Responsible To: Provincial Health Director
Works With: Field medical and non medical team members and Provincial Management Team (PMT)
Location: Kindu, Maniema, DRC
Contract Duration: 6 Months
Starting Date: ASAP
Salary: £29,490 - £30,300 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 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
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 Sexual and Reproductive Health Coordinator is responsible for leading the MNCH and RH team and providing technical support, including the capacity building of the team for successful planning, implementation and monitoring of programme activities. The SRH Manager will work closely with medical officers, project coordinators, Logistics officers, other members of the provincial management team and partners.

Overall Objectives (scope)
This position demands both a high level of technical knowledge (proficiency) and a multi-cultural or cross cultural work experience, needed to manage Sexual and Reproductive as well as Child Health programme. The SRH Coordinator will be responsible for ensuring the day to day management of the Reproductive Health programme is executed in line with international standards and donor guidelines with the assistance of the provincial Health director and provincial director. This position requires an ability to manage, organise teams, monitor and support all aspects of the programme; including other partners liaison, training and supervising health staff using techniques and tools available and appropriate to DRC.

Responsibilities
Programme Design, Implementation & Monitoring
• Assess and document RH service gaps in Merlin’s Maniema program and develop the plan with clear strategies to address identified gaps.
• Asssess the availaiblity of basic and comprehensive emergency obsteric care and map out resources (human & material) required for availblity of BEMOC and CEMOC in the idenfitifed health facilities across the province.
• Identify knowledge and skills gaps of staff proving reproducitve and child health and devise plans to address the gaps.
• Provide leadership and oversight to program and operations staff charged with implementing programs in areas of responsibility
• Provide technical guidance, training, resources and tools to RH related staff in field sites.
• Ensure dissemination, knowledge, and use of all protocols including those pertaining to reproductive, maternal, newborn and child health.
• Ensure the implementation of essential package of services for maternal newborn and child health based on continuum of care across all levels of health care delivery system.
• Monitor the Reproductive health component of the programme, with clear milestones and intitiate corrective measures as required to ensure that planned results are met.
• Monitor reproducitve health commodity consumption in all field sites to ensure orders are in line with consumption and predict and prevent stock ruptures.
• Conduct regular visits to project sites, at least quarterly to all project sites, for the purposes of monitoring, quality control and strengthening of relationship between Merlin field staff, the BCZ and other NGOs in the area
• Ensure the establishment and strengthening or RH monitoring activities and train health staff (Merlin and partners) in emergency obstetric case detection and referral mechanisms.
• Organise quarterly review meetings with all key stakeholders including BCZ to assess progress and constrainmts affecting the implementation of RH componenets of the programme.
• Actively particpate and provide techincal support for the development of funding proposals, particualry Merlins application as implementing partner under the new DFID funding framework.
• Provide quality quarterly reports to PHD highighting key achievements and constraints affecting the implementation of RH component of the program

Coordination and Representation
• 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
• Advocate at provincial and national level for adequate responses towards unmet reproductive health needs policy review and formulation
• Ensure technical representation of Merlin with stakeholders, including MoH, donors, UN agencies, national and International NGOs in relevant fora and meetings
• To liaise, with the Ministry of Health and other agencies (UNICEF, WHO, and UNFPA) to ensure appropriate provision of service and use of resources.
• Ensure effective communication with and information exchange between the medical team members and the rest of the provincial team as the Provincial Management Team (PMT)

Staff Supervision, Recruitment, Retention and Development
• To assess the training needs of MNCH staff and develop and implement training programme to address knowledge and skills gaps.
• Coordinate the recruitment of all staff based in area of responsibility (RH), ensuring that newcomers are oriented in programme
• Provide supervision, direction and coaching/mentoring to health staff working in the province.
• Play an active role in the recruitment of health staff for implementation reproductive health componenet of 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
Qualifications, experience and competences
• Medical Doctor or Nurse with MPH and strong post qualification experience in reproductive health
• Extensive international program management experience, of which some should be in senior leadership role
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English and French.
• Previous overseas experience in implementing and developing Sexual and Reproductive Health programs in emergency and post conflict environments.
• Demonstrated experience in conducting monitoring and evaluation activities and use of HIS.
• Experience in designing and implementing trainings and trainings of trainers.
• Demonstrated experience with proposal development and writing.
• Experience in representation and interaction with donors, government officials, international organizations, and NGO representatives concerning health issues and initiatives in complex humanitarian emergencies.
• 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
• An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values
• Ability and willingness to travel to rural locations and live in sometimes basic conditions.
• Ability to function and manage in situations of uncertain security.


Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences
• Previous working experience in the region


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.

Data Protection
Please note that in accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act, Merlin will hold and use personal information that you have given for the purpose of recruitment and employment. This information can be stored in manual and/or electronic form. This information may also be disclosed to third parties in accordance with the Data Protection Act. In cases where a job offer is conditional on ensuring that potential employees’ names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States due to donor funding requirements, Merlin will use the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.