Public Health Senior Assessment Officer for Ethiopia based in Uganda

BACKGROUND ON IMPACT AND REACH

IMPACT Initiatives is a humanitarian NGO, based in Geneva, Switzerland. The organisation manages several initiatives, including the REACH Initiative. The IMPACT team comprises specialists in data collection, management and analysis, GIS and remote sensing. IMPACT was launched at the initiative of ACTED, an international NGO with headquarters based in Paris and presence in thirty countries. The two organizations have a strong complementarity formalized in a global partnership, which allows IMPACT to benefit from ACTED’s operational support in its fields of intervention.

We are currently looking for a Senior Assessment Officer to support our team in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia

Position: Senior Assessment Officer

Contract duration : 12 months

Starting Date : 1 December 2023

Location : Kampala, Uganda, with frequent travel to Addis Ababa, Ethiopia

Application Deadline : 25th July 2024

COUNTRY PROFILE

Since 2018, Ethiopia has witnessed an escalation in unrest including large-scale displacement, killings, and destruction of property following domestic political changes. Such unrest has exacerbated the impact of climate-related crises, including the most devastating desert locust infestation in 25 years, which has damaged crops and fostered food insecurity. In early 2020, the COVID-19 pandemic infiltrated Ethiopia leading to lockdowns and transport bans in many regions that restricted access to markets. Then in November 2020, conflict erupted in the northern Tigray region, displacing many Ethiopians, and contributing to an approximate 1.1 million additional people needing assistance in Amhara, Afar and Tigray regions. In August 2023, conflict in Amhara resulted in a state of emergency declaration and restricted movement for citizens across the region. All of these events have severely disrupted livelihoods, affected the availability of staple market commodities, and threatened to sharply escalate humanitarian need for vulnerable populations across the country.

POSITION PROFILE

Under the line management of the Public Health Research Manager, the (Senior) Assessment Officer is responsible for the management and implementation of IMPACT’s public health research cycles in country, including the preparation, data collection, analysis, drafting, dissemination and evaluation stages. Throughout research cycles, the (Senior) Assessment Officer engages with partners to promote their participation and maximize their impact. He/she also ensures an efficient and transparent use of resources required for project implementation. This can include the direct supervision of assessment teams.

In his/her mission, the (Senior) Assessment Officer will be hosted by IMPACT’s global partner ACTED and will fall under the direct responsibility and management of ACTED’s Country Director and his/her delegates for all Administrative, Security, and relevant Logistics and Finance issues. S/he will therefore fully abide to ACTED’s Security, Administration, and relevant HR, Logistics and Finance rules and regulations.

This position requires strong research skills, prior experience in nutrition and/or epidemiology assessments in the humanitarian sector, an analytical mind, creativity, independence, and an interest in the regional context. Candidates should have strong writing and presentation skills and be able to clearly think through and articulate implications of research findings. The position will regularly require looking at data, pulling out relevant findings, writing engaging briefs and factsheets, presenting findings to external audiences with varying amounts of data literacy, and guiding colleagues in how to think more analytically about their own research.

REQUIREMENTS

Years of work experience 3 years of relevant working experience in a humanitarian setting, working in Health, Nutrition or related subject; Research skills Excellent quantitative research data analysis experience required, preferably with epidemiological methods and study designs; Familiarity with aid system Good understanding of the aid system and the research community. Prior experience with humanitarian coordination forums preferred; Thematic experience Prior experience with mortality assessment, verbal autopsy, rapid health assessments, SMART+ surveys, outbreak investigation, is an asset; Communication/reporting skills Excellent verbal and written communication and drafting skills for effective reporting required; Academic qualifications Excellent academic qualifications, including a master’s degree or equivalent in a relevant discipline (Public Health, Epidemiology, Nutrition, etc); Software skills Proven knowledge of the Microsoft Office Suite, to include Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Familiarity with R, SPSS and/or STATA or other statistical analysis software an asset Security environment Ability to operate in a complex and challenging security environment. Experience in geographical region Past experience in the region is desirable; Language skills Fluency in English required.

CONDITIONS

For this position, salary between 2’580 CHF and 2’640 CHF monthly (before income tax), etc as well as a monthly living allowance of 300 USD NB – IMPACT salaries are strictly determined by our salary grid depending on the grade of the position and the level of education of staff. A location-dependent security and/or isolation adjustment is then applied as a recognition that some staff are required to work in difficult places where living and working conditions are much more difficult than elsewhere. Accommodation and food provided in the guesthouse. Enrolment in Swiss private pension fund (Swisslife – approx. 9.975% of staff gross salary), health insurance, life insurance and repatriation assistance. Flight tickets every 6 months & visa fees covered (in-country travel costs and professional expenses are fully covered). Contribution to the luggage transportation: between 20 and 100 kgs, depending on the length of the contract (+ luggage and personal property insurance) Annual leave of 36 days per year. Public holidays of the country of assignment. Family/compassionate leave when applicable. Predeparture induction – 3 days at IMPACT Initiatives’s HQ in Geneva + one week pre-departure training in ACTED HQ in Paris, including a 4-days in situ security training; IMPACT prioritizes the psychological safety of its staff and the health insurance provided covers, among others, up to 1000 € per year of psychosocial counselling fees.