Community Health Assistant

Community Health Assistant – 2 Positions at Medical Teams International – Tanzania

MTI Calling

Daring to love like Jesus, we boldly break barriers to health and restore wholeness in a hurting world.

Medical Teams International holds strict child and vulnerable adult safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for misconduct related to sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered. Parallel to technical competence, recruitment & selection, and hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates’ eligibility through background checks, police clearance, and professional reference check processes.

JOB SUMMARY

Community Systems Strengthening (CSS) focuses on enhancing the capacity of partner organizations to effectively deliver services, advocate for changes, and contribute to health and development goals. CSS involves a range of community actors, enhancing the capacity of local health systems to improve health outcomes and provide sustainable, equitable health services at the community level.

The Community Health Assistant collaborates with Medical Teams Tanzania field staff and partner organizations in the refugee camp and host community to strengthen the Tanzania Community Systems (CSS) programs. She/he will provide technical leadership in the effective implementation and development of Community Systems Strengthening at the field level and will remain knowledgeable of best practices in community health programming.

JOB RESPONSIBILITIES

ESSENTIAL DUTIES:

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

• Establish frequent engagements with stakeholders, including community members, partner organizations, and other NGOs, for effective collaboration in the development and delivery of community health interventions.
• Identify and submit primary concerns with suggested needs of community members to inform decisions leading to suitable implementation of general health responses.
• Adherence to CHW protocols, monitoring compliance with international and Tanzania MOH standards.
• Lead the Community Health Workers on their daily home visits in the community, zones, and streets, and discuss issues of concern.
• Ensure all cases from community members defaulting from enrolled program activities are traced and re-enrolled back.
• Utilize data collection tools, systems, and reporting requirements to meet Medical Teams and donor requirements.
• Strengthen the integration of community health activities with the local primary health care system through the development of strong referral mechanisms and CHW health promotion activities in the community.
• Ensure that Community Health Workers (CHWs) reach households with preventative and basic curative health and hygiene information and services and facilitate linkage to referral facilities.
• Collaborate with the MEAL Team to implement M&E systems and ensure that community health status is monitored and produces evidence-based actions.
• Promote CHW staff development through training, mentoring, coaching, and technical guidance.
• Participate in the collection, preparation, and reporting of monthly, quarterly, and annual reports on community health activities.
• Liaise with partners for coordination purposes, and attend meetings in the project areas that enhance project performance and partnerships, including community and coordination meetings.
• Participate in community health-related assessments, such as gender analysis, male/youth engagement assessments, family planning-sensitive discussions, and feedback and accountability mechanisms.
• Ensure program quality by integrating best practices into project design and proposals.
• Document results and lessons learned for broader dissemination.
• Support the safeguarding of program participants and employees through promoting an environment of awareness and upholding the code of conduct provisions of Medical Teams' Protection from Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, Child & Vulnerable Adult protection, and harassment-free workplace policies.
• Other duties as assigned.

QUALIFICATIONS

EDUCATION, LICENSES, & CERTIFICATIONS

• Minimum requirement: Diploma in Nursing, Community Development, Public Health, Development Studies, Sociology, Social Work, or other relevant field experience in community system strengthening.
• Bachelor’s degree is preferred.

EXPERIENCE

• At least two (2) years of working in community health-related activities for an international NGO or government entities.
• Familiarity with community health programming at the community level.
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• Working experience in humanitarian settings is preferred.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

KNOWLEDGE:

• Excellent understanding of the humanitarian Health sector; knowledge related to nutrition, maternal, newborn, and child survival is an added advantage.

SKILLS:

• Strong report writing skills and ability to compile narrative sections for proposals and donor reports.
• Competency in basic data management and epidemiological analysis.
• Excellent cross-cultural skills with the ability to communicate and negotiate clearly and effectively at all levels.
• Highly developed interpersonal and communication skills, including advocacy, negotiation, and coaching.
• Skilled at creating and monitoring budgets and making appropriate adjustments as necessary.
• Skilled at managing projects to a satisfactory completion.
• Moderately skilled with Microsoft Outlook, Word, and Excel software.

ABILITIES:

• Strong results orientation, with the ability to challenge existing mindsets.
• Highly developed cultural awareness and ability to work well in an international, stressful, and security-sensitive environment with people from diverse backgrounds and cultures.
• Strong commitment to building the capacity of national staff and partners with a willingness to adopt participatory and consultative approaches.
• Proven ability to build/work in a team, manage, and motivate personnel.
• Ability to draw on individual skills to advance agendas and problem solve.
• Ability to prioritize tasks.
• Ability to read, analyze, and interpret administrative reports, technical procedures, or government regulations.
• Ability to write analytical reports in English; to effectively present information and respond to questions from managers, counterparts, and government representatives.
• Proven representation and advocacy skills with the capacity to represent the organization in a professional manner to donors, volunteers, and the public.
• Ability to work independently and in challenging environments.

PHYSICAL CONDITIONS

Physical Requirements:

• Frequent use of a personal computer, database and digital platforms, and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine and computer printer.
• Frequently uses hands, fingers, and arms to reach, handle, touch or feel equipment, medical instruments, materials, computer.
• Frequent communication and exchange of information among colleagues and persons of concern which requires the ability to speak, hear, convey and express oneself.
• Frequent close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Occasionally ascends/descends stairs, steps, or ladders.
• Occasionally moves about inside an office to access file cabinets, office machinery, meet with colleagues, etc.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 50kgs.
• Seldom to occasionally positions self to stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• If in travel status, occasional to frequent traversing over rough or steep terrain in either a motor vehicle or on foot.

Work Environment:

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.
• The employee may be required to travel to remote areas of the world where there are potential health hazards and risks, limited hygiene facilities, extreme weather, and very basic living conditions.

Application Procedure:

All interested applicants who meet the criteria should email their application letter, CV, in either PDF or Word format only in a single document, including three work-related referees to: recruitmenttz@medicalteams.org.
Indicate your expected salary, current/previous salary, and notice period at the bottom of your CV.
Indicate clearly the position applied for in the subject line: "Community Health Assistant."
Application Deadline: 18/08/2024 at 17:00 HRS. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the interview. This position is open for 7 days only.
Female applicants are strongly encouraged to apply. Medical Teams is an equal-opportunity employer and committed to having a diverse workforce.

Warning: Beware that Medical Teams does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview meeting, processing application, or any other fee). Medical Teams does not request any information related to bank accounts. If asked for any payment, please contact recruitmenttz@medicalteams.org.