Senior Health Coordinator

Location: Zimbabwe - Harare

Position: Senior Health Coordinator

Responsible To: Operations Coordinator and Country Representative; technically to the Health Advisor in London

Working With: All Merlin and Non-Merlin Zimbabwe Partners (e.g., GoZ Ministries, Donors, UN agencies, International/National NGOs, etc)

Location: Harare and throughout country

Contract Duration: 5 months

Starting Date: 20 April 2009

Salary & Benefits: Between £16,810 and £19,034 per annum dependant on relevant experience, an annual cost of living allowance of £3,827, insurance cover, accommodation and return flights. Although Merlin is not currently operational in Zimbabwe we are looking at opportunities to respond to the current cholera outbreak and this may mean rapid deployment with either Merlin or other partners.

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 ProfileMerlin 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
Members of Merlin’s Emergency Response Team entered Zimbabwe in November 2009 in response to the worsening cholera outbreak there.
Merlin had earlier (April 2008) sent a reconnaissance team into Zimbabwe to gain preliminary insight into the country’s needs.
The country’s health indicators are shocking: average life expectancy at birth sits at 42 years; under-five mortality has risen sharply to 105 per 1000; and nearly one quarter of all Zimbabweans live with HIV and AIDS (UNICEF, 2006).
These statistics are staggering and are likely to worsen considering current political, economic and environmental conditions.
The recent political stalemate has rendered national health systems unable to cope with the sharp rise of immediate and chronic health needs.
Indeed the political situation in Zimbabwe has directly prevented those most in need from accessing an adequate level of health care.
International charities have faced limitations in operating in Zimbabwe, and reports of political attacks and beatings of subsistence farmers continue.
Related to Zimbabwe’s state of political turmoil, the country suffers from acute hyper-inflation, which is now estimated at 230 million percent (BBC, 2008).
This has contributed to the steady rise of food insecurity, which has left approximately 5 million people unable to meet their minimum food requirements (Red Cross, 2008).
Alternating floods and droughts in recent years have aggravated this chronic food crisis and caused the latest harvest to fail completely.
The current cholera outbreak, plus food insecurity, the HIV and AIDS pandemic, combined with a weak health system and human resources deficits are likely to be Zimbabwe’s most immediately harmful health crises in coming months.
Merlin started a cholera response in January 2009.
This programme currently covers three districts in northern Zimbabwe in addition to urban areas of Harare.
It aims to increase access to essential, first line cholera treatment through the establishment of Oral Re-hydration Points and to increase the capacity of the health care workers to prevent and respond to outbreaks.
Main purpose of the roleTo help support Merlin’s response to Zimbabwe’s cholera outbreak. Provide support to the medical team and to establish good practice in the field sites and assessments when requested. To lead the medical team with flexibility and adaptability as the current context changes.

Overall Objectives (scope)
- Plan and implement Merlin’s emergency response to the present cholera outbreak in Zimbabwe, in close collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MoH) and other actors
- Assist in the analysis of health / humanitarian contexts in Zimbabwe
- Establish mechanisms and strategies for providing rapid response to further identified needs of host population
- Lead in assessments and contribute to the development of the longer term Merlin strategy in Zimbabwe.

ResponsibilitiesEmergency response
- To undertake an emergency response to the present cholera outbreak, in coordination with the Operations Coordinator, Country Representative and other programme staff.
Set up and manage of and Oral Re-hydration Points
- To assess potential new areas of operationTechnical Project Management- Ensure co-ordination of the medical activities within the project in close collaboration with the other members of the Merlin medical team
- Conduct full oversight for implementation of the project medical activities, including changes of project direction or priorities, in collaboration with the Operations Coordinator and Country Representative Ensure appropriate medical protocols and data collection tools are in place- Design appropriate project performance indicatorsMonitoring and Evaluation
- Prepare daily/weekly/monthly medical activity reports including data analysis Staff Management / HR- Recruitment of Merlin national health staff and designation of responsibilities
- Enhance technical and management skills of national health staff through formal and informal trainingCoordination and Representation
- Represent Merlin with technical stakeholders at national and district level
- Coordinate with other I/NGOs, MoH, UN agencies and other stakeholders to ensure that programme implementation and development is a cohesive part of an overall cholera responsePerson SpecificationEssentialQualifications, experience and competences
- Medical doctor or Nurse with strong post qualification experience
- Previous experience in emergency response to infectious diseases including Cholera
- Significant previous experience in development or humanitarian aid field work
- Understanding of security management and the ability to live and work in an insecure environment
- Proven ability to assess medical conditions quickly and calmly under pressure as required
- Strong experience of data analysis
- Successful experience of managing health teams with the ability to motivate and encourage staff
- Good ability and flexibility to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well with local health representatives
- Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
- 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

Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences
- Some relevant experience in Zimbabwe
- Knowledge of a local language
- Practical experience of setting up a new programme
- Qualification in tropical medicine or public health

Data ProtectionPlease note, on submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin holding and using the information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment – should an offer be made.
In order to process your job application, it may be necessary for your application to be sent to the Country Director (in the country you are applying for) for consideration.
If you do not agree with this, please state so when applying.
How to apply
Please download an application form from our website http://www.merlin.org.uk Completed form should be emailed to applications@merlin-uk.org stating in the subject field the job title, country and reference number (if any).

Closing date: 11 Apr 2009