Senior IPC Manager - Ituri

The Senior IPC Manager provides strategic and technical leadership for Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) activities in health facilities supported by IRC in Ituri, Democratic Republic of the Congo. The role involves supervising IPC mobile unit team leaders, coordinating with Ministry of Health counterparts, and ensuring quality implementation of IPC standards and protocols during the Ebola virus disease outbreak response.

Responsibilities

• Provide overall leadership, management, and technical supervision of IPC activities implemented by mobile units and supported health facilities.
• Supervise and support IPC Mentors to ensure quality implementation of IPC standards, protocols, and best practices in all supported facilities.
• Identify capacity gaps and coordinate ongoing training, coaching, and professional development opportunities for IPC Mentors and health facility staff.
• Conduct regular supervision visits alongside IPC Mentors to monitor performance, ensure quality implementation, and strengthen IPC systems at facility level.
• Oversee planning, implementation, and completion of IPC assessments, ensuring data quality, timely reporting, and use of results for continuous improvement.
• Lead problem-solving efforts related to IPC program implementation, providing technical guidance and operational support to address challenges and improve service delivery.
• Monitor and evaluate progress of supported facilities against IPC performance indicators and action plans, ensuring appropriate follow-up and corrective measures.
• Coordinate forecasting, distribution, and monitoring of IPC equipment, supplies, and consumables to ensure uninterrupted availability in supported facilities.
• Ensure effective implementation of IPC training programs and mentoring initiatives for health facility staff, promoting sustainable improvements in IPC practices.
• Manage team performance through regular supervision, coaching, performance evaluations, and professional development support, fostering a positive, accountable, and high-performing work environment.
• Maintain effective coordination and communication with the Health Coordinator, facility management, government counterparts, and other stakeholders to support program objectives.
• Prepare and submit timely program updates, monitoring reports, and other required documentation for effective program management and decision-making.
• Promote compliance with IRC policies, national guidelines, and international IPC standards.
• Continuously monitor and evaluate operational safety in the field, ensuring staff adherence to safety protocols and promptly reporting any incidents or concerns in coordination with IRC management.
• Implement duty of care measures for all supervised staff operating in high-risk environments, including isolation units and epidemic response contexts.
• Support emergency preparedness and epidemic response activities as needed by the Health Coordinator.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the Health Coordinator to support IRC health program implementation and development.

Requirements

• Medical degree or nursing qualification.
• At least 5 years of experience, including prior experience managing Ebola virus disease and working in low-resource settings.
• Proven experience implementing IPC practices and improving systems, ideally in low-resource contexts.
• Previous experience working with IRC is desirable.
• Demonstrated experience supervising teams to ensure strict adherence to infection control.
• Experience in training or teaching.
• Strong leadership, management, planning, analytical, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Ability to live in difficult conditions and work under pressure in demanding situations.
• Team player with excellent interpersonal skills, patience, compassion, and diplomacy.
• Fluency in French and functional knowledge of English is an asset.

Skills

• Medical Degree
• Nursing Qualification
• Ebola Virus Disease Management
• Infection Prevention and Control
• IPC Systems Improvement
• Resource-Limited Settings Experience
• Team Supervision
• Training and Teaching
• Team Leadership in Health
• Health Program Planning
• Analytical Skills
• Interpersonal Skills
• Communications Skills
• Working Under Pressure
• Strategic Coordination
• Health Ministry Collaboration
• IPC Protocol Implementation

Languages

French, English