Head of Health and Nutrition at Plan International

Position: Head of Health and Nutrition

 Location: Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Company: Plan International

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls.

We believe in the power and potential of every child. But this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it’s girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, our supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges facing girls and all vulnerable children.

We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood. And we enable children to prepare for – and respond to – crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

We have been building powerful partnerships for children for over 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

role PURPOSE

The Head of Health and Nutrition will be a visionary and transformational leader with a full understanding of the wider determinants of health as well as health services in Tanzania. He/she will be responsible in overall management and leadership of public health programs and in charge in organizing, planning, directing, and managing multiple Health and Nutrition programs. He/she needs to be a thought leader who is at the forefront of global trends and best practices in Public Health and Nutrition. Effective leadership and communication skills are key in this role, for she/he will guide the Public Health and Nutrition strategy, develop action plans, and manage the public health team. Having a strong public health and management background is essential. She/he will be expected in ensuring Plan International Tanzania (PIT) achieves its programmatic strategic objectives and key results in alignment with its mission through innovative public health programs and partnerships.

PIT works with both local and international partners who have complementary capabilities so we can realize transformative impact by leveraging and complement each other. Head of Health and Nutrition is expected to prioritize our institutional relationships with other stakeholders through the development and maintaining the partnership and support partnership development, capacity building and management of activities. He/she is expected to work closely with the head of partnership to identify key partners to a specific program related to Public Health.

Dimensions of the Role

This position provides senior level oversight for public health programs including Environmental Health, HIV and AIDS, Maternal Neonatal Child Health, Adolescent Sexual Reproductive Health, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) and Nutrition. Duties and responsibilities include program planning and coordination, team and culture building, daily operations, communications, financial oversight and quality improvement. The Head Health and Nutrition works in collaboration with the Team Leader Programme Quality to integrate programs and services to best meet the public health needs of the community. This role will report directly to the Team Leader Programme Quality.  This position will coordinate with the Program Quality team, including monitoring, evaluation, research and learning, gender and inclusion and partnerships, as well as with the Business Development Manager. This is included in the matrix management structure in the organogram.

Accountabilities

Programming

• Provide overall oversight and strategic guidance, strong leadership and technically sound decision-making processes in line with the Health and Nutrition portfolio of PIT.
• Contribute to the country strategy, and ensure alignment with the global Plan International Strategy, 100 Million Reasons.
• Ensure technical support to projects is evidence based and references global technical standards and guidelines.
• Develop and implement a long-term strategy & vision of PIT Health and Nutrition priorities and initiatives.
• Assure the delivery of health interventions is evidence-based and consistent with the government priorities and best practices.
• Participate in the PIT planning, training, and events as part of PIT Extended CMT member.
• Review National data related to Health and Nutrition and determine areas of strengths and opportunities we can build on to design new programs
• Develop, lead and oversee all activities within the Health department.
• Set strategic direction, goals and objectives for the department in line with the Plan Tanzania Strategic Plan
• Ensure technical learning from projects and contribute to projects’ capitalization.

Technical Programme Quality:

• Designing of Health and Nutrition programming, ensuring they are in line with relevant national policies and guidelines
• Provide oversight and technical inputs and lead on the emerging Health and Nutrition interventions in the country.
• Work in partnership with Business Development team to design fundable projects related to Health and Nutrition
• Work with the MEAL and Business Development team to build the capacity of the implementing teams to produce quality donor reports.
• Ensure technical support to the project teams in line with the global technical Health and Nutrition frameworks and standards
• Provide adequate technical guidance and support to Program Unit Managers, where relevant.
• Coordinate public health activities with environmental and public health colleagues and other professionals.
• Develop departmental budgets and plans and allocate funds to the appropriate programs and initiatives
• Consult with the Ministry of Health to gain a better understanding of issues of national priority
• Maintain and apply current knowledge of fiscal, social and political environment trends related to the Plan Tanzania as well as government goals
• Ensure adequate support to multi-sector responses within projects,

Monitoring and Evaluation 

• Work closely with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to ensure that logical frameworks and M&E Plans are in-line with PI reference standards.
• Ensure regular technical quality control and monitoring of programmes to feed into the sectoral annual review.
• Stay up to date with current research and develop appropriate plans for public health in the country.

Influencing and Representation:

• Represent PIT in Technical Working Groups and other national-level technical forums as they pertain to Health and Nutrition.
• Make sure PIT is part of the National and International Health and Nutrition networks.
• Lead in the advocacy works in line with the global advocacy priorities related to Health and Nutrition
• Support implementation teams as requested and build their capacity to lead representation and advocacy in technical, government and civil society fora within Tanzania for Health and Nutrition
• Represents Plan Tanzania in collaborative efforts by serving on and/or leading committees, task forces or initiatives.
• Represent Plan Tanzania in public forums including but not limited to media events, public hearings, and community engagement activities addressing public health
• Establish and maintain good working relationships with government and local and international partners

Staff Management

• Direct and evaluate the staff through effective planning, staff management, and resource allocation.
• Anticipate and remove obstacles and hold staff accountable for quality results; assure staff are meeting established goals and objectives.
• Supervise staff and assure their professional development through continuing education, training and leadership development activities
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Child Protection (CPP) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI) are fully embedded in accordance with the principles and requirements of the policy including relevant Implementation Standards and Guidelines as applicable to their area of responsibility. This includes, but is not limited to, ensuring staff and associates are aware of and understand their responsibilities under these policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), their relevance to their area of work, and that concerns are reported and managed in accordance with the appropriate procedures.

Technical expertise, skills and knowledge

Qualifications & Experience

• A master’s degree in public health, public administration, health administration, Community Health or other related field
• Minimum of 10 years’ experience in public health with a minimum of 5 years in leadership position with progressive leadership experience in public Health and Nutrition.
• Proven successful execution in crisis management involving public health issues
• Experience in Performance Management, Quality Improvement, Strategic Planning, and Community Health Improvement Planning.
• Experienced in Coordination and partnerships management.
• Experienced in Risk assessment, planning, programming, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of public health
• Significant knowledge of humanitarian response, child protection and disaster risk reduction
• Experience of designing and delivering training
• Requires general finance and administration experience
• Able to work calmly under extreme pressure environment and at unpredictable hours.
• Proven unquestionable integrity and exceptional judgment;
• Demonstrated success in leading strategic and systems thinking ability;
• Excellent program and fiscal management skills;
• Exceptional interpersonal, written and oral communication skills;
• Strong attention to detail and experience identifying and implementing systems improvements

Skills

• Project management: Skilled in planning and scheduling, process design, implementation and monitoring and evaluation
• Gender and Inclusion: Skilled in Gender and inclusion programming, particularly related to adolescent girls and People with disability.
• Good Communication: He/she will need to speak with and work with health professionals, government agents, and the community. As such, strong communication skills are required.
• Strategic leadership: Being a good leader is a major part of the job as well, and you’ll have to be skilled in leading and supervising others.
• Good organizational Skills: The job requires you to handle a lot of different things, and as such it’s imperative that you have strong organizational skills.
• Strategic Partnership: Skilled in promoting and supporting partnership and cultivate and maintain effective working relationships with donors, partners, and government.
• Advocacy: Ability to influence and negotiate, so as to gain commitment from a wide range of people, bringing about change and influencing the development or change of national and local health policies
• Team Building: Skilled in engage a team in achieving excellence in program delivery.
• Results Oriented: Promote efficient operations and excellence in achievement of program objectives and key results.

We are open and accountable

1. Promotes a culture of openness and transparency, including with sponsors and donors.
2. Holds self and others accountable to achieve the highest standards of integrity.
3. Consistent and fair in the treatment of people.
4. Open about mistakes and keen to learn from them.
5. Accountable for ensuring we are a safe organisation for all children, girls & young people

We strive for lasting impact

1. Articulates a clear purpose for staff and sets high expectations.
2. Creates a climate of continuous improvement, open to challenge and new ideas.
3. Focuses resources to drive change and maximise long-term impact, responsive to changed priorities or crises.
4. Evidence-based and evaluates effectiveness.

We work well together

1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

We are inclusive and empowering

1. Seeks constructive outcomes, listens to others, willing to compromise when appropriate.
2. Builds constructive relationships across Plan International to support our shared goals.
3. Develops trusting and ‘win-win’ relationships with funders, partners and communities.
4. Engages and works well with others outside the organization to build a better world for girls and all children.

Physical Environment

• Working environment will include both typical office environment and field environment.
• The position requires regular field travels.

Level of contact with children

• Frequent interaction with Children.

Location: Dar es Salaam

Reports to:  Team Leader Program Quality

Grade: E

Closing Date: 11th May, 2022

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International’s Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

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