DEPARTMENT: Emergency Programs
LOCATION: Texas
REPORTS TO: Health Response Manager
DURATION: Nine months with possibility of extension
STARTING DATE: ASAP
ABOUT AMERICARES
Americares global health programs, at their core, seek to confront crisis and create change by creating pathways to health and opportunity. We aspire to support individuals, families and their communities to realize improved health outcomes that lead to years of good health so they can reach their full potential. The Global Program teams at the organization lead this work, working with our partners in over 40 countries through our Access to Medicines and Medical Consumables and reaching a total of 84 countries and 50 states through our work annually. The teams include the International Partnerships & Programs team, the US Team, and the Emergency Programs team, which encompasses emergency preparedness and risk reduction, emergency response, and disaster recovery.
Americares responds to 25-30 disasters a year in the US and around the world. Our goal is to save lives and protect and improve health threatened by disasters. We achieve this by providing medicines and medical supplies, restoring health facilities and systems, providing mental health and psychosocial support, and preventing the spread of disease.
POSITION SUMMARY
Hurricane Harvey, the first major hurricane to hit the United States in over a decade, made landfall in Texas on Friday, August 25, 2017. Heavy rain and strong winds caused significant damage and flooding along the Texas coast, including Rockport, Refugio and Corpus Christi. Although Harvey – a category 4 at its height – was downgraded to a tropical storm over the weekend, the storm stalled over east Texas, causing torrential rainfall and unprecedented flooding, particularly in Houston, Beaumont, Port Arthur and surrounding areas.
Americares priorities for the response period include 1) meeting urgent medical needs of people affected by the storm; 2) addressing health needs of people in shelters and otherwise displaced; 3) restoring primary health services, particularly to vulnerable populations.
Americares is seeking an Emergency Response Coordinator to play a key role in addressing Americares response priorities, and helping design interventions to address longer term health and recovery needs. The Emergency Response Coordinator will have responsibility for working with partners and communities in a specific geographic area of Texas affected by the storm, most likely Brazoria.
DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Assist in identifying disaster-related needs in her/his geographic area of responsibility and work with Program Manager to implement strategies to meet these needs
- Identify and pursue the most efficient and reliable ways to deliver assistance to partners and affected communities, including shipment of gift in kind medicines and supplies, local procurement of medicines and supplies, grants to program partners, technical assistance to program partners, or direct implementation of response activities.
- Design, implement, and/or monitor Americares health and response programs in coordination with team lead.
- Establish partnerships with national and local organizations to more effectively deliver humanitarian assistance
- Represent Americares in coordination meetings and in meetings with other response organizations.
- Provide content for internal and external communications, conduct interviews with media (at request of Health Program Manager) and otherwise support Americares communications strategy.
- Assist in development of concept notes and proposals for funding.
- Provide regular updates to Program Manager, participate in briefing calls.
- Take steps to promote safety of self and Americares staff on the ground, including communicating and monitoring adherence to safety procedures, implementing check-in procedures, and elevating safety and security issues to Americares HQ.
- Perform other duties as assigned.
REQUIREMENTS
- Five years’ experience in public health, emergency response, and/or humanitarian assistance. Experience implementing health programs in a disaster response and recovery setting is preferred.
- Bachelor’s degree required; Master’s degree in Public Health or related discipline preferred.
- Proficiency in English. Proficiency in Spanish is an asset.
- Experience living or working in East Texas an advantage but not required.
- Strong verbal and written organization skills.
- Strong organizational skills, comfortable multi-tasking and working in a fast-paced, changing work environment;
- Experience assisting on multiple projects across varying disciplines (e.g., health and mental health, logistics, program development, communications, etc.)
- Willingness to travel and work in remote areas.
- Able to operate independently and as part of a team.