Health Security Adviser at British High Commission Nairobi

Job Description (Roles and Responsibilities)  

Main purpose of job:

• The British Office Sudan is looking for a high performing candidate to push forward the UK government’s engagement in the Sudanese health sector and take forward implementation of our future direct health investments on lifesaving humanitarian interventions and Sexual Reproductive Health and Rights (SHRH), and influence our wider multilateral investments in strengthening the primary health care landscape, improving vaccination coverage and increasing disease surveillance capabilities in Sudan.
• The FCDO is a leading humanitarian donor in Sudan and wants to take a more active role than it has done in the past in shaping the future of health sector. The post-holder will represent the UK in health-focused interactions with the wider donor community, implementing partners and authorities in Sudan. This post offers an opportunity to contribute to delivering better impact and results in one of the most complex and difficult environments in which the FCDO works.
• The British Office Sudan has had long term investments in strengthening sexual and reproductive health services and we are one the of largest donors to both the Global Vaccine Alliance and Global Health Fund, both of which have large programmes in Sudan. We are also looking to work more closely with the World Bank and African Development Bank on their agenda to strengthen the primary healthcare landscape. We also ensure want to ensure that within our humanitarian funding, we actively pursue opportunities to strengthen disease surveillance and reduce health risks in humanitarian hot spots.
• Engagement with multilaterals and a range of centrally managed FCDO programmes including the WISH 2 Dividend and Ensuring Quality Access and Learning for mothers and newborns in conflict-affected contexts (EQUAL) is an important element of the portfolio. 
• The post holder will be a member of the dynamic Humanitarian and Human Development Team (HHD) and work closely with the G7 Human Development Adviser and G6 Senior Humanitarian Adviser. The post holder will be expected to actively collaborate with British Office Sudan colleagues to ensure the health interventions conflict sensitive, and well-coordinated with overall humanitarian objectives.
• The post is open on to Grade 7 level Health Advisers. Previous experience in a conflict and fragile states post would be particularly welcome, and working level Arabic would be desirable.

Roles and responsibilities:

We all have a responsibility to embrace the changes of the FCDO as it transforms, building the culture we want to see and delivering our cultural statement in how we lead and behave towards others; how we make decisions and how we get the job done is everyone’s responsibility.

In this role you will be responsible for:

• Convening the Global Health Institutional representatives for Sudan and other multilateral and bilateral donors to improve coherence through the establishment of a functional and effective health donor working group (supported by one other bilateral donor)
• Influence a pivot from multilateral partners working in the Sudan health sector, which improves their delivery record and helps to identify interventions that they can deliver to strengthen long term delivery systems in Sudan
• Help the British Office Sudan assess and prepare options for how humanitarian funding instruments might be able to strengthen primary health care systems in neglected and hard to reach parts of the country
• Assess the disease surveillance landscape in Sudan and identify mechanisms for how the UK can strengthen surveillance gaps, particularly at a local level through our partnerships with frontline humanitarian responders.
• Provide sufficient internal information, analysis and early warning internally on disease outbreaks, then help to think about strengthening external surveillance capabilities with WHO.
• Provide oversight to our collective sexual and reproductive health work, including more detailed understanding of the Minimum Integrated Service Package service functionality outlook, commodities pipeline and blockages.
• Engage with Centrally Management Programmes delivering in Sudan.
• Engaging with and overseeing/quality assuring implementing partners to confirm delivery of health programme objectives in line with international standards and best practice and support adaptation to the context.
• Providing high quality technical information and advice in a timely manner for briefings, communications pieces, analyses, case studies and results data.
• Contributing to the health cadre’s delivery across FCDO through 10% work and continuous professional development.

The successful candidate will have a demonstrable track record of delivering health outcomes at practitioner level in the health technical competencies. You will be recognised for your technical knowledge and/or skill which will be underpinned by experience working on technical issues. More information is available in the health technical competency framework Health: Technical Competency Framework, May 2024

If you are successful and are not already accredited to the health cadre, you will have the option of seeking accreditation and will be supported to do so.

Essential qualifications, skills and experience  

• Experience of designing and delivering health programmes at scale in developing country contexts.
• Experience of working with a range of stakeholders including government, donors, implementing partners and multilaterals on health policy and programming.
• Experience of delivering health outcomes at practitioner level in the health technical competencies.
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills;
• Personal resilience

Desirable qualifications, skills and experience  

• A demonstrable track record of resilience or experience in contexts similar to Sudan.
• Ability to work at pace and under pressure to tight deadlines.
• Ability to prioritise against multiple demands.
• Arabic at practitioner level (desirable but not essential)