Save the Children Health Technical Specialist (Child Health) Job in Nairobi Kenya

Save the Children

Job Title: Health Technical Specialist – Child Health

Position Code: PDQHT/SCI/2016

Team / Programme: Programme Development and Quality

Grade: 2
 

Location: Nairobi with frequent travel to the field

Post Type: National
 

Child Safeguarding: Level 3 – the responsibilities of the post may require the post holder to have regular contact with or access to children or young people. 

 

Role Purpose: The post holder will be responsible for providing high quality technical leadership for Save the Children’s Child Health programmes in Kenya. 

He/she will provide technical leadership in the design, preparation, implementation; monitoring and evaluation of child health programmes aiming to accelerate the scale-up of evidence based high impact interventions to improve child survival with a particular focus on Immunization, Integrated Management of Neonatal and Childhood Illnesses (IMNCI) and Integrated Community Case Management (iCCM).

Scope of Role:

Reports to: Head of Child Survival

Country Dimensions: Save the Children has been operational in Kenya since the 1950s, providing support to children through developmental and humanitarian relief programmes delivered both directly and through local partners. 

Current programming focuses on child protection, child rights governance, education, health, HIV/AIDS, livelihoods, nutrition and WASH. 

In 2012, as part of a global reorganization process, Save the Children combined the programmes of SC UK, SC Canada and SC Finland to create a single operation in Kenya. 

In Feb 2014, we completed a second transition, which saw us join forces with the British INGO, Merlin, and merge their health and nutrition programmes with our own. 

Save the Children now has an operational presence in Bungoma, Dadaab Refugee Camp, Garissa, Mandera, Turkana and Wajir and we work through partners in many other parts of the country. 

We employ nearly 300 staff and have an operating annual budget in 2016 of approximately US$20million.

Staff directly reporting to this post: None

Key staff engaging directly with this post: Thematic Technical Specialists (Nutrition, WASH, Education, Child Protection, Child Rights Governance, Child Poverty); Head of MEAL (Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning); Head of Advocacy & Campaigns; Campaigns Manager; Communications Manager; field-based Area Programme Managers, Programme Managers, Child Survival Advocacy & Policy Coordinators and MEAL Coordinators.

Key Areas of Accountability:

Programme Design and Technical Support

• Work with the programme teams and the county and national MoH to identify gaps in achieving universal coverage of high impact health interventions with a focus on the most deprived children and recommend actions to be taken.


• Provide leadership in the design and development of child health programmes including development of high quality concept notes and proposals with a focus on accelerating the implementation of high impact interventions for the most deprived children in Kenya.


• Identify needs and provide technical support and timely feedback to programme teams to ensure effective implementation of high quality child health programmes.


• Monitor and ensure that the technical protocols, manuals, guidelines and forms used in the field are in line with national technical tools and guidelines.


• Support in the development of high quality programme donor and activity reports with respect to technical formats and deadlines.


• Develop learning needs assessment and capacity building plans for both Save the Children and partner staff, linking capacity building initiatives to wider opportunities identified via coordination and networks.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL)

• Conduct regular field visits to support programme and MEAL teams in monitoring the implementation of programmes, identification of challenges and bottlenecks in implementation and developing of solutions to address these bottlenecks.


• Lead the development of quality benchmarks for new programmes, including piloting and refining together with relevant programme and MEAL staff.


• Support the programme teams in the use of high quality data for decision making as well as in the identification of potential areas/ topics for operations research.


• Ensure documentation and sharing of processes, challenges, good practices and lessons learnt during programme implementation and identify channels for dissemination.


• Prepare issues papers, technical documents, presentations and peer-reviewed articles on programme strategies, findings and research results.

Advocacy and representation

• Work with the Communications Manager to identify and develop appropriate communication materials to raise the profile and urgency of the need to increase coverage of high impact interventions for the most deprived children.


• Represent Save the Children in national level technical forums on child health, specifically the Child Health ICC, EPI, IMNCI and iCCM technical forums.


• Participate in the county level technical forums as necessary.


• Participate and provide technical support in the development, review and implementation of Child Health Policies, Strategies and Implementation Guides at National and County level.


• Support development, review and implementation of child health policy, child survival and development strategy, school health policy and other relevant policies and guidelines


• Participate in Child Health, EPI and malaria Interagency Coordinating Committees


• With support from the Head of Advocacy & Campaigns, define key advocacy opportunities and targets at national and regional levels and support the implementation and monitoring of the CO advocacy strategy particularly related to ambitions to increase access to quality healthcare for the most deprived children.

General

• As a key member of the PDQ team, demonstrate behaviours that are consistent with Save the Children’s Mission, Vision and Values and ensure their broader application by staff across the country office.


• Contribute to a conducive and productive work environment typified by team work and collaboration.


• Contribute to the wider country office agenda.


• Support the effective implementation the SCI Programme Quality Framework.


• Participate in any donor visit to project(s) within the country office portfolio, as required.


• Carry out the responsibilities of the role in a way which reflects Save the Children’s commitment to safeguarding children, in accordance with our Code of Conduct and Child Safeguarding Policy.


• Comply with and promote Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.

Skills and Behaviours (our Values in Practice)
 

Accountability:

• Holds self accountable for making decisions, managing resources efficiently, achieving and role modelling Save the Children values


• Holds the team and partners accountable to deliver on their responsibilities – giving them the freedom to deliver in the best way they see fit, providing the necessary development to improve performance and applying appropriate consequences when results are not achieved

Ambition:

• Sets ambitious and challenging goals for themselves (and their team), takes responsibility for their own personal development and encourages others to do the same


• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others


• Future orientated, thinks strategically

Collaboration:

• Builds and maintains effective relationships, with their team, colleagues, members and external partners and supporters


• Values diversity, sees it as a source of competitive strength


• Approachable, good listener, easy to talk to

Creativity:

• Develops and encourages new and innovative solutions


• Willing to take disciplined risks

Integrity:

• Honest, encourages openness and transparency

Qualifications and Experience
 

Essential:

• Medical Doctor with a Master’s Degree in Public/International/Global Health and at least 6 years’ progressive experience developing and implementing child health programmes in Sub Saharan Africa. Experience working within devolved health systems is strongly preferred.


• An in-depth understanding of current national and international discourses on child health and ability to translate the same into evidence based programming.


• Very good understanding of national health policies and strategies, programmes and stakeholders on Child Health particularly on iCCM, IMNCI and Immunization


• Demonstrable experience in high level representation at national and county level


• Demonstrable experience in the development of policy and strategy documents and dissemination of the same to wider government, donor, INGOs and the community


• Proven ability to develop, implement and monitor new approaches and apply best practices in child health


• Good communication  and interpersonal skills


• Good people management and reporting skills


• Proficiency in working with computers particularly spreadsheets and word processing


• Excellent report writing and analytical skills.


• Experience of working within a team and team building


• Ability to work within a multi-cultural setting

Child Safeguarding Policy: Any employee, consultant, contractor or the supplier undertaking an activity on behalf of SCI must sign the Child Safeguarding – Declaration of Acceptance Form and comply with the SCI’s Child Safeguarding Policy which is a statement of SCI’s commitment to preventing abuse and protecting children with whom it comes into contact. 

This extends not only to children with whom SCI and its partners work directly, but also includes children who staff are responsible for.  SCI believes that the situation of children must be improved through the promotion of their rights supported and demonstrated by all members of staff. 

Save the Children International’s Code of Conduct sets out the standards which all staff members must adhere to.

How to Apply

To  apply for this position visit the SCI Kenya Website: https://kenya.savethechildren.net/jobs.  

The system allows CVs & Cover letter as One(1) document.  

The Deadline is on 9th May 2016 COB.  

Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.