Medical Activity Coordinator – Diphtheria Response at Save the Children Nigeria

Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries. We save children’s lives. We fight for their rights. We help them fulfil their potential. Save the Children is working in Nigeria because one in five children in Nigeria dies before their fifth birthday. About 40% of children miss out on school and have to work to survive while nearly 2 million children have lost one or both parents to an AIDS-related disease.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Medical Activity Coordinator – Diphtheria Response

Job Identification 4239
Location: Kano, roving to Yobe and Katsina
Team/Programme: Health/Nigeria Diphtheria Outbreak Response
Grade: 3
Contract Length: 6 months with possibility of extension
Job Category: Programme Operations
Job Schedule: Full time

Role Purpose

• Save the Children (SC) will support the government of Nigeria in the diphtheria outbreak with the provision of medical services & activities in the most affected populations.
• SCI will align activities with the following 5 outbreak response pillars: Risk communication and community engagement (RCCE), Surveillance & Contact Tracing, Mass Vaccination, Case Management and Leadership & Coordination.
• Key activities will include diphtheria OPD clinic and contact clinics, support for state MoH vaccination campaigns, surveillance, and health promotion and risk communication activities through teams of community health volunteers.
• The Medical Activity Coordinator will provide technical and operational guidance to the SC diphtheria outbreak response, with oversight of activities on all 5 above pillars.
• S/he will support in the effective delivery of response activities at health facility sites and community level, providing supervision and clinical governance in line with national MoH guidelines.
• S/he will be the primary liaison with MoH, state authorities and partners, coordinating response efforts and representing Save the Children in diphtheria technical working groups and state Emergency Operations Center.
• The focus will be to provide effective, high quality health interventions to support the diphtheria response and contribute to state and national efforts to control the outbreak through preventive measures that reduce disease transmission and decrease morbidity and mortality.
• In the event of a major humanitarian emergency, the role holder will be expected to work outside the normal role profile and be able to vary working hours accordingly.
• The post holder will be roving to multiple locations where the needs are high.

Scope of Role

• Reports to: Health Technical Advisor
• Number of direct reports: TBD

Key Areas of Accountability
Program Management:

• Overall responsibility for coordination and management of diphtheria response activities in Kano, Yobe and Katsina state, including day-to-day operations at project sites (diphtheria OPD, contact clinics, mass vaccination campaigns, RCCE, surveillance teams) in close coordination with health TA.
• Plan and supervise implementation of project activities together with MOH counterparts.
• Provide technical guidance on mobile clinic activities to include diphtheria case management, vaccination, primary contact management, IPC and contact tracing.
• Ensure all staff understand and implement program health guidelines; follow up as appropriate;
• Ensure appropriate and consistent Health education messaging  in the communities
• Coordinate any awareness campaigns/Behavior change communication in the community in coordination with MOH
• Ensure all SCI interventions are captured in the MOH IAP.

Supervision Activities:

• Ensure supervision of clinical activities at the health facilities/diphtheria OPD and contact clinics using designated SCI Supervision checklists
• Ensure clinical consultations, treatment, referral and follow up activities follow the Ministry of Health (MOH) and SCI protocols.
• Ensure all consultations with patients are in a dignified and appropriate manner as per standards and principles set out by SCI.
• Conducts regular supervision and spot check visits to the PHC(s) and conducts quality assurance checks.
• Oversee Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) standards are always adhered to.
• Ensure the delivery of health education and promotion activities
• Responsible for Medical Incident Reporting and investigation per SCI policy. Ensure entry into Datix and notification to Health TA and other staff as appropriate

Operations:

• Ensure that the teams at the clinics have continuous supply of essential drugs, medical supplies and PPE.
• Ensure accountability and consumption tracking of all medical products.
• Work closely with Supply Chain and pharmacy to prevent stock-outs and ensure sufficient buffer stock.
• Training and capacity building:
• Provide staff appraisals and supportive supervision;
• Identify ongoing training needs and capacity gaps of the medical teams, provide relevant training including on-the-job training and mentoring
• Ensure all trainings entered into Training Tracker on IMPACT
• With the support of MEAL team, ensure project performance is tracked and quality standards adhered to.
• Data collection, Monitoring and reporting:
• Overall responsibility for Quality Assurance and monitoring at sites of diphtheria response activities, ensures a system is in place to monitor and correct clinical practices, as needed.
• Responsible for quality data collection and reporting
• Ensure regular (daily or biweekly) data entry into IMPACT/ DHIS2 database (or delegate). Ensure quality of the data entered, working closely with MEAL.
• Prepare weekly sitreps and other daily/monthly reports on activities per donor requirements, and other any necessary reports as requested
• Advocacy, Leadership and Communication:
• Primary SC contact to coordinate and represent all diphtheria outbreak response interventions with the State Ministry of Health and Social Welfare, and state Emergency Operation Centre (EOC) to ensure complementarity and maximize impact.
• Work closely with MoH, UN agencies and other partners to maximize collaboration and avoid overlap of diphtheria response activities.
• Facilitate multi-sector engagement in the response including Health, Nutrition, WASH, CP.

Other:

• Comply with 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.
• Any other duties as assigned by line manager or as need arises in emergency context

Qualifications and Experience
Essential:

• Medical Doctor or BSc Nursing with significant experience in primary/community health programs
• Four years working experience in infectious disease outbreak response and management, primary healthcare interventions.
• Previous supervisory role, training and mentoring.
• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions;
• Demonstrable ability at report writing and excellent communication skills;
• Experience with budget management
• Computer literate; skills on Microsoft Word; Excel; and Internet.
• Fluency in written and spoken English language.
• Excellent interpersonal skill and able to work in a multicultural team
• Passionate about improving the lives of children.
• To protect children in connection
• Non-discriminatory and gender sensitive
• Commitment to Save the Children Values.

Desirable:

• Work experience in humanitarian emergencies
• Work experience in an (International) Non–Governmental Organization ((I)NGO)
• Hausa language skills
• Good knowledge of quality standards and quality controls related to medical practice.

Behaviours (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 their team to do the same
• Widely shares their personal vision for Save the Children, engages and motivates others
• Future orientated, thinks strategically and on a global scale.

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; demonstrates highest levels of integrity.

Application Closing Date
11th November, 2023.