What we do

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) works worldwide to provide protection and humanitarian assistance to people affected by conflict and armed violence. We take action in response to emergencies and, at the same time, promote respect for international humanitarian law. We are an independent and neutral organization, and our mandate stems essentially from the Geneva Conventions of 1949. We work closely with National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and with their International Federation in order to ensure a concerted, rational and rapid humanitarian response to the needs of the victims of armed conflict or any other situation of internal violence. We direct and coordinate the international activities conducted in these situations.

Purpose

In line with the ICRC Institutional Staff Health Strategy and in collaboration with the team of Staff Health in Addis Ababa and medical personnel on site, he/she promotes and protects the physical and mental health of the ICRC workforce.

The Staff Health Officer based in Mekelle oversees all Staff Health activities for the MEK SD and its AoR.

Relationships

• Internally, Interacts with the delegation.
• Externally, maintains working relations with clinics/hospitals regarding staff health

Accountabilities & functional responsibilities

• Carries out health briefings for all new ICRC staff.
• Assesses and supervises living conditions in the delegation and all sub-sites, promotes general hygiene standards (e.g. housing, use of mosquito nets, water filters, hygiene standards of cooks and cleaners, nutritional advice).
• Evaluates the medical structures available and quality of services provided; identifies and monitors services for the referral and treatment of ICRC staff.
• Provides advice and support to ICRC staff with health problems.
• Provides advice on the medical needs of ICRC staff during transportation and coordinates medical evacuations from the field to the capital. Liaises with the Staff Health Centre of Expertise (RH_COE_SAN) at ICRC headquarters and coordinates at local level in case of the repatriation of personnel out of the country.
• Compiles guidelines and procedures to be followed during the medical evacuation of personnel from the field or out of the country.
• Implements and supervises staff health policies and the ICRC HIV/AIDS programme (where applicable) at all sites under responsibility (delegation/sub-delegations).
• Implements and follows up on ICRC stress policy.
• Collects accurate and reliable data on illnesses, accidents and absenteeism, with a view to providing statistics on illnesses and the medical risks taken by all staff.
• Reviews medical invoices for anonymization and approval of medical expenses.
• Reports to the delegation management and provides feedback and recommendations on issues related to the staff's health.
• Carries out defusing and creates peer support groups following critical incidents in the field; follows up if further intervention is required.

Delegation Specific Tasks

• Facilitate implementation of awareness on communicable diseases, psychosocial and other important health topics at Mekelle delegations.
• Advise staffs for any health-related queries or consultations including hotline consultations.  
• Contribute to responses to emergencies involving ICRC staff including daily workers
• Work closely with the Addis staff health team in preparedness, prevention, and response to outbreak, endemic or epidemic situations that affect the staff.
• Compile and provide accurate and reliable data and statistics on illnesses, accidents, and absenteeism. This includes regular updates of the SHAD platform.
• Assess and supervise the living and working conditions of staff in Mekelle sub delegation and promote the general hygiene standards (e.g., housing, use of mosquito nets, water filters, hygiene standards of cooks and cleaners, nutritional advice).
• Build and maintain good relationship with the sub delegations’ and its AOR designated health facilities and coordinate with them in terms of medical files and services
• Follow-up administrative and contractual matters with ICRC designated medical facilities in Mekelle and its AOR.
• Conduct medical Briefing of new staff members.
• Organize and coordinate evaluation of fitness to work at recruitment as well as periodic medical evaluation of fitness to work for certain professions in full respect of local legislation and ICRC.
• Facilitate and organize First-aid training for staffs
• Prepare inventory of staff health medical items and replenish regularly.
• Follow up with completeness of first aid items in the workplace, mobile residences, and vehicles
• Organize a range of activities of promotion of physical and mental health for programs tailored to local risks and needs (Family Day, World AIDS Day, recreative activities for staff wellbeing etc.).
• With the support of Addis/Regional staff MHPSS, work on referral mapping, awareness creation and referral of cases
• Implement the policies for resident employees' ICRC Default non-occupational health insurance, Accident and occupational health insurance, medical expenses covered, cover limits, and management of special cases.
• Receive and analyze all medical bills of resident staff and their dependents; checks that medical bills are genuine while checking consistency between the prescription and the bill, and ensure the beneficiaries are duly registered with the ICRC.
• Follow up on resident staff sick leave and report any irregularities concerning sick leave/medical reports.
• Files and manages employee medical files maintaining strict confidentiality to all staff medical information.
• Keep the staff health information or documents up to date and well shared including managing the Team Space of the SD.

Certifications / Education required

• Medical doctor (master's degree in medicine) or registered nurse.
• Fluent knowledge of local language, English, Amharic, and Tigrinya.
• Computer proficiency.

Professional experience required

• Three years' clinical experience.
• Experience in mental health and stress management.
• Experience in medical evacuation and transportation.
• Knowledge of tropical health and public health.
• ICRC experience an asset.

Additional information

• Type of role: National / Resident (Opened to Ethiopian Nationals ONLY)
• Working rate: 100%
• Location: Mekelle
• Hardship : H2
• Job level: B2
• Length of assignment: 1 year Fixed term contract with posssibility of extension  
• Application deadline: 22 May 2026

Our values

• At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.

Reports to (role)

Head of Sub-delegation in Mekelle and Staff Health Manager in the Main delegation

People management responsibilities

No