Senior Health Technical Lead/Specialist

The Senior Health Technical Lead provides technical leadership and quality assurance across health and nutrition service delivery and health system strengthening activities in Sudan. The role includes overseeing primary health care, hospital services, nutrition programming, disease management, health information systems, and facility-level WASH and infection prevention and control, ensuring alignment with national health strategies and World Bank requirements.

Responsibilities

• Provide technical leadership and quality assurance across health and nutrition service delivery and health system strengthening activities including primary health care and hospital services, nutrition programming (CMAM/IYCF), communicable and non-communicable disease management, reproductive, maternal and newborn health, disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness, health information systems (DHIS2/EWARS/HMIS), and facility-level WASH and infection prevention and control.
• Ensure service delivery is technically sound, aligned with national health strategies and World Bank requirements.
• Lead facility readiness assessments and IPC protocols; oversee nutrition programming and evidence generation; support health workforce strengthening, referral pathways, and differentiated delivery models.
• Provide technical guidance on DHIS2/HMIS, disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and emergency response, climate-resilient facility and WASH improvements, laboratory and blood systems, digital health, and supply chain/pharmaceutical management, coordinating closely with Consortium partners.
• Represent the IRC-led consortium in relevant technical coordination mechanisms (Health, Nutrition and WASH Clusters, Strategic Advisory Group, technical working groups), liaising with WHO, UNICEF, and Federal/State Ministries of Health, and reinforcing government-led systems.
• Ensure technical activities comply with World Bank Operational Policy 7.30, the Procurement Regulations, and the Environmental and Social Framework, including SEA/SH prevention and response; support the Third-Party Monitoring mechanism, IRC's Community Feedback Mechanisms and the project's Grievance Redress Mechanism; support continuity of SRH and GBV services across the Consortium.
• Support the phased, consultative handover of SHARE I sites into SHARE II, ensuring continuity of services, staffing, incentives, commodities and data systems during transition, and contribute to sustainability and responsible exit planning, including integration into MoH plans.
• Provide technical inputs to project reporting, including results framework/indicator tracking for submission to the Project Director and the World Bank, and support capacity building of MoH and local partner staff consistent with IRC's Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS).

Requirements

• Medical degree (MD/MBBS) or an advanced degree (Master's) in public health, health systems management, or a related field.
• Minimum 10-15 years' progressive experience in health systems strengthening and/or PHC and hospital service delivery programming, including significant experience in Sudan or comparable fragile, conflict-affected, or access-constrained settings.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in health and nutrition and relevant technical areas including PHC/hospital service delivery, nutrition (CMAM/IYCF), communicable and non-communicable disease management, reproductive/maternal/newborn health, GBV/SRH, mental health, disease surveillance and outbreak response and health information system.
• Prior experience on large health and nutrition projects financed by the World Bank or other major institutional donors; familiarity with health cluster coordination.
• Experience working with, or through, Ministry of Health structures and health-sector coordination mechanisms (Health Cluster, WHO, UNICEF).
• Strong data analysis, facility assessment (HeRAMS), and technical report writing skills, and demonstrated experience supporting multi-partner consortium coordination.
• Fluency in English required; Arabic strongly preferred, given the requirement for field-facing engagement with MoH/SMoH counterparts and communities.
• Ability to travel to field locations across Sudan, including hard-to-reach and access-constrained areas, and to operate effectively under insecure or volatile conditions, in line with IRC and UNDSS security protocols.
• Please note that this position will be contingent on the outcome of the bid.

Skills

• Public Health Systems Strengthening
• Primary Health Care Programming
• Nutrition Programming
• CMAM
• IYCF
• Non-Communicable Disease Management
• Reproductive Health
• Maternal Health Care
• Newborn Health
• GBV/SRH
• Mental Health
• Disease Surveillance
• Outbreak Response
• Health Information Systems
• Health Cluster Coordination
• Engagement with Ministries of Health
• Data Analysis
• Facility Assessment
• HeRAMS
• Technical Report Preparation
• Health Sector Coordination
• WASH
• Infection Prevention and Control
• Health Service Delivery
• Multi-Partner Consortium Communication
• World Bank Health Programmes

Languages

English, Arabic