This Position is contingent

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is an international Humanitarian organization operating Water and Sanitation, Economic Development, Livelihoods, Capacity Building, Emergency Response, Health and Nutrition, and similar sectors in the regions of SNNPR, Somali, Oromia, Addis Ababa and Dire Dawa. Mercy Corps works with communities, public and private sectors to implement appropriate relief, recovery and development interventions. Mercy Corps Ethiopia invites motivated and qualified candidates to apply for the following vacant position.

Position Title:  surveillance officer

Duty Station:  Ararso, Tuliguled & Jijiga Somali Region

Post Position: Three

Program / Department Summary

The project is intended to reduce the transmission of COVID 19 in the community through strengthening active and passive surveillance and reduce the morbidity and mortality related with infectious diseases

General Position Summary

The position holder shall be in charge of leading both passive and active surveillance of public health importance disease in the community with particular emphasis on COVID 19.  S/He will mainly be responsible for the daily surveillance in the community to find out people with sign and symptoms of COVID 19 and other IDSR reportable diseases. S/He will also be responsible for day-to-day verification of the rumors, report to the regional EOC for isolation of suspected cases, and coordinate with EOC for sample collection. In addition, the position holder is responsible to trace contacts of suspected COVID 19 infected cases and identify the hot spot areas where the COVID 19 transmission might be high.

Essential Job Responsibilities

 Strategy & Vision

·         Collaborate with other team member for effective integration between other services like Nutrition and health services 

·         Collaborate with Local authorities and other partners to harmonize different efforts for better impact and sustainability.

·         Able to learn and update his/ her information or knowledge to adapt the changing situation and context

 Program Management

·         Conduct active case finding of COVID-19 at community level and Train community health volunteers, health workers and health extension workers on screening and surveillance of COVID-19

·         Conduct index case investigation on COVID-19, and report to subnational level EOC

·         Develop community level case definition and clinical case definition of COVID 19 and orient to CV, HEWs and health workers and closely support them to improve COVID 19 surveillance

·         Provide support to IDSR indicators and report on weekly basis.

·         Provides technical assistance, consultation, and guidance to government health centre and HP staff, and community networks existing at local level.

·         Facilitate and conduct regular woreda level field supports and routine review meetings with government staff and woreda level officials to monitor the implementation of surveillance activities.

·         Prepare work plan on annually, Quarterly and monthly basis 

·         Ensure mainstreaming of a standardized beneficiary feedback mechanism

·         Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key stakeholders, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors, in consultation with the zonal coordinator.

·         Provide input and validation as needed on COVID-19

·         Ensure global, national and regional COVI-19 guidelines is known and used as a guiding tool for woreda level technical people.

·         Ensure that ethical and sound data is collected for appropriate program analysis, planning, evaluation, and advocacy in line with the Mercy Corps MEAL strategy.

·         Responsible for overall planning, implementation and M&E of mobile Health and nutrition activities in the assigned woreda.

·         Ensure referral system and linkage between services and with the health facilities

·         Work any tasks assigned by the line manager and the organization.

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Team Management

·         Provide technical guidance for other team members on active case screening using infrared thermometer at each outreach sites and health facilities to identify people with fever and further checking on the signs and symptoms suspected individual.  

·         Work very closely other MC teams to strengthen the surveillance networks.

·         Provide support to woreda health offices to strengthen community level surveillance activities of COVID-19

·         Provided formal and on job training and supportive supervision for Mercy corps woreda level staffs and government health workers.

 Finance & Compliance Management

N/A

Influence & Representation

·         Liaise with concerned government authorities and ensure the programme strategy, objectives and activities are understood, agreed and appropriate communication channel is in place

·         Participating in the Zonal/ Regional health and Nutrition Technical Working Group meetings, develop meeting agendas, documentation and dissemination of the technical working group meetings action point and recommendations.

·         Liaise and coordinate with local stakeholders and MoH personnel regularly, reporting to them and giving them updates on activities.

·         Collaborate with the potential partners on the field (health centres, health posts, committee leaders) to improve facility and community level surveillance 

·         Collaborate with partners where possible (e.g. UNICEF and WHO in nutrition/health assessments in the area that may have an impact on our programs).

Security

·         Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership.

·         Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.

 Organizational Learning 

·         As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves. 

Knowledge and Experience

• BSC in Public health or Nursing, with Minimum four years working experience in NGOs environment as MHNT out of which two years in surveillance officer. 
• Solid technical skill on disease surveillance and on how to reduce the transmission of infectious diseases
• Knowledge and experience on integrated disease surveillance and reporting mechanisms
• Demonstrated skills in delivering training/ orientation other teams on active and passive surveillance
• Ability to work in the community and able to face challenges
• Strong computer (Microsoft skills), and interpersonal skills.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a team environment.
• Good command in written and spoken English and Local language.
• Good human relation skills.
• Willingness to work under pressure and extra hours
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Success Factors

• Willingness and capacity to be flexible and accommodating when faced with difficult and frustrating working conditions like long distance
• Good interpersonal and communication skills
• Experience in closely working with regional, Zonal and Woreda Health
• Ability to prepare program reports Knowledge in local language;
• Communication skill, good human relations
• Firm belief in teamwork, gender equality