Senior Health Programme Officer

IFRC SRC opened a position of Senior Health Programme Officer.  Interested applicants should submit their cover letter along with CV no later than 25 March 2025.



Job Description

Organizational context (where the job is located in the Organization)

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, with a network of 191-member National Societies (NSs). The overall aim of IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by NSs with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.”  IFRC works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.

IFRC is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement (Movement), together with its member National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC). The work of IFRC is guided by the following fundamental principles: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality.

IFRC is led by its Secretary General, and has its Headquarters in Geneva, Switzerland. The Headquarters are organized into three main Divisions: (i) National Society Development and Operations Coordination; (ii) Global Relations, Humanitarian Diplomacy and Digitalization; and (iii) Management Policy, Strategy and Corporate Services.

IFRC has five regional offices in Africa, Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the Americas.  IFRC also has country cluster delegations and country delegations throughout the world. Together, the Geneva Headquarters and the field structure (regional, cluster and country) comprise the IFRC Secretariat.

The Swiss Red Cross (SRC) as member national society of IFRC is partnering with Nepal Red Cross Society (NRCS) since last 40 years to support people in crisis and is part of a global voluntary network of RCRC movement, responding to conflicts and disasters. SRC support also enables people and communities to prepare for and withstand emergencies in their communities. When the crisis is over, SRC helps them to recover and move on with their livelihoods. The SRC has been supporting NRCS with programme/projects in the sector of Humanitarian Aid, Reconstruction/Rehabilitation and Cooperation and Development projects. The aim of the SRC Country Programme is to provide financial and technical support to NRCS to strengthen its institutional capacity to work as an auxiliary to the government in delivering humanitarian and development programs for the vulnerable communities, maintaining its fundamental principles.

Job purpose

The purpose of the position is to enhance the efficiency, effectiveness, and sustainability dimensions of the ongoing and upcoming health projects in Nepal. The Senior Health Program Officer takes an advisory and facilitation role to strengthen the implementation teams’ management and technical capacities to enhance the quality of programmatic interventions that ensure attainment of agreed project results and outcomes. Furthermore, the Senior Health Program Officer is responsible for lobbying/liaising with relevant state and non-state actors to obtain the strategic support necessary for the pursuit of programmatic goals. The Senior Health Program Officer actively supports the Country Coordinator in reinforcing SRC’s profile in the country. The officer will dedicate 50% of their time to NRCS and 50% to the IFRC/SRC Country Office, ensuring shared engagement and contributions at both organizational and strategic levels.

Job duties and responsibilities

Management & Technical Support

• Support the partner in implementing health projects in accordance with approved project documents and ensure that the partner complies with institutional policies and procedures.
• Support NRCS in effective planning and review of the implementation of activities and utilization of resources allocated for the services.
• Provide technical input in different meetings, workshops organized by NRCS, IFRC and other Red Cross movement partners in thematic area of health and National Society Development (NSD).
• Support the partner in developing and strengthening engagement strategies with local government authorities and concerned health authority at federal and provincial levels on health care management, including planning and budgeting; and explore potential opportunities for partnerships and collaboration.
• Support project staff, volunteers and stakeholders in the implementation of the cross-cutting elements such as Red Cross Principles, PGI, Good Governance as well as good practice in the projects/programmes.
• Work alongside NRCS Health Service Department (HSD), as well as related province and district chapters, authorities and stakeholders in promoting and engaging NRCS with multiple stakeholders and assist to position NRCS as a trusted Government partner in the Ministry of Health and Population (MOHP).
• Provide technical input and advisory services to HSD as necessary for programme development, development of health strategy, preparation of operation plan, revision of guideline/protocol including different review activities.
• Support and facilitate programme team at NRCS HQ, Province and District Chapter to ensure effective implementation of project activities.
• Support the Country Coordinator in project design and development and strategic networking.
• Support CCO to develop new projects, write proposals and negotiate with NRCS to address the Country Program Plan and address the emerging need in health.
• Support project team to undertake research and documentation to further enhance programmatic quality and visibility.
• Inform the line manager and project team about developments, policy updates, challenges/ issues and opportunities in the health sector.

Capacity Building and Mentoring

• Support in designing and facilitating capacity building/ training and mentoring of partners on a variety of priority themes including governance, health care management, advocacy and how to develop opportunities for partnerships and collaboration.
• Support to strengthen the capacity of Provincial and District Chapters and stakeholders through regular field visits, support and feedback.
• Identify the training need of the project team and facilitate/support to undertake such training as available and appropriate.
• Maintain NSD approaches and processes as advisor or facilitator to build capacity of the sister national society team and network related in particular to the thematic projects.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning

• Ensure that transparent monitoring tools are in place and used for data collection; to track the status of Log frame indicators and to feed results into programme activities.
• Organize regular review meeting to review the progress including challenges/issues and provide necessary support and take joint decision among the project team as appropriate.
• Ensure that the project interventions address the needs of the community and are sustainable through regular monitoring, communication and coordination with the project team and ensure that the project exit strategies are sound and attainable.
• Contribute to the development of case studies, gap analysis and best practices in relation to project activities.
• Support NRCS HQ and project to incorporate and address updates from the government (MOHP) in different area of health programme; RMNCAH, NCD, etc.
• Liaise and exchange with international and non-governmental organizations working in the area of health with a thematic focus similar to the projects supported by SRC.

Duties applicable to all staff

Position Requirements