Physicians for Human Rights (PHR), which shared in the Nobel Peace Prize in 1997, is a U.S.-based international advocacy organization working at the intersection of medicine, science, and law. With a global network of thousands of medical, scientific, and legal experts, PHR uses the power of medical and scientific evidence to document violations of human rights and humanitarian law, prevent abuses, protect survivors, and promote justice and universal human rights for all.

Building upon its highly respected place in the field, and supported by a committed and talented team, PHR seeks a MediCapt Director.

Work Authorization: Must be authorized to work in Kenya

Location: Nairobi, Kenya

Reports to: Director of Programs

Organizational Overview

For more than 35 years, Physicians for Human Rights (PHR) has used science and medicine to document and call attention to mass atrocities and severe human rights violations. We investigate and document abuses, amplify the voices of survivors and witnesses, and plant seeds of reconciliation by ensuring that perpetrators can be held accountable for their crimes. PHR uses our core disciplines – science, medicine, forensics, and public health – to inform our research and investigations and to strengthen the skills of frontline human rights defenders. We work closely with hundreds of partners around the world, using facts to wage effective advocacy and campaigning and providing critical scientific evidence so that survivors can seek justice.

PHR, which shared in the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for our work to end the scourge of landmines, is poised for even greater growth and impact. As part of that strategy, we are seeking committed activists with a passion for human rights.

Over the course of decades of PHR’s work, we have seen that sexual violence cases are among the hardest to prosecute. The majority of survivors do not report these crimes, and when they do, cases fail because of lack of evidence. To address this challenge, we established the Sexual Violence in Conflict Zones program in 2011 to strengthen clinicians gather evidence to increase access to justice for survivors. Through the resulting collaboration with health providers in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Kenya, we co-designed MediCapt, a mobile application that is transforming the way forensic evidence is collected, documented, and deployed to support prosecutions and accountability for sexual violence. Clinicians use MediCapt to compile forensic medical evidence of sexual violence, photograph survivors’ injuries, and securely transmit the data to police, lawyers, and judges involved in prosecuting sexual violence crimes. The app converts a standardized medical intake form for forensic documentation to a digital platform and combines it with a secure mobile camera to facilitate forensic photography.

Today, the application is being used with survivors in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to document forensic evidence of sexual violence in four health facilities. By 2030, PHR and partners will deploy MediCapt in 10 or more countries and we anticipate that the app will be used to support at least 120,000 survivors of sexual violence and torture. PHR is looking for a visionary to develop and direct the scaling strategy and lead the MediCapt project and team.

Role Description

PHR is excited to bring on board a leader to direct the scaling and implementation of MediCapt, the award winning mobile app, which will deepen and widen the impact of this recognized initiative, and strengthen access to justice for thousands of survivors of sexual violence and torture around the world. The MediCapt Director is a member of PHR’s Senior Management Team, and is responsible for overseeing the MediCapt project and team, including providing strategic vision, guidance, and leading the growth, expansion, and implementation of the project. Our new team member will help PHR refine its scaling strategy and business model identify new partnerships, secure new resources for the project, and set up the MediCapt project and team for success in the current stage of implementation in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The MediCapt Director will also lead the global scale-up of Medicapt to achieve our 2030 goals. We are looking for an experienced, entrepreneurial visionary and collaborator who will mobilize and work with a broad group of constituents, and also manage a team that will deliver on the complex day-to-day operations of the initiative.

MediCapt is at an exciting inflection point where it is poised for scaling. The app has been successfully piloted across select sites in Kenya and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, demonstrating proof of concept and the positive outcomes and impact of the application in these considerably different contexts. In the next phase of the project, PHR will launch a scaling plan to sustainably scale MediCapt nationally in Kenya as well as in new geographies to widen its reach and impact.

In PHR’s scaling vision, the MediCapt team, under the MediCapt Director’s leadership, will pursue strategic partnerships with multilateral organizations as well as governments and humanitarian organizations to document, securely store, and transmit forensic evidence of sexual violence and torture to strengthen accountability for these violations.

Responsibilities

Lead the development and implementation of a results focused strategy to meet the goal of deploying Medicapt in multiple countries and supporting thousands of survivors of sexual violence.
Oversee the implementation of the national scaling strategy in Kenya and develop scaling strategies for national implementation in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and new geographies.
Serve as a global representative of PHR and the MediCapt project, including with donors, potential scaling partners, the media, and at international conferences and other venues.
In collaboration with PHR’s Development team, develop and execute a MediCapt resource-mobilization and fundraising strategy, including identifying and pursuing new funding opportunities, building relationships with new donors, and working closely with the Development team to draft proposals and other donor materials.
Design, develop and implement plans for scaling processes, refining the business model and go-to-market strategy, developing, and testing the costing model.
Identify and build strategic partnerships with global scaling partners and champions for the project, including humanitarian organizations, international organizations, and governments.
Manage and mentor a high-functioning team of staff, expert consultants, and collaborate closely with the volunteer Technical Advisory Board to implement the MediCapt project.
Oversee the implementation of MediCapt-related grants and ensure the timely and high-quality execution of grant deliverables.
Collaborate with PHR’s departmental leaders to advance organizational change to prepare the organization for scale, including advising senior leadership on the programmatic and operational shifts necessary for scaling.
Expand the membership of the Technical Advisory Board to include new skills and expertise.
As the lead focal point with the Technical Advisory Board (TAB), manage and convene meetings and engage the TAB regularly.
Oversee and manage the MediCapt Technical Project Manager to advance the technical aspects of the project.
Lead on identifying and mitigating challenges in scaling including ethical issues, data protection and data security, and quality assurance and quality control.
Monitor and share developments in the global human rights tech and digital health landscape.
Develop and implement robust plans for monitoring and evaluating the reach and impact of MediCapt with end users and beneficiaries.
Develop and oversee the MediCapt budget and operational plan.
Cultivate and reinforce a culture of kindness, respect, goodwill, non-discrimination, transparency, collaboration, and mentorship at the organization and lead by example.
Requirements

Advanced degree in public health, medicine, business administration/international project management, law, human rights, or similar field;
Minimum of 10+ years of progressive experience in program development and implementation of complex programs;
Hands-on experience scaling innovative projects in humanitarian contexts, ideally digital human rights, development, access to justice, or global health tools;
Knowledge or experience in sexual violence, international justice, human rights, and/or women’s rights is a plus;
Demonstrated experience managing global teams and commitment to mentorship and supporting teams;
Experience in fundraising, budget management, grant management, and donor relations;
Able and willing to travel domestically and internationally, including to remote, rural, conflict, or post-conflict zones in Africa, Asia, Europe, and/or Latin America;
Previous experience working in resource-constrained environments and conflict-affected regions is a plus.

Qualifications of the Ideal Candidate

Passion for and demonstrated experience successfully scaling innovation and growing projects from pilot stage;
Experience with health systems, digital health projects, interoperability, and/or mobile apps;
Experience in leading and managing teams;
Robust networks in key international organizations, humanitarian organizations, and governments and ability to build relationships with target partners;
Experience raising capital with private sector partners;
Experience with open-source technology projects;
Superb oral and written communication skills;
Excellent cross-cultural communication skills;
Proficiency in spoken and written French a plus.
You might be a seasoned UN or NGO leader but have no software product experience, or a serial successful technology startup founder with no international human rights background – let’s talk anyway!

Salary and Benefits

This is a full-time position located in Nairobi, Kenya with a hybrid work model. The salary is equivalent to 9,100,000 Kenyan Shillings and is commensurate with experience. PHR offers comprehensive employer-paid benefits, including medical, dental, disability, and life insurance, a retirement savings plan, and generous vacation.

Please email cover letter and resume to resumes@phr.org. Please include the job title of the position you are applying for in the subject line of your email and where you saw this job posting in the email body.