Summary of position:
- Action Against Hunger Kenya Country
Office is looking to fill the position of Program Health Officer position
who will plays a critical role in delivering high-quality primary
healthcare across Kenya. The officer focuses on child health (assessments,
interventions, immunizations), newborn health (care units, safe delivery
practices), and community health (needs assessments, health education,
surveillance). S/he works to strengthen health systems by assessing
functionalities, supporting essential services, and promoting mental
health integration. Besides, the officer utilizes digital health tools for
data collection, reporting, and improved access to information. This
comprehensive approach ensures effective nutrition integration into the
health system and healthcare delivery for vulnerable populations in Kenya,
adhering to national and international standards.
Purpose:
- This health officer position supports the
design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of maternal, newborn,
child, and adolescent health interventions within Action Against Hunger’s
Kenya projects. The role involves collaborating with program staff and
participating in county-level coordination meetings. The officer develops
project documents (implementation plans, budgets, procurement plans) and
ensures adherence to project timelines and national/international health
standards. S/he contributes to project monitoring (supervision, joint
monitoring) and reporting (drafting internal and donor reports). Overall,
this position plays a crucial role in ensuring the effective delivery of
health programs in Action Against Hunger’s Kenya operations.
I. Essential Duties and Responsibilities.
Objective 1: Project Design and
Development (10%)
Engagement: Collaborate with government health officials,
community leaders, adolescent representatives, and other stakeholders to ensure
program relevance, cultural sensitivity, and community ownership.
Deliverables: Comprehensive project documents that address
priority health needs, incorporate MHPSS, and utilize innovative digital health
solutions.
Strategic Priorities:
- Conduct needs assessments to identify
health vulnerabilities in target communities, focusing on children,
adolescents, and vulnerable populations on the move.
- Collaborate with the team to design and
develop project documents (implementation plans, budgets, procurement
plans) that address priority health needs in emergencies and development
contexts.
- Integrate evidence-based interventions
for Child, adolescent health including sexual and reproductive health
services, mental health support).
- Advocate for the inclusion of mental
health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services across all health
interventions.
- Explore and propose the use of
appropriate digital health tools for data collection, service delivery,
and improved access to health information.
- Ensure project designs align with
national health guidelines and WHO recommendations.
- Participate in county and capital level
brainstorming sessions preceding development of concept notes and project
proposals.
- Act as a thought leader on matters
relating to development of evidence-based health interventions throughout
the development process.
- Spearhead health related literature
review and background checks and draft content for the proposal
development.
- Liaise with other implementing partners
to gather up-to-date information on evidence-based interventions that are
context sensitive.
Objective 2: Project
Implementation and Quality Control (70%)
Engagement: Work closely with healthcare workers, community
health volunteers and community members to promote program adherence and
service uptake.
Deliverables: Increased coverage of key interventions and
improved health outcomes for children and newborns, and strengthened infection
prevention and control practices.
Strategic Priorities:
- Implement evidence-based interventions to
address childhood illnesses (diarrhea, respiratory infections including
pneumonia etc.) and common health problems among adolescents.
- In collaboration with county/subcounty
health teams, train healthcare workers in essential newborn care, kangaroo
mother care (KMC), and safe delivery practices.
- Advocate for and support access to MHPSS
services for children, adolescents, and communities.
- Ensure project activities adhere to
national and international health standards and WHO protocols.
- Ensure that the project activities are
implemented according to the approved donor and government agreements.
- In consultation with the Deputy field
coordinator, develop and regularly update a detailed work plan guiding the
project implementation in targeted areas.
- Plan and implement capacity enhancement
including facilitating Awareness creation sessions based on need.
- Participates in the planning,
implementation and supervision of the Maternal & Child Health
interventions
- In liaison with the Community Development
officer, develop partnerships at community level to strengthen the
achievement of health results for base projects.
- Build effective partnership relationships
with stakeholders including community leaders, health facility staff and
beneficiaries, including actively seeking feedback.
- Work with the DFC and other project
staffs to identify the technical support needs of the project and ensure
this support is provided
- Through day-to-day work relationship,
provide technical advice and support to stakeholders, partners and
volunteers.
- Work with logistics department to ensure
timely ordering of any necessary supplies, pharmaceuticals, and equipment.
Objective 3: Monitoring,
Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (10%)
Engagement: Work collaboratively with service delivery
and/or data collection teams to ensure data quality and timely reporting.
Deliverables: Regularly updated reports, evidence-based
recommendations for program improvement, and contribution to research
initiatives.
Strategic Priorities:
- Conduct regular health assessments to
gather data on child health needs, morbidity and mortality rates,
adolescent health indicators..
- Monitor and report on newborn health
indicators (survival rates, neonatal mortality).
- Establish community-based surveillance
systems to track outbreaks and health trends, including potential threats
specific to children on the move.
- Participate in project monitoring
activities (supervision, joint monitoring) and implement research
activities to improve program effectiveness.
- Contribute to the development of first
drafts of qualitative and quantitative reports (monthly, quarterly,
annual) aligned with MEAL frameworks.
- Analyze health data for informed
decision-making and identification of areas for improvement.
- With support of the MEAL focal prepare
activity reports timely and ensuring these are of high quality. This will
involve compilation of information from facilities benefiting from ACF
projects.
- Assists in the compliance with government
health reporting mechanisms; both in terms of external and internal
reporting.
- Plan and participate in joint monitoring
(MOH, relevant partners, health facility staff) of project indicators and
identify actions to be taken to improve them.
- Ensure timely submission of high quality
project reports (MNRs, APRs, quarterly, semi-annual, annual, donor)
- Ensure the effective and efficient use of
all financial resources
- Coordinate identification, execution,
monitoring and evaluation of assessments and learning objectives, studies
and surveys within projects at community level.
- Closely monitor the progress of internal
procurement and finance requests to ensure project implementation remains
on track
- Ensures monitoring and accountability of
beneficiary registrars
- Ensures data collection meets program
requirements, and that all activities are suitably documented.
- Participating in the computation,
analysis and presentation of program statistics on a regular basis
Objective 4: Coordination and
teamwork (5%)
Engagement: Develop strong working relationships with
stakeholders at all levels to ensure effective communication, collaboration,
and resource mobilization.
Deliverables: Strengthened county-level inter-agency
partnerships, enhanced community engagement, improved health system resilience
and preparedness for emergencies.
Strategic Priorities:
- Collaborate with program staff,
government health officials, and other humanitarian actors to ensure a
coordinated and efficient response.
- Build strong relationships with community
leaders, religious groups, local NGOs, and adolescent representatives to
foster program sustainability and community buy-in.
- Work collaboratively with IT specialists
and the Ministry of Health on digital health integration.
- Facilitate community participation in
program design, implementation, and monitoring.
- Contribute to the development and
implementation of health sector emergency preparedness and response plans.
- Report problems encountered in the
process of implementation to the line manager and propose solutions to
solve the problem.
- Pro-actively participation in MOH led
local coordination mechanisms with a focus on SRH, child Health, MHPSS as
appropriate.
- Participate in other coordination
mechanisms including Gender and protection working group, multi-sectoral
meetings(CSG, MSP etc),
- Collaborate and coordinate with MOH at
County and sub-county level, other NGOs, UNICEF, WFP and other partners as
appropriate.
- Other tasks and responsibilities are
subject to modifications according to the needs.
Objective 5: Communication and
teamwork (2%)
Engagement: Build trust and rapport with diverse audiences
through clear, respectful communication that is adapted to their needs and
preferred communication methods.
Deliverables: Increased awareness and understanding of health
issues among target populations, improved program accessibility for all, and a
more gender-equitable approach to healthcare delivery.
Strategic Priorities:
- Represent Action Against Hunger in health
forums and multi-sector platforms at the county level, advocating for the
specific needs of children, adolescents, and vulnerable populations
including those on the move.
- Communicate effectively with healthcare
workers and community members ensuring program information is culturally
sensitive and accessible.
- Work closely with midwives, traditional
birth attendants, and mothers to promote skilled birth attendance and
optimal newborn care practices.
- Collaborate with community members
&to ensure program accessibility, cultural sensitivity, and address
gender barriers in healthcare access.
- Disseminate health education materials
and utilize appropriate communication channels to raise awareness on
critical health topics among adolescents and communities.
- Maintain clear communication with the DFC
and other technical and support staff at the base
- Clearly communicate areas of support to
the capital technical supervisor
Representation the organization
in relation with the project to the local authorities and other partners (3%)
- Represent ACF locally in health forums
whenever needed.
Gender Equality Commitments
- Foster an environment that supports the
values of women and men, and equal access to information.
- Provide a work environment where women
and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and
performance.
- Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, and
children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sexual orientation,
disability, or religion. race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or
marital status.
- Value and respect all cultures.
Fiscal Responsibility
- Prepare and submit cash forecast in line
to the project work plans and maintain a copy for reference
- Ensure the expenditure is as stipulated
in the budget lines observing strict adherence to budget limits
- Propose anticipated budget realignment in
discussion with Field Coordinator
- Closely monitor expenditure and
re-program activities in line with the proposal adhering to donor
guideline
- Prepare budget breakdown for planning and
through budget follow-ups
Required Qualifications and Professional Experience
- Masters/ Bachelor’s degree (BSN) /
Diploma in Registered Community Health Nurse (RCHN)
- At least 5 years of working experience in
a health facility with comprehensive maternal, child and adolescent
services
- Experience in management level roles
including leading a team is an added advantage
- Conversant with Government (national and
County) systems especially post devolution
- Experience working with an NGO in
programming, particularly coordinating MNCHN interventions is preferred
Required Skills &
Competencies
- Good teamwork, flexibility, punctuality,
good communication skills, commitment to service, ability to cope in
stressful situations, precision, proven analytical and writing skills,
capacity to share knowledge and train colleagues, basic computer skill (MS
excel and word),good command of english (essential) and local language
(desirable).
How To Apply