The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) wants to recruit employees in the following vacant position the details of which are mentioned bellow.

About the Ethiopian Red Cross Society

The Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) was established in 1935 and is one of the oldest and largest humanitarian organizations in Ethiopia. ERCS provides services to communities affected by natural and manmade disasters through the provision of emergency responses, ambulance and first aid, family reunification, essential drugs, water and sanitation, and other humanitarian services. ERCS also runs disaster risk reduction programs with the aim of creating resilience households and communities. Currently the ERCS has a structure consisting of 12 Regional Offices, 34 Zonal Branches and 131  District/Woreda Branches, 599 Woreda Red Cross Committee  and 5871 Kebele Red Cross  committees.

ERCS also runs disaster risk reduction programs relating to food security, climate change adaptation, livelihood diversification, and institutional capacity building interventions, with the aim of creating resilience households and communities. ERCS works in partnership with the Ethiopian Government, International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent (IFRC), International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), partnering National Societies, members, volunteers and the communities we serve.

BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT

Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) is seeking for a Program Assistant for the newly awarded USAID Ethiopia Health Resilience activity.

The USAID/Ethiopia Health Resilience Activity is a 5 year project (28th Mar 2023 – 27th Mar 2028) aims to strengthen local capacity to detect, prepare for, respond to, and mitigate the impact of public health emergencies and ensure the continuity of essential health services during emergencies. The Activity will result in improved local capacity and health system resilience in focus areas through strengthening woreda leadership and capacity to manage emergencies; improving early warning and alert response system (EWARS) and data management capacity; developing core capacity on gender in emergencies (GiE); and increasing innovative funding for emergencies, leading to reduced morbidity and mortality related to public health crises.

Management Sciences for Health (MSH) and the Ethiopian Red Cross Society (ERCS) will work together and in close collaboration with zonal and woreda offices, health facilities (HFs), communities, and other stakeholders to achieve these results. The USAID/Ethiopia Health Resilience Activity will focus on selected woredas in three regions (Amhara; Oromia; and Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ Region [SNNPR]) and one city administration (Dire Dawa). 

Job Summary

The communication officer plan, write and distribute content to promote the Health Resilience Activity being implemented by Management Sciences for Health (MSH) as prime partner and ERCS as sub-partner for internal and external audiences through relevant modes of communications. In collaboration with the senior Research, Evidence and Learning advisor, the incumbent will be responsible for framing of the necessary Public Health Emergency Management communication policies, strategies, guidelines and procedures for dissemination, communication and revises existing statutory frameworks as necessary.

Key performance areas

• Collaborate with health resilience/PHEM project leading team to develop and implement an effective communication method for consumption at different levels (community, Woreda, Zonal, Regional/national, donor and other stakeholders levels),

• Assists to prepare new strategies, guidelines and tools or update existing dissemination and communication Public Health Emergency activities, 

• Supports in coordinating, representing the USAID/Ethiopia Health Resilience Activity in dealings with press, radio, television and other publicity and social media engagements;

• Attends meetings and social functions and events, and uses skill in communication (PR) techniques to obtain desired visibility; 

• Prepares standard dissemination and communications aid materials, visuals, and guides for wider usage within the Health Resilience activity,

• Prepares and organizes the documentations on Health Resilience/PHEM project activities and other communications matters and ensures that such documentations are made on video, films, movies, and photographs, print materials and publications as appropriate; manages the audio-visual documentation, 

• Advises and proposes best suited communication and disseminations activities to address issues or problems in the Health Resilience/PHEM project,

• Manages the supply, handling and distribution of audiovisual equipment, teaching materials/printing and materials needed for publicizing and documentation of the project activities; and follows up the evaluation and proper and effective utilization of same;

• Strengthens communication, disseminations and information sharing for enhancing synergized organizational processes within the ERCS, MSH and for external visibility and accountability, 

• Supports documentation, publication and communication of the Project objectives, principles, core values and activities for increased visibility, corporate image, and greater access to volunteers and others,

•  Follow up, collect and compile reports and feed backs on communication and dissemination,

• Continuously assesses and evaluates the effectiveness of the health resilience project at community level, and stakeholders’ communication and dissemination program and looks for ways of their improvement so as to bring about positive changes,

• Represents the Health Resilience project in dealings with press, radio, television and other publicity media, attends meetings and social functions and events, and uses skill in communication techniques to obtain desired visibility when assigned by supervisor;

• Cooperates with Health Resilient implementing center of excellence (COE) woredas officers, ERCS zonal branches and others concerned on public health emergency preparedness, early warning, response and recovery activities to communicate different information and news regularly. 

• Organizes and stages special social forums, events, days, anniversaries and field visits, that further enhance the health resilience project goodwill and favorable publicity,;

• Prepare Activity’s key finding, lessons learned/best practices and other key activities to be published through appropriate social media and webpage of the prime partner, sub-partner and donor websites on monthly basis after approval by the senior management of the Activity, 

Work Unit:- ERCS-Disaster Risk Management Directorate / USAID/Ethiopia Health Resilience Activity

Reporting to : -  Senior PHEM Advisor

Terms of employment:- Contract for one year

Job Requirements

Qualification Requirements:

• Second/First degree in Communications, Journalism, Public Relation and Political Sciences, Public Management, Public Administration and Management, Foreign Language

• 6/8 years relevant work experience

Other Skills:

• Demonstrated interpersonal and communication skills,

• Good in time management and organizational skills,

• Knowledge in designing communication methods for different audiences,

• previous experience supporting a USAID-funded project, a plus

• Ability to work under tight deadlines, 

• Proficient in Microsoft office, content management systems and social media platform,

• Willing to travel to project site for documentations, 

How to Apply

We invite candidates meeting the required qualifications to fill out the employment application form With the indicated link CLICK HERE

Qualified women are strongly recommended to apply !