Responsible to: Head of Region – London
Responsible for: Maniema Provincial Management Team (PMT): Provincial Health Director, Provincial Finance Director, Provincial Logistics Manager, Provincial Operations Manager and Provincial HR & Admin Manager
Works with: Country Support Director (in Goma), Country Representative (in Kinshasa); other provincial directors (currently North Kivu only)
Location: Democratic Republic of Congo – based in Kindu with frequent travel to Merlin field sites in Maniema and to Goma and Kinshasa as necessary.
Start Date: ASAP
Duration: 6 months, with the possibility of extension to 12 or 24 months
Salary: £44,350 - £45,100 annum (dependant on relevant experience), inclusive of annual Cost of Living Allowance
Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, annual leave entitlement of 24 days per annum.


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 position is unaccompanied but is offered with separate accommodation.

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 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 and currently works in Maniema and North Kivu 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.

Since 1 January 2012 Maniema and North Kivu have operated as autonomous programmes, each reporting direct to London; they are supported by country offices in Goma and Kinshasa.

In Maniema Merlin works in ten health zones, and supports 9 hospitals and over 140 health facilities. This work is funded by DFID under a multiyear funding agreement that runs from 2008 up to the end of 2012. DFID is in the process of choosing a consortium lead to design and manage a similar project covering several provinces in 2013-18. Merlin’s intention is to be selected as implementing partner for Maniema, in late 2012.

Main purpose of the role
The Provincial Director is in effect the Head of Mission, and carries out the same role as a country director elsewhere in Merlin. The Provincial Director will provide overall leadership and strategic direction in Maniema in line with Merlin’s vision and objectives. The Provincial Director is responsible to the Head of Region (HoR) for the safe, efficient and accountable management of all aspects of the Maniema provincial programme. They are also responsible at provincial 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. In particular the Provincial Director will be required to prepare and present a strong case to DFID and their chosen consortium lead for Merlin’s inclusion as an implementing partner in the 2013-18 health project in Maniema. They will work closely with Merlin DRCs Country Representative in Kinshasa and Country Support Director in Goma (both of whom also support Merlin’s North Kivu programme).

Objectives of the role
• Provide leadership and strategic direction for Merlin in the Maniema province 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 staff in the Maniema province
• Line-manage the provincial management team (PMT) and oversee the management, training and development of all provincial 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

Responsibilities
Leadership
• Develop and maintain a coherent provincial programme strategy that contributes to Merlin's DRC country and global objectives
• Coordinate and manage the overall planning and direction of Merlin's operations at provincial level
• Create a shared vision, among all provincial staff, of Merlin'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-province 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, etc.
• Ensure that all expat staff in Maniema have clear objectives set and that mid-year and annual appraisals are completed on time by line managers, with input from technical line managers.
• 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 every six months, 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 provincial 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.
• Ensure that Merlin field accounting systems are followed.




Person Specification
Essential
Qualifications, experience and competences
• Substantial experience in a senior management position in an overseas NGO environment, ideally in both emergency and developmental contexts
• 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.
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English and good written and spoken French
• 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

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.