Responsible To: Provincial Health Director
Works With: Field medical and non medical team members and Provincial Management Team (PMT)
Location: Kindu DRC , with frequent trips to the field sites.
Starting Date: ASAP
Contract Duration: 6 months
Salary: £29,550 – £30,300 per annum (de pendant on relevant experience),
inclusive of annual Cost of Living Allowance
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.

Please note 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
The Democratic Republic of Congo 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 and secondary health care support including, reproductive health, institutional capacity building, nutrition, WASH, rehabilitation of health facilities.
Currently, three main programs are being implemented by Merlin in Maniema:

• Support to primary health care across ten health zones Maniema: This 3 year program covers health centre rehabilitation, drug and medical equipment supplies, training, partners capacity building, reproductive health, gender-based violence activities, specific support to reproductive health activities and support to immunization campaigns.
• Support to Kindu Provincial Referral Hospital: Funded by DFID, this program started in September 2002 and aimed at reviving Kindu hospital through rehabilitation, medicines supplies, re-equipment and staff training. Capacity-building of the team to enhance hospital self-sustainability.
• A SIDA 2 year’s funded multi-provinces Emergency Obstetrical and Neonatal Care project which is implemented in Punia and Ferekeni health zones

Main purpose of the role
The Primary Healthcare Specialist will support the Provincial Health Director in the technical management of Merlin’s programme in the Maniema province. They will support the Provincial Health Director in the design, planning, implementation and monitoring of the programmes in line with DRC Ministry of Health policies, guidelines and aligned to Merlin’s strategy, internal procedures, policies as well as donor guidelines.

Overall Objectives (scope)
• In close collaboration with the PCs and Provincial Health Director, support microplanning, capacity building, implementation and monitoring of Merlin’s response to meet the health needs in Maniema province
• Assist in the conduct of situation analysis of health status and during humanitarian crisis response in the province
• Provide support and ensure the smooth running of an effective health management information system – collection, collation and anlysis, including use of data for planning and decision making
• Participate in assessments (reviews, evaluations and operations research) that contribute to the development of the longer term Merlin strategy and programming in maniema province
• Provide timely technical contributions to donor reports and proposals
• Build partnerships with local and International NGOs operating within the operational area(s)

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Responsibilities
Programme Planning, Implementation & Monitoring
• In collaboration with the Provioncial health Director, technically responsible for the planning, capacity building, implementation and monitoring, including further development of Merlin health activities in Maniema province .

• Ensure implementation of an effective quality programmes in the district in close coordination and collaboration with the national and local health authorities.

• Co-ordination of all health related programme activities in close collaboration with PMT and other stakeholders to ensure that planned targets are achieved.

• Liaise with key representatives of the Ministry of Health at provincial, district and zonal levels to ensure that the programme is harmonised and in line with the national strategy

• Support the full implementation of the technical rescue plan for Maniema in close collaboration with medical and non medical personnel of Merlin,

• Ensure accurate collection and analysis of data at project sites based on agreed Merlin HIS indicators and those agreed with the donor.

• Conduct regular quarterly monitoring of progress and quality of programme implementation; including assessments of the health needs of the community and prioritization project activities based on findings.

• Monitor and ensure end use of supplies and equipments, including sufficiency of the medical supply stocks, storage and supply chain management.

• Provide technical and managerial support to all health team members in fulfilment of their duties according to project objectives.

• Actively participate and provide technical inputs in the development of new funding proposals and any other grant application such as the new DFID funding framework.

• Actively participate in quarterly review meetings with all key stakeholders including BCZ and NGOs to assess progress and constraints affecting the implementation of RH component of the programme.

• Provide quality quaterly reports to PHD highglighting key achievements and constraints affecting the implementation of RH component of the program
Coordination and Representation
• Maintain effective communication with and information exchange between the medical team members and the rest of the provincial team as the Provincial Management Team (PMT)
• Maintain constructive working relationships with MoH counterparts and members of the PMT and rest of the Merlin staff in the province

• Represent Merlin's work to the MoH (at all levels), to international donors, UN agencies and (I)NGOs, through formal and informal contacts/meetings

• Contribute towards the dissemination of Merlin's work through publications (general, health sector, academic) in consultation with the field technical teams, the London Health Department and the London Communication Department

• Ensure technical representation of Merlin with stakeholders, including MoH, donors, UN agencies, national and International NGOs in relevant fora and meetings

• Liaise with the Ministry of Health and other agencies (UNICEF, WHO, and UNFPA) to harmonise and leverage appropriate provision of service and use of resources.

Staff Supervision, Recruitment, Retention and Development
• Provide supervision and guidance to health staff working in the area of assignment
• Facilitate the recruitment or deployment of all staff (PHC and CHW) for the programme


Security
• Full adherence to Merlin Maniema Security procedures.
• Full adherence to field communication protocols and standard operating procedures, informing fellow team members immediately of any security incident.
• To behave at all times in a manner which positively promotes Merlin and its work and actively maintaining Merlin’s acceptance strategy with both civilians and parties to the conflict.
• Actively participate in the updating of security guidelines

Person Specification Essential
• Qualified doctor or Nurse with post qualification experience or masters degree in public health.
• Experience in tropical medicine and/or public health.
• Excellent management and personnel skills to enable the motivation, encouragement and participation of international and national health team members
• Ability and flexibility to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well with local health representatives.
• Excellent communication skills, with good spoken and written English and French
• Experience managing primary healthcare projects
• Good computer skills to allow reporting and representation.
• Experience in epidemiological analysis including data representation and basic survey techniques (use of Excel & Epi-Info)
• Commitment to Merlin’s values and aims
• Previous experience within a humanitarian aid organisation.
• Ability to remain calm and to be diplomatic, both with the local health authorities and with the community.
• Good organisational skills with good leadership skills and/or willingness to develop them.
• Work in remote and insure environments
• Good team player, flexible and capable of working with a multinational country team.
• Ability and willingness to travel to rural locations and live in sometimes basic conditions.
• Appreciation of and sensitivity to local culture.
• Ability to function and manage in situations of uncertain security.
• 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


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 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.