Senior Health Technical Lead/Specialist Full Time NEW

BACKGROUND

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGOs), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities, helping people survive, reclaim control of their futures, and strengthen their communities.

The IRC was present in Sudan from 1981 to 2009. In November 2019, the IRC re-registered in Sudan and, with the wider IRC-led Consortium (CARE International, Catholic Relief Services, Medical Teams International, Relief International, and local partners), currently delivers integrated health and nutrition services across 11 states, supporting 640 health facilities and service delivery points nationwide and reaching over four million beneficiaries in 2025.

Since the outbreak of war in April 2023 between the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) and the Rapid Support Forces (RSF), the country has spiraled into relentless violence, institutional collapse, and mass displacement, and is facing one of the most complex and devastating humanitarian crises in the world today. More than 30 million people now require humanitarian assistance, and around 25 million people face acute food insecurity, including 770,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition.

The project is expected to run for the duration of the World Bank-financed award (exact start date and duration to be confirmed on award).

Senior Health Technical Lead Scope of Work

The IRC is seeking a Senior Health Technical Lead for an upcoming World Bank-funded health project in Sudan. The project is intended to restore access to a basic package of health and nutrition services and preserve the main elements of essential public health functions in Sudan.

The project is expected to run from February 2027 for 3 years.

The Senior Health Technical Lead provides technical leadership and quality assurance across SHARE II’s health and nutrition service delivery and health system strengthening activities including primary health care and hospital services, nutrition programming (CMAM/IYCF), communicable and non-communicable disease management, reproductive, maternal and newborn health, disease surveillance and outbreak preparedness, health information systems (DHIS2/EWARS/HMIS), and facility-level WASH and infection prevention and control. They will ensure service delivery is technically sound, aligned with national health strategies and World Bank requirements. SHARE II will sustain and maintain SHARE I’s existing footprint in delivering a basic package of health services to 420 PHCs and 10 hospitals and also expand access to essential health services in prioritized high-need localities. The project will be delivered nationwide across multiple states including RSF and SAF controlled areas and many areas with severe to catastrophic health needs.

The postholder will lead facility readiness assessments and IPC protocols; oversees nutrition programming and evidence generation; supports health workforce strengthening, referral pathways, and differentiated delivery models; and provides technical guidance on DHIS2/HMIS, disease surveillance, outbreak preparedness and emergency response, climate-resilient facility and WASH improvements, laboratory and blood systems, digital health, and supply chain/pharmaceutical management, coordinating closely with Consortium partners.

The Senior Health Technical Lead represents the IRC-led consortium in relevant technical coordination mechanisms (Health, Nutrition and WASH Clusters, Strategic Advisory Group, technical working groups), liaising with WHO, UNICEF, and Federal/State Ministries of Health, and reinforcing government-led systems. They ensure technical activities comply with World Bank Operational Policy 7.30, the Procurement Regulations, and the Environmental and Social Framework, including SEA/SH prevention and response; supports the Third-Party Monitoring mechanism, IRC’s Community Feedback Mechanisms and the project’s Grievance Redress Mechanism; and supports continuity of SRH and GBV services across the Consortium.

The Senior Health Technical Lead supports the phased, consultative handover of SHARE I sites into SHARE II, ensuring continuity of services, staffing, incentives, commodities and data systems during transition, and contributes to sustainability and responsible exit planning, including integration into MoH plans. The Senior Health Technical Lead provides technical inputs to project reporting, including results framework/indicator tracking for submission to the Project Director and the World Bank, and supports capacity building of MoH and local partner staff consistent with IRC’s Partnership Excellence for Equality and Results System (PEERS).

Requirements

• Medical degree (MD/MBBS) or an advanced degree (Master’s) in public health, health systems management, or a related field.
• Minimum 10-15 years’ progressive experience in health systems strengthening and/or PHC and hospital service delivery programming, including significant experience in Sudan or comparable fragile, conflict-affected, or access-constrained settings.
• Demonstrated technical expertise in health and nutrition and relevant technical areas including PHC/hospital service delivery, nutrition (CMAM/IYCF), communicable and non-communicable disease management, reproductive/maternal/newborn health, GBV/SRH, mental health, disease surveillance and outbreak response and health information system.
• Prior experience on large health and nutrition projects financed by the World Bank or other major institutional donors; familiarity with health cluster coordination.
• Experience working with, or through, Ministry of Health structures and health-sector coordination mechanisms (Health Cluster, WHO, UNICEF).
• Strong data analysis, facility assessment (HeRAMS), and technical report writing skills, and demonstrated experience supporting multi-partner consortium coordination.
• Fluency in English required; Arabic strongly preferred, given the requirement for field-facing engagement with MoH/SMoH counterparts and communities.
• Ability to travel to field locations across Sudan, including hard-to-reach and access-constrained areas, and to operate effectively under insecure or volatile conditions, in line with IRC and UNDSS security protocols.

Please note that this position will be contingent on the outcome of the bid.

Equal Opportunity Employer: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic protected by applicable law.

Professional Standards: All International Rescue Committee workers must adhere to the core values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Standards for Professional Conduct. Our Standards are Integrity, Service, Equality and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Safeguarding, Conflicts of Interest, Fiscal Integrity, and Reporting Wrongdoing and Protection from Retaliation. IRC is committed to take all necessary preventive measures and create an environment where people feel safe, and to take all necessary actions and corrective measures when harm occurs. IRC builds teams of professionals who promote critical reflection, power sharing, debate, and objectivity to deliver the best possible services to our clients.

Tagged as: International Rescue Committee, Sudan