Senior Programme Officer, Health

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the world’s largest humanitarian network, is seeking a Senior Programme Officer, Health to provide technical leadership and programme management support to the Pakistan Red Crescent Society (PRCS). This role focuses on strengthening equitable access to immunization services, particularly in hard-to-reach, underserved, and emergency-affected communities across Pakistan. The position involves designing, implementing, monitoring, and scaling evidence-based immunization interventions targeting zero-dose and under-immunized populations through community engagement, social and behaviour change approaches, outreach services, and health systems strengthening. The incumbent will collaborate closely with PRCS, Expanded Programme on Immunization (EPI), provincial health departments, UNICEF, WHO, Gavi partners, communities, and Movement partners to improve immunization coverage and demand generation, while supporting the strategic expansion of routine immunization into a broader, sustainable community health portfolio.

Key Responsibilities

- Assist the Health Coordinator in designing and implementing capacity-building activities for PRCS health staff, ensuring alignment with agreed frameworks, tools, and PRCS long-term health goals.
- Support proposal and budget development with a focus on health systems strengthening and National Society capacity development for primary and community health services.
- Conduct joint technical monitoring and reviews with PRCS to identify good practices, operational challenges, and capacity gaps.
- Assist in planning, implementing, monitoring, and reporting on epidemic and disease outbreak initiatives.
- Assess technical needs of health programmes in collaboration with PRCS field staff and participate in field monitoring, supervision, and evaluation missions.
- Support coordination and reporting of health programme activities in collaboration with PRCS national headquarters.
- Contribute to quality implementation of Health and WASH programmes and contingency planning for emergency response.
- Support phased expansion of routine immunization programming into new priority districts based on coverage gaps, vulnerability, and operational feasibility.
- Lead technical development of scalable multi-year routine immunization and community health programmes adaptable to various contexts.
- Monitor outreach and mobile vaccination activities, strengthen PRCS branch capacities for immunization campaigns, and promote integration with broader community health interventions.
- Develop and implement community engagement and social mobilization strategies to increase immunization demand, addressing vaccine hesitancy and misinformation.
- Build PRCS capacities in community dialogue, social listening, and risk communication related to immunization.
- Monitor programme performance through data review, field visits, and supportive supervision; analyze immunization indicators to identify priority areas.
- Support data collection, reporting, and utilization for decision-making, including remote monitoring in hard-to-reach or insecure areas.
- Represent IFRC in national and provincial immunization coordination platforms and maintain collaboration with government bodies, UN agencies, partners, and Movement stakeholders.
- Support programme management including budget monitoring, compliance with donor requirements, and timely submission of reports.
- Contribute to emergency appeals, funding proposals, and PMER (Planning, Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting) processes.

Required Qualifications

- Medical degree (M.B.B.S / M.D) and a Master’s degree in Public Health, Health Care Systems Management, Community Health, or related field.
- Minimum 5-7 years of progressively responsible experience in public health programmes.
- At least 3 years of direct experience in immunization, EPI, vaccine-preventable diseases, or community health programmes, including liaising with government, donors, and partners.
- Experience working with government immunization programmes, UNICEF, WHO, Gavi, or civil society organizations.
- Strong programme development and management skills, including budget planning, monitoring and evaluation, and reporting.
- Excellent communication skills with high proficiency in written and spoken English.
- Computer literacy including Microsoft Office and virtual collaboration tools.
- Ability to travel extensively across Pakistan, including to areas with limited facilities.
- Fluency in English and Urdu.

Preferred Qualifications and Additional Competencies

- Experience with community-based participatory approaches, programme planning, budget management, and proposal writing.
- Previous experience with Red Cross or Red Crescent organizations.
- Demonstrated respect for diversity, integrity, professionalism, accountability, effective communication, collaboration, and innovation.
- Ability to build trust and maintain strong relationships with diverse stakeholders.
- Commitment to the fundamental principles of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement and adherence to child safeguarding and zero-tolerance policies on misconduct.

This role offers the opportunity to contribute significantly to improving immunization coverage and community health outcomes in vulnerable populations through a collaborative and strategic approach within a globally respected humanitarian network.