Job Description
Level: Experienced
Job Location: Country Office - Sudan - Khartoum, - 00000
Position Type: Full-Time
Travel Percentage: Up to 50% Location: Khartoum, Sudan
The Health Advisor contributes to the calling of Medical Teams International by providing leadership and technical oversight for Medical Teams Sudan’s health portfolio. This role ensures the delivery of high quality, evidence based, and people centered health programming for internally displaced persons (IDPs), refugees, returnees, and vulnerable host communities. The role leads the development and implementation of Medical Teams health strategy across emergency, recovery, and resilience programming. The Health Advisor is responsible for ensuring technical excellence, program quality, innovation, and accountability across all health interventions, while strengthening the capacity of national staff, local partners, and health systems. The position drives the integration of global best practices, operational learning, and evidence based approaches to improve health outcomes and maximize program impact.
Medical Teams International 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, hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates’ eligibility, thorough background checks, police clearance, and professional reference check processes.
ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic Health Leadership
- Lead the development and implementation of Medical Teams Sudan’s Health Strategy, ensuring alignment with Medical Teams’ global strategy, national policies, humanitarian standards, and evolving health needs.
- Provide strategic leadership for integrated health programming, including Primary Health Care (PHC), Community Health, Secondary Health Care, Nutrition, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH), Cash for Health interventions, outbreak response, and health systems strengthening.
- Advise the Senior Leadership Team on health trends, epidemiological risks, public health priorities, and strategic opportunities.
- Promote integrated programming across Health, Nutrition, WASH, Protection, and other sectors to maximize program quality, impact, and sustainability.
- Drive the adoption of evidence based approaches, innovation, and best practices across Medical Teams Sudan’s health portfolio.
Program Quality Assurance & Technical Oversight
- Provide overall technical leadership and quality assurance across all health programs and interventions.
- Ensure compliance with national protocols, clinical standards, IPC requirements, humanitarian principles, and donor regulations.
- Lead and support health assessments, epidemiological analysis, supportive supervision, and program reviews to inform program design and adaptation.
- Strengthen referral systems and continuity of care across community, primary, secondary, and specialized health services.
- Lead quality improvement initiatives, clinical audits, and technical reviews to improve service quality and health outcomes.
- Provide strategic oversight of pharmaceutical management, health information systems, medical supply chains, and Cash for Health programming.
- Ensure accountability to affected populations through community engagement, feedback mechanisms, and people centered programming.
Business Development & Resource Mobilization
- Lead the technical design of proposals, concept notes, program strategies, and donor submissions.
- Identify funding opportunities, donor priorities, and strategic partnerships that support growth and sustainability of Medical Teams health portfolio.
- Develop technical approaches, theories of change, logical frameworks, indicators, and implementation models for new initiatives.
- Support budget development and contribute to donor engagement, technical presentations, and partnership discussions.
Capacity Strengthening, Localization & Technical Mentorship
- Lead capacity strengthening initiatives for staff, local partners, and Ministry of Health counterparts.
- Provide technical leadership, mentorship, and supervision to health program staff and technical coordinators.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, performance management, and professional development of technical personnel.
- Lead the development, review and dissemination of technical guidelines, SOPs, clinical protocols, and training materials.
Representation, Coordination & Strategic Partnerships
- Serve as Medical Teams principal technical representative in Health Clusters, Technical Working Groups, donor forums, and other coordination platforms.
- Maintain strategic relationships with government authorities, UN agencies, donors, NGOs, and other stakeholders.
- Advocate for equitable, inclusive, and high quality health services for crisis affected populations.
- Strengthen coordination, collaboration, and partnerships to improve the effectiveness and sustainability of health interventions.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Reporting & Learning
- Work closely with MEAL teams to monitor program performance, analyze health data, and identify trends and gaps.
- Promote data quality, utilization of health information systems, and evidence based decision making across programs.
- Review and provide technical oversight of donor reports, evaluations, assessments, and program reviews.
- Document and disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and innovations to strengthen program quality and organizational learning.
- Support operational research and knowledge generation to improve health outcomes and inform sector wide learning.
Health Security, Emergency Preparedness & Outbreak Response
- Lead preparedness planning for disease outbreaks, public health emergencies, and humanitarian crises.
- Guide outbreak investigation, surveillance strengthening, preparedness activities, and response strategies in coordination with relevant stakeholders.
- Ensure contingency plans, surge mechanisms, and emergency response systems are maintained and regularly reviewed.
- Provide technical leadership during emergencies, ensuring timely, coordinated, and evidence based responses.
- Strengthen Medical Teams’ capacity to anticipate, prevent, detect, and respond to public health threats.
Other Duties:
- Ensure 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. Incumbents will remain alert and responsive to any child and adult safeguarding risks, acquire relevant knowledge and skills which will enable you to promote strong safeguarding practices, understand the child and adult safeguarding policy and procedures, and conduct yourself in a manner consistent with the Safeguarding code of conduct and behavior expectations.
- Utilize volunteers when appropriate.
- Additional duties as assigned.
QualificationsEDUCATION, LICENSES & CERTIFICATIONS
Required:
- Master’s degree in in Public Health, Medicine, Nursing, Global Health, Epidemiology, or related discipline.
- Doctor of medicine (MD) or other relevant clinical degree.
EXPERIENCE
- Minimum 5 years of progressive experience in humanitarian and development health programming, with at least 3 years in senior technical advisory or leadership roles.
- Experience working in fragile/conflict affected settings, preferably Sudan.
- Strong donor engagement, proposal development, and report writing experience.
- Previous experience with international NGOs or UN agencies required.
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES
Knowledge:
- In depth knowledge of humanitarian operations and project cycle management, with strong interdepartmental understanding
- In depth knowledge of Sudan MoH, MoH, UNHCR and UN health systems and policies
- Knowledge of risk and security management principles and best practices
- Strong knowledge of evidenced based practices in health in humanitarian settings
- Basic knowledge of principles and current approaches to monitoring and evaluation in relief and development programs
- Excellent Written and Verbal Communication in English
- Knowledge of Arabic is an added advantage
Skills:
- Project cycle management
- Technical Expertise in Humanitarian Health
- Program Quality Management
- Technical Standards Development (SOPs, Guidelines, IEC Materials)
- Health Systems Strengthening & Quality Assurance
- Stakeholder Engagement & Representation
- Proposal Development & Resource Mobilization
- Effective leadership and people management skills, including developing, coaching, and managing high performing teams
- Building coalitions, negotiating, and resolving conflicts effectively while preserving important relationships with partners and funders
- Developing multiple solutions and able to take a swift decision, including in high risk situations
- Data analysis and writing reports
- Proficient in Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
- Skilled at building and maintaining a high functioning, high performing work team.
Abilities:
- Keen interest to mentor others
- Supports Medical Teams Calling and Values translated into Sudan priorities.
- Ability to travel to health facilities frequently and at times upon short notice
- Ability to be decisive in emergency situations and use sound judgment
- Ability to exercise considerable initiative to plan, organize and follow through to meet deadlines
- Committed to high ethical standards
- Ability to support Medical Teams’ Calling and adhere to the Medical Teams’ Code of Conduct
- Ability to work collaboratively with others
- Commitment to Medical Teams International Calling Statement and Core Values.
PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS
Physical Requirements:
The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- 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 ladder
- Occasionally move about inside an office to access file cabinets, office machinery, meet with colleagues, etc.
- The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
- 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 work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
- 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.
