Closing date: 22 Sep 2011
Responsible To: Deputy Country Director
Location: Turkana, Kenya
Contract Duration: 1 year Starting Date: ASAP
Salary: £28,670- £29,420 per annum dependant on relevant experience
Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation, R&R, and 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 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
Merlin has been working in Kenya since 1998. In addition to the country office in Nairobi, Merlin maintains offices in Kisii town in Nyanza province and Lodwar in Turkana district, as well as three offices in Somalia.
The overall objective of Merlin’s work in Kenya is to contribute to a reduction of health inequalities and to a reversal in the current downward trend in health related indicators. Merlin does this by responding to emergency needs as well as continuing to build on lasting working relationships with communities and local partners; supporting the strengthening of the Kenyan health system; approaching health problems with innovative interventions; developing answers to key practical questions through operational research; and using the lessons learned at local levels to feed into national-level programming and planning.
Main purpose of the role
The Programme Manager will have overall responsibility for all Merlin’s operations in Turkana district. This may include leading emergency response, conducting rapid needs assessments, participating in the relevant clusters, developing project concept notes and proposals, coordinating with other health actors at local and national levels, starting up and continuation of emergency activities and facilitating the eventual handover to more permanent incoming project staff.
This role will also assist in providing additional leadership and programme development to existing Merlin programmes. This will include programme strengthening, as well as training, strengthening the capacity of existing international and national staff and contributing to the further development of Merlin's humanitarian policy and positioning.
Overall Objectives (scope)
Essential
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 download and complete an application form and email it to: applications@merlin.org.uk.
Please note that we do not accept CVs and any application must therefore be made online or by completing our application form. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Data Protection In accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act Merlin will hold and use personal information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment should an offer of employment be made. This information will be stored in manual and/or computer 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.
The overall objective of Merlin’s work in Kenya is to contribute to a reduction of health inequalities and to a reversal in the current downward trend in health related indicators. Merlin does this by responding to emergency needs as well as continuing to build on lasting working relationships with communities and local partners; supporting the strengthening of the Kenyan health system; approaching health problems with innovative interventions; developing answers to key practical questions through operational research; and using the lessons learned at local levels to feed into national-level programming and planning.
Main purpose of the role
The Programme Manager will have overall responsibility for all Merlin’s operations in Turkana district. This may include leading emergency response, conducting rapid needs assessments, participating in the relevant clusters, developing project concept notes and proposals, coordinating with other health actors at local and national levels, starting up and continuation of emergency activities and facilitating the eventual handover to more permanent incoming project staff.
This role will also assist in providing additional leadership and programme development to existing Merlin programmes. This will include programme strengthening, as well as training, strengthening the capacity of existing international and national staff and contributing to the further development of Merlin's humanitarian policy and positioning.
Overall Objectives (scope)
- Management of Merlin emergency responses
- Base management
- Project management and development
- Administration and finance
- Human resources
- Security
- Representation Emergency response
- To respond to humanitarian emergencies under the management of the Deputy County Director (DCD)
- To coordinate with the relevant clusters, donors, other sector actors and national/local authorities as necessary
- To provide leadership in developing an appropriate and timely intervention in close coordination with Merlin Nairobi Office, to include:
- Rapid needs assessment
- Concept note, proposal and budget writing
- Analysis of health / humanitarian contexts
- Programme development and management
- Security management
- Establishment of new Merlin country programmes
- Donor negotiations
- Programme administration
- Recruitment of staff for new programmes
- Ensure adequate information flow within Turkana teams and between Turkana and Nairobi offices
- Create/maintain a “team spirit” within the Merlin staff
- Oversee and coordinate the general functioning of the Turkana base, the sub-bases and all departments / services
- Ensure that projects remain within the remit of their initial design, budget and propose and prepare any amendments when necessary
- Budget holding of the Merlin emergency projects implemented in the Turkana district
- Plan and monitor emergency project activities and outputs against project logframes and budgets. This includes grant opening, grant closing and monthly grant monitoring meetings with all departments, as well as activity, procurement and financial planning.
- Ensure the delivery of the project according to objectives and time-frames and support field sites in the fulfilment of their duties according to programme design
- Reporting – internal and external - for daily and weekly site communications
- Ongoing evaluation and development of proposals
- Preparation of interim and final reports for donors
- Ensure that appropriate systems and plans are in place for dealing with emergencies, and provide leadership for staff and volunteers in emergencies
- Ensure there is a regular, documented forum / meeting for all key staff to discuss and plan programme objectives
- Responsible for the security of the Merlin team and assets in a changeable and volatile security environment, including initiating and organising evacuation if necessary
- Ongoing monitoring of the security situation in the region and liaise with the CD, DCD and Logistics Manager on all security and related matters and act accordingly.
- Prepare and update security guidelines and ensure that these are adhered to
- Provide timely and accurate security/incident reports to the DCD/CD
- Maintain regular contacts with security key actors (NGOs, local authorities, the community, MONUC, OCHA, etc.)
- Actively participate in all inter-agency security forums and meetings and maintain good networking with all relevant stakeholders including UN and NGOs.
- Brief all staff on arrival in the field on the security context and its implications
- Facilitate the evacuation of field-based teams if and when necessary.
- Ensure a healthy balance between staff security and programme needs through liaison and discussion with the Country Director and other CMT members.
- Assure planning and procurement of goods in line with project and base needs
- Collaborate with Merlin Nairobi logistics to assure planning, procurement and timely delivery of drugs and medical consumables to Merlin-supported health facilities
- Assure Merlin procurement and logistics procedures are followed
- Manage and document warehouse and transport of Merlin goods according to Merlin procedures
- Manage the program budget and ensure regular communication with the Finance Department on all budget matters
- Manage cash on site, ensuring compliance with Merlin procedures in relation to cash security (on site and cash transfer).
- Ensure project activities comply with legal requirements of Kenya
- Prepare timely cash requests and transfers
- Filing systems and record keeping
- Prevent, and if necessary report and investigate fraud and misconduct
- Manage staff effectively, including appropriate and systematic delegation
- Line manage project coordinators and project health coordinators, including regular performance management and appraisals
- Ensure that Merlin recruitment and appraisal procedures are followed
- Ensure that all staff management is carried out according to the Merlin internal regulations and Kenyan labour law
- Provide the HR department in Nairobi with monthly staff information updates and keep them informed on all disciplinary matters
- Organise and supervise capacity building and development of national staff
- Ensure that personnel are funded within the frame of programme budgets
- Represent Merlin and its activities to key stakeholders
- Closely collaborate with MoH on Health Zone level and assure that Merlin projects effectively contribute to MoH capacity building and comply with MoH strategies
- Provide meaningful reporting on project activities
- Provide coverage for other posts when needed and carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Deputy Country Director
Essential
- Extensive experience implementing field-level projects in developing countries; including experience of working in Africa.
- Substantial experience in a similar programme management capacity.
- Strong field level experience in a humanitarian and/or emergency context in a coordination/management/operations role, including the following experience: o Program management cycle o Budget preparation o Proposal and report writing o Logistics o Financial and administrative management o Monitoring and evaluation
- Good understanding of public health.
- Excellent relationship building and diplomacy skills.
- Experience of conducting needs assessments, project development and new project start-up.
- Knowledge and understanding of project management tools (logical framework analysis, project cycle management, indicators, etc.).
- Proven experience in financial and budget management.
- Good security management experience in an unstable or insecure environment.
- Supportive human resources and team management experience and skills.
- Representation and networking experience and skills.
- Good understanding of humanitarian and development issues.
- Good organisational skills with a flexible approach to managing and prioritising a heavy workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines.
- Strong problem solving skills and experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues.
- Good leadership skills with a supportive, consultative management style.
- Excellent team worker with experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures.
- Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English.
- Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office.
- An understanding of, and commitment to, Merlin’s mission and values.
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 download and complete an application form and email it to: applications@merlin.org.uk.
Please note that we do not accept CVs and any application must therefore be made online or by completing our application form. Unfortunately due to the number of applications we receive, only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.
Data Protection In accordance with the 1998 Data Protection Act Merlin will hold and use personal information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment should an offer of employment be made. This information will be stored in manual and/or computer 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.
