Health Coordinator

The Health Coordinator provides overall technical leadership and program oversight for IRC’s Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) health response in DRC. The position ensures the health response is technically sound, operationally feasible, monitored against agreed results, and aligned with Ministry of Health and IRC standards.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall strategic and technical leadership for IRC’s EVD health response, translating outbreak epidemiology, response priorities and field evidence into clear program priorities and technical direction.
• Ensure health interventions are implemented in accordance with Ministry of Health protocols, national EVD response guidance, donor commitments and IRC technical standards.
• Provide technical oversight of facility-based EVD prevention and response measures including screening, triage, temporary isolation, patient flow, standard and transmission-based precautions, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning and disinfection, healthcare waste management, PPE use and occupational exposure prevention.
• Ensure IRC-supported health facilities can safely identify, isolate and refer suspected EVD cases while maintaining safe access to essential health services and reducing healthcare-associated transmission risks.
• Guide development, adaptation and application of technical protocols, SOPs, checklists, job aids, assessment tools and quality-improvement approaches for the EVD response.
• Ensure program priorities and facility support are risk-based and responsive to evolving epidemiology, health-facility risks, healthcare-worker exposures, service-utilization trends and identified IPC/WASH gaps.
• Provide technical guidance during significant clinical or IPC incidents, ensure appropriate escalation and follow-up, and support program adaptation based on lessons learned.
• Supervise implementation of health/EVD programs against approved work plans, results frameworks, performance indicators, expenditure plans and donor commitments, ensuring timely corrective actions.
• Conduct regular field visits and technical reviews to assess program quality, coach teams, verify implementation and follow up on agreed corrective measures.
• Collaborate with MEAL teams to ensure consistent use of monitoring systems, databases, indicators and data quality processes across the health response.
• Review and analyze program data, IPC assessment scores, surveillance and screening data, service utilization trends, training and mentoring outcomes, infection/exposure events and input information to guide decisions and program improvements.
• Ensure timely production of program updates, internal reports, donor reports and technical contributions to accurate and high-quality situation reports documenting achievements, gaps, risks, corrective actions and priorities.
• Directly supervise Senior IPC Managers and other senior health staff, setting clear priorities, evaluating performance and ensuring accountability for program quality and implementation.
• Provide regular technical supervision, coaching and mentoring to Senior IPC Managers and ensure consistent technical standards and approaches across response sites.
• Lead recruitment of key health/EVD positions in coordination with DDP, HR and field management.
• Identify capacity gaps and ensure structured technical training, mentoring and professional development for health teams.
• Ensure appropriate duty of care measures for teams working in outbreak contexts, including adherence to staff safety protocols, exposure prevention and incident reporting.
• Participate actively in development of concept notes and Ebola response proposals, providing technical leadership for needs analysis, program design, activity packages, indicators, targets, implementation approaches and technical narrative notes.
• Work with Grants, Finance, Operations, MEAL and technical teams to develop realistic proposal budgets, staffing structures, procurement needs and implementation plans aligned with program design.
• Oversee health component of grant implementation and assume responsibility for program budget management including regular budget versus actual review, expenditure plans, burn rates, forecasts and identified variances.
• Ensure health teams maintain updated procurement plans and forecasts for PPE, IPC inputs, medical supplies, equipment and other program inputs linked to activity and expenditure plans.
• Ensure quantification is based on health facility type, service volume, risk level, consumption data and program plans with early action to avoid stockouts or inappropriate use.
• Contribute to grant review meetings, donor reporting and program closeout ensuring alignment of technical deliverables, expenditures and program results.
• Represent IRC in relevant coordination forums at national, provincial and health zone levels including Health Cluster and technical EVD response structures.
• Maintain constructive working relationships with Ministry of Health, Provincial Health Divisions, health zone authorities, health facility management, UN agencies, donors, NGOs and other response partners.
• Strengthen quality of IPC activities through regular formative supervision with Provincial Health Divisions and health zones.
• Serve as IRC health technical focal point for partnerships supporting EVD response in Ituri and North Kivu, collaborating with technical leads of partners.
• Contribute to joint technical planning, review and adaptation of response ensuring IRC health activities complement partner efforts and align with agreed response priorities.
• Represent IRC in relevant technical discussions with partners and ensure agreed technical actions concerning IRC are communicated and followed up internally.
• Work with Security service and field management to monitor risks affecting health teams and program implementation and ensure incidents or concerns are reported and addressed promptly.
• Promote client-centered and accountable programming including awareness and appropriate use of feedback and complaint mechanisms in supported services.
• Integrate safeguarding risk analysis and relevant risk mitigation measures into project design and implementation.
• Maintain up-to-date multisectoral service mapping and referral pathways for violence response supporting program objectives and IRC safeguarding operational procedures.

Requirements

• Professional health background with strong public health training; a master's degree in public health is an asset.
• At least 3 to 5 years of progressively responsible experience in humanitarian or emergency health programming, including managing complex health programs and supervising senior technical staff.
• Proven operational experience in Ebola Virus Disease response, another viral hemorrhagic fever, or comparable infectious disease outbreak is highly desirable.
• Demonstrated leadership, communication, and facilitation skills.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams across multiple field sites with strong coaching, performance management, and problem-solving skills.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and common program monitoring tools.
• Fluency in French is required, with good English skills; knowledge of relevant local languages is an asset.

Skills

• Public Health
• Humanitarian Programming
• Emergency Health Programming
• Ebola Response
• Outbreak Response
• Health Programme Management
• Technical Supervision
• Interdisciplinary Team Management
• Coaching and Performance Management
• Programme Monitoring
• MS Word
• MS Excel
• MS PowerPoint

Languages

French, English