International Rescue Committee (IRC) is hiring a Senior Health Project Officer

The Senior Health Project Officer will support polio eradication efforts by enhancing Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP) surveillance among communities near the South Sudan/Uganda border and in refugee settlements in Lamwo district, Uganda. Reporting to the Health Manager, the role involves implementing community AFP surveillance, mentoring health facility staff, coordinating training, and ensuring timely reporting and compliance with Ministry of Health and donor guidelines.

Responsibilities

• Support host and settlement health facilities in conducting community awareness on and vigilance for AFP/VPDs and health promotion activities at both health facility and community levels.
• Oversee implementation of surveillance activities to support AFP case detection, verification, investigation, and reporting.
• Prepare program work plans in coordination with the Health Manager.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to project sites to ensure adherence to standardized protocols, policies, and guidelines from the Ministry of Health and donors.
• Identify technical quality and implementation issues and provide solutions with follow-up to keep projects on track.
• Ensure health program implementation aligns with IRC principles: promoting and protecting rights, participation, capacity building, partnership, and holistic programming.
• Strictly follow up on medical and operational supply chain systems, stock recording, timely ordering of supplies, and accountability for warehousing and use of medicines and medical items.
• Work closely with other IRC programs (e.g., Women’s Protection and Empowerment, ERD, Education) and integrate program components where possible.
• Coordinate and conduct VHT weekly or monthly meetings and other activities with the District Health Team and other stakeholders to avoid duplication of services.
• Collaborate with other Local Government Health staff in conducting active case search for AFP at health facilities and in the community.
• Provide on-the-job coaching and mentoring to health facility staff to strengthen AFP case surveillance, detection, and reporting.
• Assess staff capacity needs regarding AFP surveillance and reporting at health center level.
• Coordinate all planned project trainings.
• Ensure review meetings are held on time.
• Support health workers in compiling reports to the District Health Team (DHT).
• Contribute to the provision of strategic and technical oversight of the project.
• Ensure successful implementation of a quality project.
• Participate in the management of all health grants.
• Work with the Health Manager to develop work, spending, and procurement plans for all projects.
• Participate in the development of proposals, budgets, and concept notes for future health interventions.
• Prepare internal and external reports (e.g., narrative reports, DHIS data reports) within agreed deadlines using IRC and donor formats.
• Review activity budgets and perform approvals as required.

Work Arrangement

local-country — Lamwo district, Uganda, West Nile region, Acholi region

Team

Structure: Reports to the Health Manager; directly supervises the Health Assistant; works closely with District Health Team, Local Government Health staff, Village Health Teams (VHTs), and other IRC program teams (Women’s Protection and Empowerment, ERD, Education).. Reports to: Health Manager

• Solutions-driven
• Passionate change-makers
• Restoring health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people affected by conflict and disaster
• Promoting dignity and hope
• Delivering lasting impact
• Humanitarian focus

Additional Information

• Job location: Lamwo district, Uganda, near the South Sudan/Uganda border and in refugee settlements.
• Project focus: Polio eradication through enhanced surveillance for Acute Flaccid Paralysis (AFP).
• Collaboration required with District Health Team (DHT), Village Health Teams (VHTs), and other stakeholders.
• Experience in humanitarian or refugee health programming is implied by context.
• Familiarity with Ministry of Health protocols and donor guidelines is expected.
• Training and capacity building of health workers is a key function.
• Regular field visits and monitoring are required.
• Experience with DHIS (District Health Information Software) reporting is implied.