Job Description
Position: Country Operations Coordinator
Programme: Liberia
Line Manager: Country Director
Location: Monrovia with Extensive Travel to Field Sites
Start Date: December 2009
Duration: 6 months
Allowance: Between £23’449 and £27,899 per annum dependant on relevant experience (inclusive of annual cost of living allowance)
Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, free return flights, annual loyalty bonus, R&R and 24 days annual leave.
Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short-listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date. Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. This is an unaccompanied position
Merlin International Profile
Merlin specialises in health, saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered health services. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.
Context and Background
Due to a lack of qualified health workers, a dilapidated health infrastructure and insufficient government funds following two civil wars, Liberia’s health care system is only beginning to make the transition from emergency to development phase. Merlin was one of the few agencies to remain throughout the last civil war and since 1997, has been working with the Ministry of Health in Liberia to renovate health facilities, supply medicines and equipment, and train and supervise health workers.
Merlin currently supports fifty-three primary health care clinics, three youth drop-in centres, four hospitals with referral services and a midwifery training school throughout six counties integrating and mainstreaming cross-cutting programs (Reproductive Health, Gender Based Violence and HIV/AIDS) within all program interventions.
All Merlin projects are designed to build the capacity of Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoH&SW) staff and Merlin has implemented specific projects to provide national level training of County Health and Social Welfare Teams (CH&SWTs) to develop their management skills and capability to assist in the transition of service delivery support to the government.
Duties & Responsibilities
General
- Manage all programme operations, review management systems and make appropriate improvements.
- Co-ordinate activities between the field sites and the capital office.
- Monitor and maintain compliance with standard Merlin procedures and guidelines.
- Play a key role in developing Merlin’s position within Liberia.
- Maintain a strong working relationship with other Country Management Team members and all Project Coordinators
- Represent the Country Director when required.
- Play a key role in the implementation of the counterpart approach to working with the Ministry of Health Country Health Team
Operational Management
- Overall responsibility for effective and efficient management of project implementation at all project sites, consistent with the project management cycle, program objectives, activities and indicators.
- Coordinate the drawing-up of plans, proposals, and budgets for new projects & extensions of projects in conjunction with the other Country Management Team members and the field sites’ teams.
- In collaboration with the Monitoring & Evaluation Coordinator ensure project monitoring systems are in place and that reviews are undertaken periodically in conjunction with the team, the country Director, project partners and relevant local stakeholders.
- Initiate regular project team meetings at all field sites to ensure project time-line fulfilment and donor/ Merlin compliance.
- Ensure reports are completed in accordance with deadlines/ compliance requirements; and undertake report editing where necessary.
- Pro-actively contribute to programme development and strategy.
- Monitor the evolving humanitarian situation in the project regions and consider strategic and immediate responses.
- Line manage Project Coordinators to ensure that appropriate Merlin management, administration, personnel, logistic, finance, and communication systems are in place.
- Undertake regular travel to all field sites as dictated by the needs of the project, security and staff etc.
Logistics/ Finance/ Administration
- Ensure appropriate administrative, financial and logistical Merlin systems/ procedures are in place, maintained and adhered to so that all support functions are carried out effectively and efficiently.
- Maintain familiarity with donor compliance issues, ensuring all projects are compliant with donor and Merlin procedures/ requirements.
- Ensure appropriate documentation of projects for transparency and future donor inspection/ audit.
- Assist the Logistics Coordinator (Log Co) in follow-up and coordination of logistical issues with field sites
- In coordination with the Log Co undertake logistics systems monitoring/ review.
Security
- Act as the focal person for field site security issues and advise the Country Director and other relevant staff about developments.
- Ensure field site security guidelines are updated and reviewed as appropriate to security environment.
- Ensure all Project Coordinators s receive standardised security training.
Human Resource Management
- Undertake expatriate staff appraisals for Project Coordinators and others under direct line-management.
- Where relevant, contribute to job descriptions and staff selection.
- Support team members professionally and monitor/ support stress management.
- Maintain good inter-team communications & engender positive team dynamics.
- Monitor staff welfare in the field sites and ensure appropriate steps are taken to improve living and working conditions where necessary.
Communication/ Representation
- Ensure regular communications are maintained between the field sites and the Country Management Team, acting as the focal person for communication.
- Represent field site teams at the Country Management Team meetings, and the Country Management Team in the field sites.
- In coordination with the Country Director, represent Merlin to government officials, donors, NGOs, local and national health authorities, and any other parties as required.
- Support the Country Director’s strategic co-operation initiatives with the MoH&SW, and international community active in Liberia.
Other
- Provide coverage for other posts when necessary and carry out any other responsibilities as reasonably requested by the Country Director.
Person Specification
Essential
- Relevant previous experience in an overseas post-conflict or development environment.
- Strong international project coordination and management experience, including:
- Project needs assessment
- Project proposal development
- Logical framework development
- Report and proposal writing
- Security management
- Personnel management
- Experience of representation/ liaison with government officials, local authorities, NGOs, civil society groups and donors.
- Ability to write and edit quality project proposals and reports
- Proven administrative, problem solving and organisational skills.
- Proven experience in budget management.
- Understanding of logistics systems
- Diplomatic and effective communication skills
- Strong leadership skills and a supportive management style
- Experience of managing large teams situated in multiple geographic locations
- Ability to operate in isolated and potentially insecure environments.
- Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
- Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office
- Team player with experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions, cultures and political environments
- Experience of a flexible approach to managing and prioritising a high workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines
- Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues
- An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values
Desirable
- Experience of different donor funding mechanisms
- Experience in basic and preventative health care
- Previous experience within Africa
