Health Technical Advisor

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF THE POSITION:

The Health Technical Advisor (HTA) serves as a member of ARC`s Technical Team and is stationed at ARC HQ in Minneapolis. Under the guidance of the PDQ Senior Manager, the HTA provides timely, relevant and substantive technical guidance and support to ensure the effective development and implementation of quality health programs, based on best practices and responsive to the major health burdens affecting targeted countries/populations. The HTA consults with health teams in designated country programs and provides technical guidance and support for effective management of comprehensive and integrated health programs, including new initiatives and proposal development.

MAJOR AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY

PRIMARY DUTIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Assistance (40%)

• Technically support health team project leads and focal points in the health assessment, design, planning, ongoing implementation and monitoring of ARC’s current and new global/multi-country health projects.
• Provide technical and programmatic support to ARC field staff, including: program design, planning, reporting and training activities related to Primary Health Care, Nutrition, MCH, SBC, Communicable diseases, Procurement and supply chain management, M&E.  Strengthen technical assistance and support to the field through regular touch-in calls, email exchange and field visits, as requested and planned.
• Work with country programs to develop sector specific strategies and assist country teams to design technically sound log frames and work plans to guide sector strategies.
• Disseminate and assist Country Programs to adopt best practices on comprehensive health programs and help develop pilot projects for testing new and innovative programming.
• Review and provide technical input on reports and other documents as needed (internal program reports and donor reports).

Strategic Development (30%)

• Work closely with Program Development Associates and country program teams to manage proposal renewals and new business development, including technical reviews and inputs for health and nutrition components of proposals.
• Work with ARC country programs to produce accurate and high-quality project proposals and reports; coordinate and lead proposal development and submission process as needed.
• Work closely with ARC HQ and ARC country offices and programs and facilitate the implementation and integration of global health activities within country program initiatives.
• Work with non-traditional donors to raise awareness of ARC’s work and expand ARC’s outreach.
• Participate in global and regional health-related international initiatives to represent ARC and promote ARC initiatives and partnership opportunities. .
• Work on strengthening relationship-building, exploring potential collaborations and promoting integration to enhance ARC’s Primary Health Care and Nutrition Programming.  One new focus is on the expansion of artemisinin resistance containment programming.
• Work with other Health and sectoral Technical Advisors, Senior Manager of Program Development and Quality and senior country program staff to identify and secure health specific funding opportunities including institutional donors, research grants and alternative funding streams (e.g. private donors). 

Management and Supervision (15%)

• Act as focal point for designated health initiatives, working with main donors, providing TA and M&E support. 
• Maintain regular communication with key health donors and provide technical support to ARC’s health field sites to ensure that program objectives and reporting requirements are met.
• Work closely with field team to ensure progress is made against key indicators and discuss program improvements necessary to achieve objectives. Provide assistance to health team project leads with monitoring of centrally-funded health budgets.
• Assist with development of standard job descriptions for international/national health positions and conduct/delegate health employee orientations; conduct HQ interviews with new program staff, interns and consultants as needed.

Quality Control (15%)

• Commission and undertake regular technical review visits to health program sites in the field and support country program adherence to global best practices.
• Provide initial technical approval of program proposals, reports, specialist ToRs, evaluation and survey methodologies.  (Final approval will be by the Senior Manager of Program Development and Quality.)
• Stay abreast of state of the art developments in quality standards and innovations relative to health programming, including donor strategies and guidelines, and ensure timely circulation of information and documentation to country programs.
• Contribute to the analysis and documentation of lessons learned from ARC Health programs.
• Ensure lesson learning is incorporated into relevant program plans and technical policy guidance.
• Ensure adherence to international and ARC agreed health policy and standards within each country program.

Other duties as assigned

EDUCATION, TECHNICAL SKILLS & KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED:

• Masters in Public Health or related degree; clinical background a plus.
• 5 years of experience working with a humanitarian relief and development organization in related health programs. 
• 3 years direct field experience at country level preferred.
• 2 years of experience with malaria control and prevention programming a plus.

• Demonstrated experience in project design and proposal development.

• Significant proven experience of managing technical health teams at country level and supporting health programs through distance management.

KEY BEHAVIORS & ABILITIES:

• Experience with relief and development NGOs
• Superior writing, editing and communication skills.
• Team player, self-motivated, can-do attitude, willingness to be flexible and take the initiative on tasks that may fall outside of regular responsibilities.
• Training facilitation experience a plus.
• Excellent organizational skills; ability to prioritize multiple tasks and meet deadlines.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in several of the following areas: Malaria, TB, HIV, PHC, Nutrition, M&E, program planning and implementation; gender sensitive approaches; training; participatory methodologies; research and evaluation.
• Approximately 33% travel required.