Health Advisor

Title: Health Advisor

Employee Working Location: Remote/Virtual (Ottawa, ON)

Employment status: Temporary Full-Time (6 Months)

Salary band: $78,000 - 83,000/ year

The Canadian Red Cross (CRC) - one of the most inspirational not-for-profit organizations on this planet and an awardee on the Forbes list of Canada's Best Employers 2024 - is seeking a Health Advisor to join its team.

We are guided by our Fundamental Principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity, and universality. We help people and communities in Canada and around the world in times of need and support them in strengthening their resilience.

Starting with the hiring process, we are committed to having an accessible, diverse, inclusive, and barrier-free work environment where everyone can reach their full potential. We encourage all qualified persons who share our values and want to contribute to fostering an inclusive and diverse workplace to apply.

The incumbent will work in collaboration with the Senior Health Manager, Global Health (GH), Health in Emergencies. The Health Advisor is a member of the Health in International Long-term Programs (HiIP) under Health in Emergencies, providing technical and operational support to International and Cooperation Programs (ICP) and if needed to health programing in Canada. The Health Advisor ensures strong technical oversight and contingency, quality, timely delivery and consolidation of expertise. The incumbent provides its time to support key programs under global program and/or emergency recovery.

The Health Advisor will provide strategic direction in health for support to and implementation of health activities at the international and domestic levels and contribute towards the mandate of CRC's Emergency Management, Canada and International (EMCI) Goal 1: Elevate our collective readiness, mobilization capacity, service, and training delivery to be able to effectively respond to natural disasters, health emergencies and social emergencies through prevention, risk reduction relief and recovery in Canada and around the world.

The Health Advisor will contribute to the success of the matrix model, agility of the organization, delivering against the One Red Cross vision and interoperability, implement innovations/learning and ensure robust risk management.

In this role, you will:

Responsibility 1: Technical and Operational Support

• Provides technical health programming support to the key assigned health in Canada and Internationally projects.
• In support to the assigned project's health managers/delegates: assesses/reassesses the evolving needs in the field, collects systematic data and provides analysis, answers the medical and technical health questions from the field (and refers to experts when needed), assesses medical orders and proactive promotion of medical and health guidelines and polices.
• Supports strong oversight and contingency, quality, timely deliver and consolidation of expertise in the assigned health projects.
• Provides intensive technical inputs during the development phase of health projects and new proposals, operational plans.
• Ensures existing and prospective health programs are consistent with CRC's strategies, lessons learned and internationally accepted standards of practice.
• Reviews the technical content of health project reports and provides technical oversight of the health programs.
• Supports project monitoring and evaluation, either directly or through the use of consultants.
• Supports technical health programming and supports in Emergencies as required.
• Assumes operational responsibilities when required.
• Supports the development and delivery of partnerships with key academic and professional institutions in support of CRC vision 2025.
• Supports the One Red Cross approach and participate in health programs/responses in Canada as required.
• Acts as a focal person for key thematic and geographic coordination as relevant.

Responsibility 2: Capacity building

• Supports the development of key global and regional health tools.
• Provides technical health support and coaching to CRC health delegates, consultants, staff and interns.
• Contributes towards enhancing evidence-based quality health interventions in long-term programming and supports the emergency response and early recovery as required.
• Develops / supports the development of guidelines and tools.
• Assists the development of key global health mechanisms related to quality, knowledge, coordination and competencies to ensure technical health excellent, address challenges and mitigate risks.
• Assists with the assessment of prospective partners' technical capacities in health.
• Assists in the development of a monitoring tools including identification of core performance indicators for CRC health projects, baseline survey standards, and monitoring checklists.
• Ensure integrating the Gender and Diversity principles in the health services.
• Designs and facilitates training when relevant.
• Supports defining the needed for health delegates in the field, the recruitment process and systematic briefing/debriefings.

Responsibility 3: Thought leadership and Best Practice

• Assists in monitoring global health trends and standards. Ensures these are incorporated into programming as appropriate.
• Assists in seeking new opportunities for the CRC and Red Cross movement in global health.
• Assists in promoting a proactive engagement with relevant partners.
• Ensures HiIP contributes to knowledge, learning and innovation in Canada and Internationally.
• Collaborates with HiE's research team to develop research, material and representation to support an expanded leadership role for the CRC in Canada and globally in Sexual and Reproductive Health and Rights (SRHR) and Maternal, Newborn, Child, and Adolescent Health (MNCAH) in Canada and Internationally, including health emergencies.
• Seeks opportunities for cross-project collaboration and learning and ensures "lessons learned" from areas under supervision and others' programming are captured and reflected in programming.
• Supports periodic learning events and planning exercises for the global health program, involving appropriate internal and external stakeholders.
• Supports consultation with the appropriate components of the Red Cross movement, key CRC stakeholders, and other relevant health actors, both in Canada and internationally, regarding the most appropriate areas and approaches for CRC health programming.
• Participates in appropriate Red Cross Red Crescent health policy fora with the Federation, the ICRC and elsewhere.
• Assures that "lessons learned" from CRC and others' programming are captured and reflected in policy and in organizational programming.
• Disseminates CRC's international health policy to appropriate stakeholders.

Responsibility 4: Supports an effective team within a matrix structure

• Develops and maintains membership in the Health in International Programs team and designated operating/project teams. Collaborates to fulfill the agreed objectives, needs and expectations. Fosters team work through a professional exchange of experiences and expertise that can be transferred to other areas of work. Ensures sharing and dissemination of services related materials to all concerned actors.
• Provides back-up to colleagues as required.
• Mentors colleagues on sourcing processes and systems for back up purposes.
• Follows all CRC's policies and procedures required to maintain a healthy and safe working environment.
• Integrates volunteer resources within the scope of responsibilities, as required.
• Participates in disaster planning, preparation and response, as required.
• Contributes to a healthy and safe working environment.
• Performs other duties, as required.

What we are looking for:

• Medical/Nursing/clinical university degree or equivalent education.
• Master or Post-graduate degree in public health / global health or related filed (e.g. community health, Epidemiology, Nutrition, hospital management, primary health care.)
• Sound knowledge and understanding of the Global Health field, key innovations and influences.
• Sound knowledge of Sexual and Reproductive health and Rights.
• Awareness of the different Red Cross Health initiatives, guidelines and programs.
• Minimum 5 years working experience in the humanitarian or development sector, with a focus on MNCAH, community health and/or primary health care.
• At least 3 years' experience in addressing community health in developing countries.
• Demonstrated experience in technical support and monitoring of community-based health programs, preferably in the areas of SRHR and MNCAH.
• Demonstrated experience in project development and proposal writing.
• Experience in applying Gender and Diversity mainstreaming in health programming.
• Experience in emergency health is an asset.
• Strong written and oral communication skills in English are essential and French, Arabic and Spanish are highly desirable.
• Resilience and adaptability to changing circumstances and an evolving environment.
• Strong analytical skills with the ability to interpret complex information and communicate it to a variety of audiences.
• Strong coaching, facilitation and training skills are assets.
• Computer literacy.
• Committed to fostering an environment of gender equality and diversity.

Working conditions:

• Ability to work non-traditional hours on a short notice.
• Ability to work in stressful and often ambiguous conditions.
• This position may require travel in Canada and internationally to attend conferences, workshops and meetings as required. 25-40% Travel to program countries is required. Most travel time is 1-3 weeks; however, some assignments might require a longer deployment (1-3 months).
• If required, and eligible, periodic travel to country operations may be required. Field missions can involve working in environments that are unstable and with unpredictable access to basic services in emergency contexts and requiring very strict adherence to security regulations.
• Must be able to be Medical Cleared for travel in accordance with established CRC Medical criteria in positions where travel will be required.
• Eligibility to work in Canada: At this time, we welcome applications from candidates eligible to work in Canada. If you are not a citizen or permanent resident of Canada, we encourage you to carefully review your visa to find out whether you are eligible to work in the job you are considering applying for. Refer to our FAQ for more information.
• If you are selected for this role, you will be required to complete a successful pre-employment screening process which includes a satisfactory Enhanced Police Information Check (E-PIC).

Qualified applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible - those who apply after the selection process has started may be held for a second review if needed OR reviewed for alternative roles. We appreciate the time and effort it takes to apply and thank you in advance.

If you require accommodation measures during any phase of the hiring process, please notify us as soon as possible. All information received in relation to accommodation requests will be kept confidential.

#RegularRecruitment

Salary Band:
$78,000 - $83,000