MEAL Officer - IPC/WASH

Job Posting Organization:
The International Rescue Committee (IRC) is a leading global humanitarian and development organization that has been at the forefront of major humanitarian initiatives for 80 years. The IRC aims to support people uprooted by war, persecution, or civil conflict by providing vital assistance to help them survive and rebuild their lives, guiding them from danger to safety. The IRC's Emergency Unit (EmU) leads the organization's global emergency preparedness and response activities, with a mission to address immediate survival needs and reduce suffering for populations affected by conflict or disaster during the acute phase of an emergency.

Job Overview:
The MEAL Officer - IPC/WASH will be responsible for the operational implementation of the monitoring system for IPC/WASH interventions under the direct supervision of the MEAL Manager for the Ebola response. This role involves developing and maintaining activity databases, digitizing data collection tools in CommCare, conducting IPC assessments, ensuring data quality, and producing necessary analyses to guide the response. The officer will work closely with health and WASH teams, health facilities, health authorities, partners, and the MEAL team to ensure harmonized monitoring, reliable data, and systematic use of results for prioritization, recovery planning, and adaptation of interventions. The position is critical in the context of the ongoing Ebola outbreak in the Ituri province, where the IRC is preparing to support containment efforts through enhanced infection prevention and control measures and WASH interventions.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Monitoring, Databases, and Digitization: Implement the monitoring system for IPC/WASH interventions in supported health facilities and community sites according to the MEAL plan, logical framework, and Ebola response requirements. Develop and maintain a consolidated database to track activities, supported sites, training, supervision, distributions of supplies and PPE, triage and WASH activities, hygiene committees, and corrective actions. Digitize monitoring tools in CommCare, integrating validation checks, unique identifiers, and mechanisms to reduce duplication. Ensure the use of the IRC's standard IPC Toolkit v2 for health facility assessments, maintaining data quality, synchronization, and utilization. Update the Indicator Tracking Table (ITT), reach tracker, master site lists, and dashboards, ensuring accuracy in targets, achievements, locations, periods, and disaggregations. Regularly compare planned activities with achievements, identify implementation gaps, and report actions requiring decisions or follow-up from Health/WASH and MEAL teams.
• IPC Assessments: Plan and conduct IPC assessments in health facilities in coordination with Health/WASH teams and health authorities, using the IRC's IPC Toolkit v2 and, as appropriate, the Ministry of Health's IPC tools. Harmonize approaches, indicators, and data collection methods to avoid duplication, strengthen national ownership, and ensure comparability of results. Ensure reliable data collection on key IPC areas, including screening, triage and isolation, hygiene, cleaning and PPE, water, sanitation, waste management, and IPC governance. Analyze scores, gaps against standards, and trends to identify critical risks, intervention priorities, and support needs at the health facility level. Contribute, with Health and WASH Coordinators, to the development of recovery and improvement plans based on assessment results, and ensure follow-up on agreed actions, timelines, and progress. Ensure that assessment results inform operational planning, prioritization of infrastructure and equipment, resource allocation, and adaptation of the response.
• Data Quality, Analysis, Visualization, and Use: Implement regular quality checks to ensure completeness, accuracy, consistency, timeliness, validity, and integrity of data submitted by IRC teams and partners. Conduct field verifications and reconciliations between digital data, records, activity reports, attendance lists, distribution forms, and other primary sources, documenting corrections made. Maintain up-to-date databases, trackers, verification sources, and dashboards, applying appropriate backup, version control, and access management procedures. Analyze data by health facility, health zone, partner, activity, and period to track coverage, results, gaps, trends, and progress of corrective actions. Update Power BI dashboards and other visualization products, producing clear summaries for follow-up meetings, internal reports, donor reports, and performance reviews. Present key findings and recommendations to MEAL and Health/WASH teams and promote their use for decision-making and continuous quality improvement of interventions. Ensure secure and confidential data management in accordance with IRC policies, particularly for sensitive information related to patients, health staff, and incidents.
• Coordination and Capacity Building: Train and support IRC teams, partners, enumerators, and health facility staff on monitoring tools, CommCare, indicator definitions, IPC assessments, and data quality requirements. Provide practical support during the deployment of digital tools and initial data collections, followed by ongoing coaching to improve the quality, consistency, and timeliness of reporting. Collaborate with health authorities and partners to harmonize IRC tools with national systems, strengthen data flows, and avoid duplication of data collection. Participate in planning meetings, program reviews, and project cycle meetings to present results, gaps, and priority follow-up actions. Contribute to an inclusive, respectful, collaborative, and problem-solving work environment.

Required Qualifications:
At least one year of relevant experience in monitoring and evaluation, data management, public health, WASH, or a related field; two years or more of experience is preferred. Experience in primary data collection, quality control, and reporting in humanitarian or health contexts. Experience in monitoring health facilities, IPC, WASH in health, or epidemic response is a significant advantage. Experience working with field teams, health structures, public authorities, or local partners is preferred. Technical skills include practical knowledge of indicators, monitoring plans, activity databases, data collection digital tools, quality controls, and descriptive analyses. Practical experience with CommCare or a similar mobile platform, including configuration, testing, and deployment of forms; knowledge of Power BI or a visualization tool is preferred. Proficiency in Microsoft Excel and Word, with a demonstrated ability to structure and maintain databases, produce tracking tables, graphs, and clear reports. Ability to rigorously observe facilities, document evidence, identify inconsistencies, and follow up on corrective actions. Strong organizational skills, attention to detail, autonomy, flexibility, and ability to work under pressure in a dynamic environment.

Educational Background:
University or technical degree in monitoring and evaluation, public health, nursing, hygiene, WASH, environmental science, statistics, data management, or a related field is required.

Experience:
The position requires at least one year of relevant experience in monitoring and evaluation, data management, public health, WASH, or a related field, with a preference for candidates with two or more years of experience. Candidates should have experience in primary data collection, quality control, and reporting in humanitarian or health contexts, as well as experience in monitoring health facilities, IPC, WASH in health, or epidemic response, which is considered a significant advantage. Experience working with field teams, health structures, public authorities, or local partners is also preferred.

Languages:
Fluent French is required; professional knowledge of English is preferred. Proficiency in Swahili and/or other local languages of Ituri is strongly desired.

Additional Notes:
The position is based in Bunia, Ituri province, with frequent travel to intervention areas in Ituri and, as needed, to North Kivu, subject to security" style="border-bottom: 1px dotted #007bff !important;">security clearances, public health guidelines, and operational feasibility. The context is complex and evolving, marked by risks of Ebola transmission, insecurity, population movements, community mistrust, stigma, logistical constraints, and access difficulties. The incumbent must strictly adhere to IRC safety and security protocols, travel procedures, infection prevention and control measures, safeguarding standards, and public health guidelines.