Closing date: 31 Dec 2009 -- (CLOSED)
Location: Democratic Republic of the Congo (the)
Responsible To: Deputy Country Director
Working With: Field medical and non medical team members
Location: Rutshuru - Democratic Republic of Congo
Start Date: ASAP
Duration: 12 months
Salary: £24,486 to £26,711 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.
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be shortlisted on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.
Please note: 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
The Democratic Republic of Congo (formerly Zaire) is the third largest country in Africa and one of the poorest. Decades of dictatorship and an ongoing, unresolved civil war has left much of the national infrastructure destroyed.
Merlin has been operational in eastern DRC since 1997 when it established emergency medical support to populations in Maniema Province. Merlin teams have been providing emergency medical care to the most vulnerable, accessible populations in Maniema Province, Kasai Oriental Province, North Kivu and Orientale Province, and in response to the Goma volcanic eruption of Jan 2002. Activities include: emergency response, primary health support and supply, secondary health support and supply, reproductive health, institutional capacity building, nutrition, wat/san, rehabilitation of health facilities.
- Merlin is the sole source of essential medical support for over 200 primary & secondary health facilities, providing health care to over 1,800,000 beneficiaries.
- In Maniema Province, Merlin is implementing a DFID (British government) funded 3 years free health care project throughout 10 health zones.
- In North Kivu, Merlin implements DFID, UNICEF, OFDA and ECHO funded primary healthcare projects in Manguredjipa, Biena, Oicha, Vuhovi Health Zones, in Kayna, Rutshuru and Birambizo Health Zones with emergency support to IDP’s within the province.
Merlin’s Goma office is a management and support office for nine field-site projects in eastern DRC. The office handles the financial and reporting aspects of a multi-millions dollar grant portfolio, the HR and administrative requirements for approximately 35 expatriates and 300 national staff, most national and all international purchasing, and in-country transportation (often by air) – of staff and material between the Goma office and field sites.
Main purpose of the role
The Project Coordinator for Rutshuru will assume overall responsibility for the project in the field. He/she will report to the Deputy country Director based in Maniema. The main responsibilities are as set out below.
Overall Objectives (scope)
The Project Coordinator for Rutshuru will assume overall responsibility for the project in the field. He/she will report to the Deputy Country Director. The main objectives of the role will be:
- Operational Management
- Security
- Programme Development
- Logistics/finance and Adminsitration
- Representation
Responsibilities
Operational Management
- Ensure collaborative stakeholder management including involving the relevant authorities in the planning and implementation of Merlin’s activities
- Be responsible for the effective and efficient management of the project consistent with the project management cycle and compliant with Merlin procedures, systems and guidelines
- Establish and implement project monitoring and evaluation plans
- Provide regular written and verbal reports to the CMT (Country Management Team) on project progress and issues
- Prepare high-quality and timely donor reports
- Line manage two international and ensure effective management of approximately 40 national staff
- Optimize the use of human, logistical, and financial resources
- Monitor the evolving humanitarian situation and consider immediate and strategic responses
- Contribute to preparing plans, proposals, and budgets for project extensions
Security
The Project Coordinator has responsibility for security in the field site including:
- managing day-to-day security of the team field team and liaising with the Goma security focal point
- briefing all staff on arrival in the field on the security context and its implications
- monitoring the political, military and security situation in all project areas and respond accordingly
- establishing security guidelines in working areas in collaboration with the Goma security focal point and keep these up to date and ensure adherence by all project staff
- providing timely verbal and written security incident reports to the Country Director
- attending security meetings and maintain regular contact with other actors (e.g. OCHA, military) in the field
Logistics/Finance/Administration
- Ensure all projects adhere to Merlin’s systems and procedures
- Ensure that project implementation meets donor compliance requirements
- Responsible for budgetary control and overall financial management at the project site, including maintaining oversight of expenses and procurement
- Ensure that the programme complies with all legal and bureaucratic requirements in DRC.
Human Resource Management
- Maintain good team communication, engender good team dynamics and take remedial action when problems occur.
- Support team members professionally and monitor and support stress management
- Conduct and document regular team meetings for planning and reporting purposes.
- Carry out appraisals according to Merlin’s Human Resource procedures
- Ensure all new team members are adequately briefed on arrival in the field, and departing team members are debriefed.
- Maintain up-to-date job descriptions for international staff and prepare and maintain job descriptions for national staff
- Assume overall responsibility for national staff selection, recruitment, and disciplinary procedures and assist with recruitment of expatriate staff in project area.
- Be responsible for capacity development and training of national personnel
- Plan national and international staff requirements and liaise with the CMT
Representation
- Represent Merlin to donors, authorities, (I)NGOs and other parties as necessary. Ensure all relevant parties are kept informed of Merlin activates as appropriate (e.g. donors, health authorities etc.)
- Be the project’s contact with press and media when requested by the Operation coordinator under approval of the Country Director
Other
- Provide coverage for other posts when needed and carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Country Director
Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications, experience and competences
- Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English & French
- Strong project management skills and knowledge of appropriate project management tools
- Previous field humanitarian experience in a management role
- Security management experience in an unstable environment
- Experience in finances or related issues
- Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office
- Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures
- 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
- Experience of conducting needs assessments and project development
- Experience of financial and administrative management
- Knowledge of project management tools (Logical Framework analysis, project cycle management, indicators etc.)
- A strong interest in basic curative and preventative health care
- Proven problem solving and organizational skills, flexibility and calm under pressure
- Good team worker, able to live and work closely with a team under pressure
- Ability to work under stressful conditions in an isolated and insecure areas
- Leadership skills and a supportive management style
- Good training/capacity building and management skills.
- Ability to work on own initiative.
- An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values
Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences
- Spoken Kiswahili
- Working experience in the region
- A strong interest in community participation
- Experience in the health sector
Data Protection
Please note, on submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin holding and using the information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment – should an offer be made. Where required by donors funding requirements, some job offers are conditional on our ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States. On submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin using the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.
Reference Code: RW_7Y4MFH-79
