Health Coordinator

Merlin

Full-time Staff - Liberia, Africa

Apply by: 16th February 2012

Responsible To: Senior Project Coordinator
Responsible For: Field Medical Team including Primary Health Care Coordinator, Hospital Surgeon, MCH Supervisor, Community health Supervisor
Works With: Operations, Logistics, Health, Finance/Admin Teams and Partners
including the County Health Team
Location: Harper, Liberia
Contract Duration: 4 Months
Starting Date: ASAP
Salary & Benefits: £27,450 to £28,200 per annum dependant on relevant experience.
Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, R&R, 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.

Please note that this is an unaccompanied position.

Merlin
Undaunted and determined, Merlin saves lives. We deliver medical expertise to the toughest places. And we stay to help build lasting health care.

Our mission is to end the needless loss of life in the poorest countries caused by a lack of effective health care. We help communities set up medical services for the long term including hospitals, clinics, surgeries and training for nurses and other health workers.

We do whatever it takes and we stay for as long as it takes.

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 supports 81 health facilities (clinics, hospitals and health centres) in 6 counties in the county (10 of these facilities through a local partner). Merlin’s support is aimed at strengthening referral linkages, monitoring/supportive supervision mechanisms, developing health information systems and capacity building first level service providers as well as the County Health and Social Welfare Team (CH&SWT) management staff. The support also includes the re-vitalization of the network of Community Health Volunteers (CHVs), increasing community awareness/acceptance for preventive health services through health education and the delivery of cross-cutting Reproductive Health (RH), Sexual and Gender Based Violence (SGBV) and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) /AIDS projects. Merlin is currently also working with two local partner organisations in Liberia.

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. Merlin remains committed to supporting the Ministry of Health and Social Welfare (MoH&SW) during Liberia’s transitional phase from emergency relief to development. Merlin is transitioning to a counterpart approach of programming specifically targeted at strengthen the CH&SWT in a decentralised health system in line with the national health plan focused on the delivery of the basic package of health services (BPHS).

Main purpose of the role

Merlin is seeking for the Maryland County Health Coordinator who can help the Merlin project site in:
• Construction/rehabilitation of health infrastructures/facilities, provision of medical and non-medical supplies
• Support to systems like improving health care waste management systems, disease surveillance, improving health information systems, establishing referral linkages and monitoring/evaluation mechanisms
• Capacity building of first level service providers and CHT management staff;
• Establishing network of community health volunteers and increased community awareness/acceptance for preventive health services through health education
• Support the Liberian Government Hospital (LGH), including the provision of an expatriate surgeon

Overall Objectives (scope)

The Merlin Maryland project is at an exciting junction as it moves from an emergency response to a post recovery and developmental phase of the response. Merlin is seeking an experienced professional that can lead this dynamic team whilst ensuring quality and effective programming.

This position involves working within the hospital to ensure quality services at hospital level, as well as supervision of the PHC component of the programme and in addition working closely with the County Health Team to support and mentor them in providing high quality health care to the counties.

Responsibilities

Leadership
• Coordinate and functionally manage the planning and direction of Merlin’s health activities at project level
• Develop and maintain a coherent project strategy fulfilling Merlin’s aims in collaboration with the Project Coordinator
• Determine project direction/strategy in consultation with the project based team, the CH&SWT and the Merlin Country Health Director
• Create a shared vision among all Merlin health staff related to project aims and their role in achieving these
• Act as the in charge in the absence of the Project Coordinator

Programme Support
• Provide technical and managerial support to all team members in fulfillment of their duties according to project objectives
• Develop, plan and implement project medical activities in close collaboration with medical and non-medical personnel, ensuring coherence between activities and contingencies for changes in project direction and priorities related to the humanitarian context
• Ensure the production and use of appropriate medical protocols and data collection forms in collaboration with local health representatives and Merlin’s Country Health Director; ensure the team is fully conversant with and trained in the use of the same
• Ensure, in collaboration with the CH&SWT, the Project Coordinator and the PHC Coordinator that there is encouragement of the community participation in health activities to ensure the long term ownership and effectiveness of the programme
• Identify gaps in skills (Merlin and Governmental health staff), and ensure all medical staffs receive appropriate training to ensure the maximum use of their skills thereby leading to their full and effective participation in medical activities
• Ensure health activities are implemented in accordance with Merlin policies, Liberian MoH&SW guidelines and internationally recognised standards
• Ensure that the medical stocks, supplies and other logistic supports are properly managed in collaboration with logistics staff and the Project Coordinator
• Responsible for the timely preparation and approval of all medical orders, in collaboration with the CHT, all this to ensure that there are no medical stock outs
• Ensure appropriate follow up on Reproductive Health, Gender-Based Violence, HIV&AIDS activities and appropriate communication with the respective coordinators within Merlin
• Support to disease outbreak response where necessary
• Support the implementation of the Partnership for Health System Strengthening (formerly Counterpart Approach) of the MOH&SW

Programme Development
• Constantly monitor the health and humanitarian situation in the project area and propose appropriate action(s) in collaboration with the Project Coordinator and the Country Health Director
• Undertake/ assist needs assessment and survey if necessary
• Prepare and write timely and accurate donor proposals and reports in collaboration with the Project Coordinator. These documents should reflect progress against set objectives and/or newly defined needs supported by appropriate data presentation and contextual analysis
• Prepare and write timely and accurate monthly health department monthly sitrep submitted to the Country Management Team (Monrovia)

Co-ordination & Representation
• Co-ordinate and represent Merlin to the CH&SWT, Community Health Committees (CHC) and other counterparts to ensure that all project activities are carried out with their cooperation and participation in order to achieve project objectives
• Support the Project Coordinator in any negotiating with the CH&SWT and other counterparts relating to the health services in the county

Staff Management / HR
• Managing health staff as per organization protocols
• Undertake medical staff appraisals for staff under direct line-management and ensure for others to undertake appraisals of medical staff under their management
• Maintain good inter-team communications, engender good team dynamics, and take suitable action when problems occur
• Take an active role in the development of a training plan for the Merlin project and in the capacity building of staff

Staff Health
• Responsible, with surgeon, for project based international staff health and well-being as outlined in Merlin Staff Health Policy
• Ensure up-to-date medical evacuation procedures are in place at all times and that staff are aware of their respective roles
• Ensure that appropriate PEP stocks and procedures are in place in Maryland

Security
• Adhere to security guidelines and encourage team members to adhere to them
• Pro-actively monitor the health, political, military and security situation in the project area and respond accordingly
• Attend relevant meetings / forums and ensure the Project Coordinator and the Country Health Director are informed of the current humanitarian environment
• Actively participate in the updating of security guidelines

Other
• Carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Project Coordinator or Country Health Director
• Produce written handover notes at the end of contract
• Deputise for the Project Coordinator in his/her absence, which will involve being overall in charge of the base as well as supervise the HR/Finance/Logistics and administrative functions of the programme


Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications, experience and competences
• Medical doctor with strong post qualification experience and preferably with post graduate training in public health Previous experience in health development or humanitarian aid field work
• Knowledge of Project Management
• Successful experience of managing health teams with the ability to motivate and encourage staff in development or humanitarian aid work including the ability to work in a capacity building role
• Strong experience of representation at all levels, specially, with the government counterparts and public bodies
• Experience in epidemiological data analysis and familiarity with DHIS including strong experience of data analysis
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office
• 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
• Willingness and able to live and work under pressure and in remote environment

Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences
• Previous working experience in sub - Saharan Africa
• Some relevant experience of the programmatic aspects of HIV/AIDS, Tuberculosis, , malaria control, malnutrition management and epidemic management
• Relevant experience working in a transitional environment and supporting/mentoring county health authorities

To apply for this position
To 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 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.


Please mention Jobs4Development in your application