Democratic Republic of the Congo: Country Director
Country: Democratic Republic of the Congo
Closing date: 12 Aug 2013
Responsible to: Head of Region – London Responsible for: Country Management Team (CMT): Country Health Director, Country Finance Director, Country HR & Administration Manager, Country Logistics Manager, Country Operations Manager, Supply Chain Co-ordinator.Location: Democratic Republic of Congo – based in Goma with frequent travel to Kinshasa, and to Merlin field sites in NK DRC.Start Date: ASAPDuration: 24 months Salary: £50,000 per annum (Inclusive of annual Cost of Living Allowance, and recruitment bonus)Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, annual leave entitlement of 24 days per annum rising to 30 days at the completion of 12 months of continuous employment with Merlin.
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.
Merlin International ProfileMerlin is an international health charity, saving lives in the world’s toughest places. Merlin responds with healthcare, when people are overwhelmed by natural disaster, conflict or disease and in need of immediate help. We focus on treating those who are beyond the reach of existing health services. After the immediate crisis, Merlin stays on to assist recovery. Using our expertise, we support health workers and strengthen existing health services. We build resilience by helping those at risk of future health disasters, to be better prepared.
We think everyone should have access to lasting healthcare. We believe good health is fundamental to transforming people’s lives, that’s why Merlin is A Force for HealthAs of 16 July, Merlin is joining Save the Children to create a world-class humanitarian health force for children and their families living in some of the toughest places in the world. By combining Merlin’s unique network of frontline health workers with Save the Children’s life-saving work in over 120 countries, more children affected by disaster or conflict will be reached.
Both organisations are really excited by this opportunity to dramatically increase our reach and impact for children and their families.
For those teams transferring as part of this plan, our expectation is that there will be a phased transition of Merlin’s overseas programme operations and head office teams to Save the Children, which we are aiming to complete within 18 months. During this time Merlin’s life-saving work for children and their families around the world will continue
Context and BackgroundThe Democratic Republic of Congo is the second largest country in Africa and one of the poorest. Decades of dictatorship and civil war have left much of the national infrastructure destroyed. Merlin has been working in DRC since 1997, providing emergency medical assistance to refugees and IDPs in Maniema, Kasai Oriental, North Kivu and Orientale Provinces. Activities have included emergency response, support to primary and secondary health care facilities, reproductive health, institutional capacity building, immunisation campaigns, nutrition, WASH, and the rehabilitation of health facilities.
The conflict in Nord Kivu, although it ended officially in 2009, has continued between various militant groups in the province even after the peace accord signed between the FARDC and the CNDP in 2009. For this reason, and as identified in the Humanitarian Action Plan (HAP) 2012, Nord Kivu remains a priority province for humanitarian responses and for Merlin. There has been a significant decline in the security and humanitarian situation since March 2012, which has had significant impact on population movement. In North Kivu, Merlin aims to enhance access to quality healthcare services for its population with a strong focus on ensuring emergency health services for IDPs. By 2015 Merlin ambitions to have reached 1,024,753 individuals with quality health services and 96,106 women of reproductive age will have used a modern method of family planning.Today, Merlin team is composed of 18 international staff and approximately 200 national staff. Merlin currently supports the MoH in six health zones (HZ) in North Kivu Province: In Petit Nord (Rutshuru, Binza, Mweso and Birambizo HZs), and Grand Nord (Alimbongo and Kayna HZs) and runs an emergency response team that can be deployed anywhere in the Province. In North Kivu, Merlin is currently financed by OFDA, UNICEF, ERF, ECHO, a private foundation, and SIDA which represents a budget of approx. £6 million for 2013.Merlin also co-leads the Health Cluster in North Kivu, housing the Health Cluster Assistant dedicated to improving the quality of information sharing and management within the cluster. In this role Merlin works to harmonise relationships and health interventions between UN agencies, the Ministry of Health and local and international NGOs working in the area of health.
Main purpose of the roleThe Country Director (CD) provides overall leadership and strategic direction in line with Merlin’s vision and objectives combined with a thorough analysis of the humanitarian context and assessment of needs and capabilities. The CD is responsible to the Head of Region (HoR) for the safe, efficient and accountable management of all aspects of the programme. He/she is also responsible at country level for maintaining Merlin’s profile through representation to external actors and advocacy on behalf of vulnerable populations; and for identifying and securing donor funding.
Objectives of the role• Provide leadership and strategic direction for Merlin in DRC in line with Merlin global strategy and the humanitarian context. • Ensure the delivery of high quality health programming, in conjunction with national authorities; and ensure that Merlin is accountable to beneficiaries and other stakeholders.• Ensure the safety and security of all Merlin DRC staff• Line manage the Country management team (CMT) and oversee the management, training and development of all Merlin staff, both national and international. • Oversee budget preparation, and ensure that funds are spent accountably, in a timely manner and line with agreed programme goals.• Ensure appropriate logistical systems are maintained in line with Merlin policies and procedures
ResponsibilitiesLeadership • Develop and maintain a coherent country programme strategy that contributes to Merlin's global objectives• Coordinate and manage the overall planning and direction of Merlin's operations at country level• Create a shared vision, among all staff, of Merlin's programme's aims and their role in achieving these.
Programme Development• Develop and secure funding for new programmes based on identified needs• Ensure that donor proposals and budgets are prepared to a high standard and submitted on time, and that technical inputs are effectively coordinated• Maintain Merlin's emergency preparedness capacity as relevant to the geo-political and humanitarian situation• Organise and/or undertake needs assessments as and when required• Develop and maintain productive working relationships with donors and undertake all in-country negotiation related to programming and contracts
Programme Management • Ensure that projects remain within the remit of their initial design, budget and proposal and prepare any amendments when necessary• Support field sites in the fulfilment of their duties according to programme design• Ensure that appropriate systems and plans are in place for dealing with emergencies and provide leadership for staff and volunteers in emergencies • Establish systems and standards for assessment and monitoring/evaluation of programmes against their strategic aims • Ensure there is a regular, documented forum / meeting for all key staff to discuss and plan programme objectives and plans
Representation • Represent Merlin to local & national authorities, international donors, & (I)NGOs • Decide which coordination networks Merlin should invest time in, and commit time to those where participation will yield best results for Merlin• Contribute towards the dissemination of Merlin’s health work through publications (general, health sector, academic) in consultation with Merlin HQ Health and Communications departments• Manage external communications in collaboration with the Marketing & Communications Department in London
Staff Management / HR• Manage staff effectively, including appropriate and systematic delegation • Co-ordinate and support/team build national and international staff teams, ensuring that the individuals work effectively together and achieve the programme objectives• Support the development of HR management tools, e.g., organisational charts, job descriptions, salary scales, staff appraisals, etc.• Develop and apply policies, guidelines, terms and conditions following both Merlin and donor policies and guidelines and national employment law(s)• Take an active part in staff recruitment in coordination with the Merlin London HR department
Administration and Logistics• Ensure that appropriate logistic, administrative and financial structures and procedures are established and / or maintained in accordance with the Merlin, donor and national government guidelines and policies• Maintain regular communications with HQ using established reporting procedures• Ensure that reports for both internal and external distribution are completed and submitted on time.
Security• Ensure that appropriate security guidelines and procedures are established, maintained/ updated quarterly, and adhered to by the team• Manage security incidents and evacuations in cooperation with Head Office, ensuring that all incidents are reported using the Merlin Security Incident Report format• Maintain an overall understanding of the national security situation in general, and Merlin areas of operation in particular.
Finance Management • Oversee budget preparation, setting the parameters and the process, ensuring compliance to Merlin, donor and national requirements • Ensure that country programmes are implemented within their budgets.• Ensure and anticipate donor reporting schedules, including spending plan projections • Oversee the completion and return to London of the monthly field accounts within the agreed deadlines• Establish and / or maintain the Merlin field accounting systems
Person SpecificationEssentialQualifications, experience and competences• Substantial experience in a senior management position in an overseas NGO environment, ideally in both emergency and developmental contexts • Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English and good written and spoken French• Experience of strategic planning.• Extensive experience of managing large teams of specialist staff in multiple locations• Extensive experience of budget management and donor compliance • Excellent representational skills, to represent Merlin to a broad range of people and organisations including donors and government officials.• An ability to analyse information quickly and accurately• Good problem solving skills in day to day and crisis situations• A flexible approach to managing and prioritising a high workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines • An ability to reflect on and learn from own performance and the performance of the programme; and to act upon that learning • Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures• A good understanding of security management; and experience of managing staff in an insecure environment.• 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• Knowledge and experience of the health sector in a developing country• Previous experience within the region• A relevant qualification (post graduate level)• Knowledge of other local languages
How to apply:
To apply for this positionTo apply for this job, please go to www.merlin.org.uk/jobs and apply using our online recruitment system. In order to apply for a job with Merlin online you will need to complete a short registration process and create an account – the online recruitment system explains how to do this. Once your account has been created, you will be able to save the information that you have entered in your application and re-visit it at any time before you submit it.
If you are unable to apply online for any technical reason, please contact applications@merlin.org.uk.
Please note that we do not accept CVs. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
