Project Coordinator Goma & Rutshuru

• Type: Job
• Location: Goma & Rutshuru DRC, Africa - Sub-Saharan
• Organisation: Merlin
  Merlin International Profile Merlin is the only UK specialist charity, founded in 1993, which responds worldwide, with vital healthcare and medical relief for vulnerable people affected by natural disasters, conflict and healthcare collapse. Each year, Merlin assists more than 15 million people, in up to 20 countries, through working with local healthcare actors including government, community groups and NGOs
• Closing Date: 30-Apr-2008
• Description:
  Responsible To: Deputy Country Director Working With: Field medical and non medical team members Location: Democratic Republic of Congo - Goma and Rutshuru Start Date: ASAP Duration: 12 months Salary and Benefits: UKP 15,574 - 20,765 annual dependent on relevant experience, plus an annual cost of living allowance of UKP 5,111, insurance cover, accommodation and flights 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 is the only UK specialist charity, founded in 1993, which responds worldwide, with vital healthcare and medical relief for vulnerable people affected by natural disasters, conflict and healthcare collapse. Each year, Merlin assists more than 15 million people, in up to 20 countries, through working with local healthcare actors including government, community groups and NGOs. Context The Democratic Republic of Congo (former 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 infrastrucutre 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 110 primary & secondary health facilities, providing health care to over 1,100,000 beneficiaries. - In Maniema Province, Merlin is implementing a DFID funded primary healthcare and referral hospital project - In North Kivu, Merlin implements a DfID funded primary healthcare project in Manguredjipa and Biena healthzones, with emergency support to IDPs within the province. Merlin's Goma office is a management and support office for five field-site projects in eastern DRC. The office handles the financial and reporting aspects of a multi-million dollar grant portfolio, the HR and administrative requirements for the 20 expatriates and 200 national staff, all national and international purchasing, and in-country transportation (almost exclusively by air) of staff and material between the Goma office and field sites. Following recurrent insecurity in North Kivu, several thousand peoples have fled their homes. Some live in makeshift shelters and others are hosted within local families. Access to health care is very low, due to the lack of support of the health infrastructure and because of the prevailing insecurity. Merlin is currently setting up a programme in Rutshuru, North Kivu to address these needs. This role will be key in providing the necessary assistance that is required. Core Responsibilities The Project Coordinator will assume overall responsibility for the project in the field. He/she will report to the Deputy CD based in Goma. The main responsibilities are as set out below. 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 - 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, 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 - 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 Deputy Country Director or Country Director Person Specification Essential - High-level of spoken English and French and written English - 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 - Experience of logistics - 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.) - Computer skills (Word for Windows, Excel, E-mail) - 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 area - Good communicator - Leadership skills and a supportive management style - Focused individual with capacity to plan and manage in a multiple deadline-working environment. - Good training/capacity building and management skills. - Willing to work in an insecure environment. - Ability to work on own initiative. Desirable - 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. In order to process your job application, it may be necessary for your application to be sent to the Country Director/Operations Coordinator (in the country you are applying for) for consideration. If you do not agree with this, please state so when applying.
• Application instructions:
  To apply for this position To apply for this position please download an application form from our website www.merlin.org.uk. Completed applications should be emailed to applications@merlin-uk.org stating in the subject field the job title, country and reference number (if any) of the vacancy you have applied for.
• Contact Person: Jackelyne Weeks
• More information about this Job...

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