and disasters; and basic health resilience (community health, First Aid, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, delivered in coordination with relevant global reference centres). Initial focus and priorities within this scope will be agreed jointly with the Strategic Lead based on regional needs.

S/he will support and follow up on capacity building efforts, including the technical supervision of, and follow-up on, advice provided to country-level health staff, and will ensure that health interventions maintain IFRC standards and are implemented using an integrated public health approach under the guidance of the Strategic Lead. The post holder supports health interventions during emergencies as well as in development projects, programmes, and plans, including the design and delivery of training materials and the facilitation of trainings as a core activity.

S/he provides support and assistance on aspects of health and care, including MHPSS, according to the needs identified by the Strategic Lead.

S/he is expected to work closely as part of the regional team to ensure a consistent approach tailored to the needs of National Societies across the Americas region, in preparedness, anticipatory action, readiness, response, and recovery, as well as in development health projects, programmes, and plans — prioritizing efforts that contribute to National Society Development and long-term capacity building in health matters.

The post holder reports to the Strategic Lead, Health and Wellbeing (Americas Region). S/he is part of the regional health team and coordinates and collaborates with other technical colleagues, especially the Disasters, Climate and Crisis (DCC) team.

Health in Emergencies

• Monitor and follow up on epidemiological trends, outbreaks and country health risk profiles, and advise on potential health emergency interventions
• Contribute to risk and readiness assessments, including epidemic/pandemic risk and climate health risks
• Review and contribute to DREF operations and other response operations from a health perspective, promoting integrated interventions linking with other sectors (e.g. CVA) and sub-sectors (e.g. WASH, MHPSS)
• Support the development of early action protocols related to health (especially for arboviral diseases), including coordination with National Societies, Participating National Societies, the Climate Centre, Ministries of Health, etc.
• Support implementation and monitoring of health operations in outbreaks, emergencies and disasters (emergency appeals and DREFs)
• Contribute to specific interventions in emergencies such as Risk Communication and Community Engagement (RCCE), vaccination campaigns, infection prevention and control Participate in initiatives to strengthen NS-led health service provision in emergencies (e.g. mobile units)

Community Health and Universal Health Coverage

• Support National Societies to develop, update and support dissemination of key health messages with communities
• Support National Societies regarding the set-up, implementation and monitoring of community health programmes with health promotion and health promotion focus (especially using the Community-based Health and First Aid tools, eCBHFA/SPAC), addressing topics such as injuries and medical emergencies, communicable and non-communicable diseases, healthy aging, sexual and reproductive health, child health, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS), climate health programming, among others
• Support National Societies in community health resilience initiatives including community health assessments and resilience plans, community-based surveillance, health promotor programs, among others
• Participate in initiatives to strengthen NS-led health service provision through permanent health programs and facilities (e.g. first aid, pre-hospital care, health facilities, blood services, services for elderly persons)
• Support National Societies to systematize best practices and build case studies on health initiatives to support quality, scalability, and cost-effective actions shared within the Membership

Capacity Building and Technical Support

• Provide technical support to National Societies and IFRC delegations in the region, including through technical guidelines, procedures, methodologies, and tools for the effective health intervention planning and implementation
• Contribute to capacity mapping and training needs identification
• Design and implement training materials on physical and mental health, under the supervision of the Strategic Lead and in coordination with IFRC reference centres (e.g. CREPD and CADRIM Regional Reference Centers, MHPSS Hub and First Aid Reference Centre) and other partners
• Coordinate and facilitate trainings for National Society staff and volunteers across the region, especially on Public Health in Emergencies (PHiE), Community-based Health and First Aid (CBHFA/SPAC), community-based surveillance, and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS)

Project and Program Support

• Provide input into health-related project and programme proposals across the region
• Contribute to project and programme reporting for health-related programs and projects
• Check projects for consistency and compliance with policies, procedures, standards, methodologies, and practices related to health
• Provide effective project management support for health-related activities, under supervision of the Strategic Lead

Knowledge and Learning

• Contribute health information for monitoring instruments in coordination with relevant technical colleagues
• Participate in the compilation of information (e.g. capacity or stakeholder mapping, needs assessments), consultations, and intervention design for donor proposals across the region
• Contribute to knowledge and information management of the Health Department (e.g. resource repositories, websites, toolkits etc.)
• Maintain Health Department rosters/databases of NS focal points and training graduates
• Support in documenting lessons learnt and good practice, and share these with internal and external partners
• Support the coordination of the regional health network and peer-learning initiatives among National Societies

Professional Relationships, Expertise, and Professional Development

• Establish and maintain effective professional working relationships with national and international staff in country, regional and global offices, and with counterparts in National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, the International Committee of the Red Cross, government offices, academic institutions, and donor agencies
• Participate in external partnerships relevant to regional health programming
• Maintain a high degree of skill and knowledge in health and care; be an expert and a person of reference for health and care

Duties applicable to all staff

• Medical degree or professional nursing degree (Required)
• Specialization or postgraduate diploma in Public Health, Community Health, Epidemiology, or a related field. (Required)
• Master's degree in Public Health or a related field. (Preferred)

Required:

• 5 years of experience in Public Health or Emergency Health
• 2 years of working in health interventions with a CEA approach (designing, developing and/or implementing RCCE strategies, building trust, infodemic, etc.)
• 2 years of experience in the humanitarian or development sector
• Experience with monitoring and evaluation of health projects/programs
• Curriculum development for volunteers and staff
• Experience in designing training materials and facilitating trainings
• Demonstrated experience in report writing and presentations
• Experience in stakeholder coordination (including remotely)

Preferred:

• Experience with a government department, national/state level NGO or international bilateral or multilateral organization
• Experience working within the Red Cross/Red Crescent Movement
• Experience in resource mobilization and partnership development
• Work experience across the Americas region
• Experience working with national health systems
• Experience in epidemiology and data analysis

Required:

• Demonstrated skill in analytical and strategic thinking
• Understanding of health trends and priorities in the Americas
• Demonstrated core proficiency in (a) digital communication & collaboration, (b) basic digital content creation, (c) digital safety & security, (d) data literacy, and (e) problem solving with technology (including responsible use of AI assistants).
• Valid passport
• Ability to travel at short notice within the region
• Team building skills
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural and cross-functional environment
• Independent, proactive, results- and solution-oriented working style
• Flexible, creative, and open to learning
• Collaborative working style, with openness to working across sectors and different ways of working
• Effective communication, respect, and intercultural competence
• Understanding of and commitment to IFRC’s mission and values.

• Fluently spoken and written Spanish

• Strong working knowledge of English

Preferred:

• Budgeting and financial skills
• Ability to work under stressful conditions, meet deadlines and travel extensively to support field operations or training
• Good knowledge of disaster management and humanitarian assistance concepts and debates
• Knowledge of mechanisms, tools and guidelines for programming and coordination at different levels
• Advocacy, representation and negotiation skills

• Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability
• Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust
• Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Empowering others