Closing date: 24 Jan 2010 -- (CLOSED)
Location: Sudan (the)
Programme: North Sudan
Responsible To: Country Director
Directly Managing: HR Assistant, Liaison Officer, Base Manager
Location: Nyala, South Darfur, Sudan
Start Date: ASAP.
Duration: 12 months
Salary: £23,164 to £24,648 per annum (dependant on relevant experience) inclusive of annual Cost of Living allowance.
Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, free return flights, annual loyalty bonus and 24 days annual leave.
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. 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. Please note: this is an unaccompanied position.
Merlin International Profile
Merlin is the only specialist UK charity which responds worldwide with vital health care and medical relief for vulnerable people caught up in natural disasters, conflict, disease and health system collapse. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.
Context and Background
The goal of the Sudan mission is to address humanitarian and health crises within Sudan, with particular focus on Darfur (Western Sudan) while increasing capacity of local structures to deliver effective and quality primary health care services.
Over two million people are now thought to have been displaced since the commencement of hostilities in the Darfur region, many of whom continue to be in acute need of emergency assistance. These needs are further exacerbated by seasonal rains & food shortages due to interruptions of agricultural cycles. Developments at the peace process level may initiate population returns in certain areas, while other areas continue to experience displacement.
Merlin has been working in Darfur since late 2004, and currently runs 3 projects across South Darfur. Merlin’s primary health care interventions provide quality services through both static and outreach mobile clinic services. Activities increase community-level access to health care by establishing static primary health clinics in former mobile clinic locations, and starting new mobile sites where population movements indicate severe need. The programme will also extend health education: Merlin believes that preventive health care has significant impacts on health status. This is embedded in a context where Merlin collaborates closely with Sudan’s Ministry of Health and other government agencies for material and human resource support for projects. The focus for 2008 will be the continuation of the primary health care provision within the areas we’re already supporting with the addition of nutritional support on a CTC basis.
Main Purpose of the Role
To provide a professional and effective human resource service to the Northern Sudan programme.
Overall Objectives (scope)
- Coordinate the recruitment process for all international and national staff within North Sudan
- Provide specific advice and guidance to managers and employees on a variety of HR issues including employee relations issues
- In conjunction with the CMT design, develop and implement HR policies and procedures to ensure legal compliance and best practice within North Sudan
- Ensure HR information systems, processes and filing procedures are maintained and developed
Responsibilities
Recruitment and Selection
- Co-ordinate and support all aspects of the recruitment and selection process of national staff including;
- Job description development, recruitment planning, advertising and short-listing, selection interviews and tests, job offers, salary calculations and issuing contracts.
- Keep updated with relevant new recruitment sources and propose improvements to processes and selection tools to ensure that the recruitment process meets current and future programme needs.
- To work closely with HR colleagues in the programme and HQ to ensure a coordinated approach to recruitment throughout the organisation, ensuring effective forward planning and awareness of available staff resources to fill vacancies.
- Assist the Country Management Team in assessing national staffing requirements and the most cost effective way in which to achieve them.
- To coach and train all staff involved in recruitment and selection on best practice and equal opportunities.
- Provide support to CMT with the timely recruitment of International staff by tracking expiration date of contracts and liaising with HR Advisor/Recruitment officer to ensure all relevant paperwork is sent to HQ.
Management and Organisation
- Provide advice to the Merlin team on the management of all staff to ensure compliance within the Merlin Policies, Procedures and the Employment Laws of the country.
- Regularly update the Country Management Team on Human Resource statutory requirements, and ensure that Merlin’s status in country remains within these requirements.
- Ensure relevant statutory requirement amendments are made to HR policy documents as agreed with the CD.
- Liaise with external parties (i.e. advisors, other NGOs) on compliance issues related to Human Resource Management in country (including work permits).
- Line manage the HR Assistant, Base Manager and Liaison Officer.
- Provide support and advice to line managers in ensuring that Merlin’s Code of Conduct is adhered to.
- Advise line managers to ensure National staff receive regular performance appraisals and exit interviews.
- Ensure all performance appraisals are scheduled and performed on time and signed off by relevant managers.
- Ensure time sheets for local and international staff are collected every month.
- Ensure initial objectives and probationary/annual appraisals are conducted for International staff, signed off and sent to HR Advisor.
- Ensure a clear tracking system for Rest and Recuperation allowance, annual leave, return flights and travel permit and visa expiry dates for international staff is maintained.
- Responsible for day to day running of guesthouses and office.
Policy and Advice
- In conjunction with the CMT, develop, implement and monitor Human Resources strategies into country programme in line with Merlin’s overall mission and operational strategy
- In coordination with the Finance and Administration Manager and Country Director, lead on specific projects, e.g. salary reviews, policy and procedures reviews, climate surveys and training & development needs analysis.
- In conjunction with the Country Director develop and manage the communication, implementation, monitoring and review of all Human Resource policies for national staff in North Sudan.
- Ensure National staff have access to HR policies and relevant documentation in a locally readable language.
- Provide advice and guidance to line managers within the country programme on all aspects of employment and staff related issues.
- Advise and coach staff at all levels on issues related to performance management, legal compliance, disciplinary procedure, grievance procedure with the goal of building knowledge and capacity among staff to improve employee relations and enhance job performance and productivity.
- Support CD and HR Advisor when requested during disciplinary and grievance procedures.
Administration
- Ensure that the employment contracts and job descriptions of the national staff are reviewed and updated when necessary
- Update national staff HR database and reporting system.
- Oversee the maintenance of effective HR filing system, with proper files maintained for each staff member, both manually and electronically while maintaining confidentiality.
- Draw up guidelines as necessary to assist with the standardisation of working procedures, practices
Learning and Development
- Develop a programme-wide Learning and Development policy for the national staff, in collaboration with the Country Management Team and the Learning and Development team in HQ.
- Work with line managers to develop and deliver the annual Learning and Development Plan.
- Recruit and select national staff counterpart for this post and train for succession within a 12 month period.
Other
- Responsibility for overseeing the management of the safe in Nyala
- Holder of the safe Keys in Nyala
- Any other task/duty that is necessary to the programme
- Adherence to Merlin security policies
Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications, experience and competences
- Previous experience of Human Resource Management.
- Knowledge of international HR practices & issues
- Proven recruitment administration experience
- Extensive experience in reward and remuneration
- Experience of working for an International Non Governmental Organisation (INGO)
- Experience of providing an HR service to a multi-site operation
- Experience of delivering and developing training and capacity building
- Experience of developing Learning and Development policy
- Experience of developing HR policies
- 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
- Numerate with strong analytical skills
- Meticulous attention to detail and accuracy
- Ability and willingness to work in an insecure environment
- Ability to work effectively within a team and independently
- Proven ability to organise people and tasks
- Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
- Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office
- An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values
Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences
- Experience of working in Sudan
- Experience of financial management including practical experience of administering and supervising payroll
Reference Code: RW_7Y6K5R-33
