Gender and One health officer

Background

Vétérinaires Sans Frontières – Suisse (VSF-Suisse) is a humanitarian organization with over 35 years of experience in Africa, dedicated to providing humanitarian aid and development cooperation to vulnerable populations. Politically and religiously neutral, VSF-Suisse specializes in animal and human health, working closely with communities affected by political unrest, natural disasters, climate change, marginalization, and limited governmental support. Headquartered in Berne, Switzerland, VSF-Suisse operates programs in West Africa (Mali and Togo) and East Africa (Ethiopia, Somalia, Djibouti, Kenya, and South Sudan).

Currently, VSF-Suisse, in collaboration with Alinea, is implementing the Gender Responsive One Health (GROH) Project. This project is focused on the Shebele zone of the Somali Regional State, Ethiopia.

The Gender-Responsive One Health (GROH) Project aims to foster the adoption of gender-responsive One Health (OH) approaches among communities affected by endemic zoonotic diseases (EZDs) and diseases related to the human-animal-environment interface (HAEIRDs). GROH's primary objective is to enhance community health and promote equitable OH empowerment for impoverished, marginalized, and indigenous women and girls in two priority areas characterized by a high prevalence of EZDs.

Job responsibilities and key tasks

 VSF-Suisse is seeking to recruit a Gender & One Health (OH) Officer to be stationed in the field project locations where VSF Suisse is executing the GROH project, specifically at the Gode field office in the Somali Region. The officer will be tasked with overseeing and facilitating project activities, supported by the OH Technical Advisor and VSF Suisse field staff. Additionally, the Gender & OH Officer will ensure continuous engagement of relevant regional government sectors and partners to operationalize the One Health approach.

• Enhancing community adoption of healthy, climate-smart, and gender-responsive One Health behaviors and practices that promote the participation, decision-making, and benefit-sharing of women, girls, indigenous peoples, and marginalized groups.
• Strengthening the capacity of OH systems at the grassroots level by empowering communities, particularly women and girls, to collaborate with stakeholders in human, animal, and environmental health to detect, mitigate, control, and prevent transmission of Emerging Zoonotic Diseases (EZDs) that pose significant threats to public health.
• Fostering an enabling environment for local, national, and regional institutions to implement evidence-based, gender-responsive One Health approaches at the community level, thereby supporting their sustainability and scalability. 
• Pro-actively organize and conduct assessments, surveys and focus group discussions among other field related project activities
• Support the established multi-sector platforms and facilitate their participation in the project activities
• Collaborate closely with the Regional One health Technical Working Group
• Ensure the project achieves its objective and all the expected results
• Facilitate the establishment of the One health units and ensure they are offering human and veterinary disease prevention and health education to the pastoral communities.
• Facilitate and organize training of health workers and veterinarians on One Health, hygiene and zoonosis, in the identification, reporting and containment of outbreaks.
• Support the community alert and risk containment system for outbreaks and environmental changes is in place in collaboration with the established One Health Units
•  Conduct regular monitoring visits to One Health’s mobile units and offering technical support
• Organization of community sessions and awareness campaigns on hygiene and zoonosis
• In collaboration with the project partners, facilitate the Participatory mapping of the environment, animal and Health resources and identification of critical gaps and problems conducted with the project partners

• Support the community committees on disaster risk reduction, climate change and alert systems

 Communication

• Provide bi-weekly, monthly and quarterly reports to the OH Technical Advisor on the implementation of the activities including, at least, monthly report and statistics
• Compile and update monitoring reports for the local stakeholders
• Active participation in technical meetings and committees on the regional project level.
• Develop and maintain partnerships with the regional government ministries stakeholders and collaborators within the project area.
•  Meet with community representatives or government authorities to determine overall growth and development needs and goals, and to develop and support activities, programs, and plans.

Financial Management

• Develop project activity budget, work plan and expenditure forecasts, for submission to the Field Office Coordinator, Finance Officer, Admin and Finance manager 
• Develop monthly activity related financial budget and project expenditure forecasts
• Submit punctual monthly expenditure reports according to the VSF Suisse guidelines.
• Responsible for field expenses and field financial management ensuring strictly standards, rules and procedures provided

Essential Criteria

• Degree in one or more of the following areas: Gender, Veterinary medicine, Medicine, Epidemiology, Public Health, and/or preventive medicine or related disciplines. Relevant One Health related training will be an added advantage
• A minimum of 3-5 years of progressive work experience implementing similar projects with International NGOs in the region using the One Health approach in multiple sectors (human Health, animal Health, environmental protection, gender, early warning, etc)
•  Excellent relationship management skills with the ability to liaise, consult, and interact professionally with technical and managerial staff, mid- and senior-level government officials, direct supervisors, external agencies, service providers, donors, technical and operations staff.

Skills and Abilities

• Proficient knowledge of English and ideally knowledge of any of the languages spoken in the intervention region.
• Ability to employ critical thinking skills and work independently to solve problems and contribute to the achievement of deliverables.
• Ability to work with tact and diplomacy with various stakeholders.
• Willing and able to travel extensively in the region.
• Ability to work independently and make rational strategic and routine decisions
• Excellent ability in analysis, negotiation skills and teamwork
• Excellent IT skills

What we offer

• A qualified, dynamic and highly motivated team of colleagues.
• A unique and relevant project for pastoral communities in the Greater Horn of Africa.
• The opportunity to actively contribute to the future design of the project implementation.
• A job with responsibilities in a demanding and challenging environment.
• A competitive salary as well as a medical and social insurance scheme.

 Entry date and contract length

One-year contract with the possibility of extension. 

How To Apply

 Application procedure and deadline (How to apply)

We look forward to receiving your application in English. Please add:

1. A motivation letter (maximum 1 page) stating why you are the right candidate for this position.
2. A recent CV of 4 pages maximum (Certificates and credentials are not required at this stage)

Contact details:

Send your application by e-mail with the position being applied for as the email selamawit.zewge@vsf-suisse.org subject to Applying for Gender & One health officer Telephone: 251116630217 or Mobile: +251913782121