Responsible To: Provincial Operations Manager
Working With: Field medical and non medical team members
Location: Kayna - Democratic Republic of Congo
Start Date: ASAP
Duration: 6 months
Salary: £28,800 to £29,550 per annum (dependant on relevant experience) inclusive of annual Cost of Living allowance.
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 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 specialises in health, saving lives in times of crisis and helping to rebuild shattered health services. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.

Context and Background
The 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 operational in DRC since 1997. Merlin teams have provided emergency medical care to the most vulnerable populations in Maniema, Kasai Oriental , North Kivu and Orientale Provinces. Activities have included emergency response, support to primary and secondary health care facilities (including supervision, supply of drugs, and the payment of incentives), reproductive health, institutional capacity building, immunisation campaigns, nutrition, WASH, and the rehabilitation of health facilities.

In North Kivu Merlin currently works in Rutshuru/Binza, Kayna, and Birambizu health zones, providing essential health care services to DPs and host populations; and will provide the health component of the rapid response to movements of population (RRMP) mechanism throughout the province.

Main purpose of the role
The Project Coordinator for Kayna will assume overall responsibility for the project in the field. He/she will report to the Provincial Operations Manager based in Goma. The main responsibilities are as set out below.
Overall Objectives (scope)
The Project Coordinator for Kayna will assume overall responsibility for the project in the field. He/she will report to the Deputy Country Director. The main objectives of the role will be:
• Operational Management
• Security
• Programme Development
• Logistics/finance and Administration
• Representation

Responsibilities

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 PMT (Provincial Management Team) on project progress and issues
• Prepare high-quality and timely donor reports
• Line manage one international and ensure effective management of approximately 20 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 possible 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 and liaising with the Goma security focal point
• 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 in working areas in collaboration with the Goma security focal point and keep these up to date and ensure adherence by all project staff
• providing timely verbal and written security incident reports to the Provincial Director
• attending security meetings and maintain regular contact with other actors (e.g. OCHA, military, MONUSCO, local authorities) 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 and assist with recruitment of expatriate staff in project area.
• Be responsible for capacity development and training of national personnel
• Plan national and international staff requirements and liaise with the PMT for recruitment

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, OCHA etc.)
• Be the project’s contact with press and media when requested by the Provincial Operations Manager under approval of the Provincial Director

Other
• Provide coverage for other posts when needed and carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Provincial Operations Manager

Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications, experience and competences
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English & French
• Strong project management skills and knowledge of appropriate project management tools (Logical Framework analysis, project cycle management, budget management etc.)
• Previous field humanitarian experience in a management role
• Security management experience in an unstable environment
• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office
• 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
• Experience of financial and administrative management
• 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 and insecure area
• Leadership skills and a supportive management style
• Ability to work on own initiative.
• An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values


Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences

• Working experience in the eastern DRC region
• A strong interest in community participation
• Experience in the health sector
• Experience of conducting needs assessments and project development


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.