Subnational Health Cluster Co-coordinator

International Rescue Committee · Kharkiv

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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 (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Following the escalation of the war in Ukraine in 2022, The Health Cluster progressively adapted its coordination architecture from a nationwide approach to a more focused model covering 10 conflict-affected oblasts by 2026. To enhance operational relevance and proximity to affected populations, sub-national coordination capacities were strengthened across eastern, northern, and southern Ukraine, enabling closer engagement with frontline health actors, local health authorities, and affected communities.

This approach is aligned with the broader humanitarian coordination structure led by OCHA through its operational hubs in Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Mykolaiv, including Area-Based Coordination (ABC) and Humanitarian Operations Coordination Group (HOCG) mechanisms. The decentralized coordination model supports a more predictable, accountable, and needs-based health response by ensuring that partner interventions are guided by operational realities, aligned with the Health Cluster strategy, and responsive to barriers affecting access to healthcare, particularly for vulnerable and displaced populations.

Given the continued pressure on the health system and persistent humanitarian needs, sustained Cluster coordination remains critical to guiding the implementation, monitoring, and adaptation of health responses while ensuring that beneficiary feedback informs programming and decision-making.

The engagement of a sub-national co-coordinator through IRC is aimed at improving ownership of the operational response by partners and local authorities and have a meaningful involvement in co-leading an effective humanitarian response which is adapted to the local context and implemented in strong collaboration with local communities and other stakeholders.

This position will be based in Kharkiv, with occasional travel across Ukraine, as necessary.

This position is open to Ukrainian nationals only.

JOB SUMMARY:

The Subnational Health Cluster Co-Coordinator will support the Health Cluster Coordinator in performing dedicated coordination, needs assessments, strategy adaptation, resource mobilization, and supporting the implementation and monitoring of the joint incident management system and advocacy function in the Health Cluster.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES:

• Build and maintain meaningful and consistent relationships with all relevant stakeholders, including partners and health authorities. Provide interpretation and translation support as needed.
• Maintain regular contact with officials from the oblasts’ Department of Health (DOH), national and international NGOs, UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Ensure that information management activities are implemented to enhance the effectiveness of the response across different domains.
• Guarantee effective reporting from and to the national cluster to maximize coordination and accountability.  Collate information and make inputsto inform information products and reports.
• Chair and facilitate the Kharkiv subnational cluster coordination meetings, holding them twice per month.
• Establish and manage regular meetings between the Kharkiv subnational cluster and the oblast departments of health as well as other health authorities (CDM, NHSU), conducting them monthly.
• Act as the representative of the health cluster in Kharkiv and provide updates during Kharkiv OCHA general coordination meetings, held once per month.
• Engage in with other clusters focused on Kharkiv oblast, contributing to the collective identification of critical issues that demand multi-sectoral responses. Submit reports on an ad hoc basis.
• Ensure the timely sharing of meeting minutes/updates with the Health Cluster Coordinator (in organized team meetings) and save them in the designated shared folder following each meeting.
• Regularly update the relevant sections of the bi-weekly update report (internal update, achievements, next steps) on a weekly basis, twice per month.
• Supervise the incorporation of cross-cutting issues into the health cluster's response and implementation plans, with consideration for local adaptation. This should be accomplished through regular partner briefings and follow-ups, conducted on a monthly basis.
• To initiate or take part in field monitoring visits to supervise partner projects as well as provide feedback for improvement to align with the Health Cluster strategy.
• To contribute to the Ukraine Country-Based Pool Fund process by informing on locations to be prioritized in the Kharkivska oblast as well as reviewing projects for Kharkivska for relevance based on identified needs.

JOB REQUIREMENTS

Education: Minimum: An advanced university degree (Master's level or above), in medicine, nursing, public health from an accredited/recognized institute. Desirable post graduate studies or specialized training in public health, emergency management, international aid, humanitarian principles, health system recovery, and health cluster coordination.

Demonstrated Skills and COMPETENCIES:

• A minimum professional experience of 2 years at the national or international levels, in developing and promoting collaborative partnerships in emergency and humanitarian relief operations, including experience in managing and coordinating health programmes in chronic and acute, sudden-onset emergencies.
  • Relevant work experience in WHO, IRC, other UN agencies, health cluster partners, recognized humanitarian organization, relevant nongovernmental or humanitarian organizations.
  • Demonstrated knowledge of the rapid response operations and their implementation in emergencies as related to public health, complemented by demonstrated ability to identify and manage difficult situations, to lead and direct multidisciplinary and multinational staff. 
  • In-depth knowledge of emergency relief policies and practices within the UN, other UN specialized agencies, donor agencies, national and international NGOs.
  • Sound knowledge and experience about disaster prevention and preparedness programmes and the incident management system.
  • Excellent negotiation skills and ability to convene stakeholders and facilitate a policy process among UN, NGOs, national health authorities and donors.
  • Building and promoting partnerships across the organization and beyond
  • Teamwork
  • Result orientation, Analytical thinking, Communication
  • Respecting and promoting individual and cultural difference
  • Creating an empowering and motivating environment

Female candidates are highly encouraged.

This position is for Ukrainian nationals only.

REPORTING LINES

The IRC will provide hierarchical management for the staff member assigned to the Health Cluster, covering security protocols, internal training, duty of care, IT resources, leave management and performance management as the employing organization. This will be under the responsibility of IRC’s Senior Health Coordinator.

The Sub-National Health Cluster Coordinator for Kharkiv will serve as the functional line manager. The Co-coordinator will address all tasks and responsibilities related to cluster coordination under the guidance of the Health Cluster Coordinator. Specific tasks, roles, and responsibilities will be delegated by the Health Cluster Coordinator in accordance with the Health Cluster's workplan, and they will be updated regularly.

IRC employees are eligible to the following benefits:

• Competitive salary
• Purposeful job and development opportunities

• English classes and unlimited online training courses
• Life Insurance
• Medical insurance for staff and family members
• Free psychological support to employees and their family members
• 30 calendar days of annual vacation with flexibility beyond the legally set minimum requirements
• Up to 10 days of paid medical leave

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.

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