Country Health Director

CR321

Our client is a leading international NGO focusing on primary healthcare programmes.

As the Country Health Director you will have the overall responsibility for the Health elements of the Liberia programme. You will provide strategic and technical leadership to ensure the effective
development and implementation of quality health programmes in Liberia.

Overall Objectives (scope)
Will be to:
•Provide leadership and management to the programme in Liberia
•Ensure the effective implementation of health programming in line with approved
programme proposals and budgets
•Contribute to the overall planning and strategic direction of our client’s programme in Liberia
•Provide technical support to the programme
•Represent the organisation to national authorities, international donors, international organisations
and other NGOs at the national level

Responsibilities
Programme Development
•Monitor the health and humanitarian situation in the region and advise the Country Director and London based staff, on appropriate course(s) of action
•Coordinate/undertake needs assessment in line with evolving humanitarian priorities in coordination with Country Management Team, Health Advisor and Regional Desk and
formulate future plans for possible programme extension
•Develop and implement appropriate health care programme in close consultation and
coordination with the Country Management Team (CMT) and HQ based Health Advisor;
•Assist in preparing accurate and timely proposals in collaboration with CMT, relevant field teams and Health Advisor
•Support Country Director in designing, drafting and negotiating new programmes with the representatives of existing and new financial donors
•Liaise closely with the Health Department on policy/strategy development when required
Leadership
•Ensure the effective implementation and quality of projects, i.e. provide overall technical supervision for the country programmes in Liberia in co-ordination with relevant health personnel
•Play an active role in the development and maintenance of a coherent programme strategy
•Coordinate and technically manage the overall planning and direction of health activities
•Ensure effective communication with and information exchange between the health team members
•Play a leading role in the creation of a shared vision among all staff
•Maintain constructive working relationships with MoH counterparts and senior members of the CHTs in the counties of operation
Monitoring and Evaluation
•Ensure programmes are implemented according to policy and recognized international and national standards
•Ensure that realistic workplans are in place and implemented for all programmes
•Ensure appropriate systems and plans are in place for dealing with health emergencies and provide leadership for staff during emergencies;
•Conduct regular visits to project sites for the purposes of project monitoring, quality control
and strengthening of relationship between field staff, the CHT and other NGOs in the area
•Ensure the functioning and updating of health information systems in all sites
•Monitor drug consumption in all field sites to ensure orders are in line with consumption and avoid stock ruptures
Representation
•Represent the organisation'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 our client's work through publications (general, health
sector, academic) in consultation with the field technical teams, the London Health
Department and the London PR Department
•Advocate at county and national level for adequate responses towards unmet health needs in Liberia
•Ensure all relevant parties are kept informed on our client's activities as appropriate
Human Resources
•Provide supervision, direction and coaching/mentoring to Health Coordinators, HIV and Aids advisor and Reproductive Health Coordinator
•Play an active role in the recruitment of health staff in coordination with the Country Director, the London HR Department and the Health Adviser in London
•Support Health Coordinators in the recruitment of qualified health personnel in the supported health facilities
•Ensure briefings, appraisals and debriefings of health staff
•Identify training needs for both expatriate and national health staff
•Enhance the technical and health management skills of international and national health
staff through formal & informal training in conjunction with the Health Coordinators
•Responsible for staff health care in general and in particular for international staff
•Update medical evacuation guidelines for international staff and being a focal person for organizing medical evacuation
•Ensure appropriate health briefings for all new staff, consultants and visitors
Security
•As a member of the Country Management Team play an active role in ensuring that security guidelines are implemented and followed up
•Ensure personal/ team safety and compliance with security regulations
Reporting
•Ensure, in strong collaboration with the field, CMT and regional HQ desks, that reports (external and internal) are of good quality and submitted in a timely manner
•Ensure that communication/updates to MoH and other health partners are timely and accurate.
Other
•Maintain good inter-team communications, cultivate good team dynamics, and take suitable action when problems occur
•Provide coverage for other positions when necessary and carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Country Director/ London Health Advisor

£25,214 and £27,439 per annum

Liberia

•Medical doctor or qualified nurse with Master in Public Health or equivalent degree
•Substantial post qualification experience in managing public health services within developing countries
•Previous responsibility for health project management in emergency and transitional / development settings
•Extensive overseas management experience including strategic planning, and programme management
•Substantial experience of Primary Health Care, Epidemiology, Infectious Diseases e.g.malaria, HIV/AIDS and Reproductive Health
•Successful experience of representation at national and local levels
•Ability to write clear and concise reports/proposals
•Substantial experience of training staff and a commitment to national and expatriate staff capacity development
•Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
•Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office HMIS and statistical package (Epi-Info, SPSS, STATA)
•Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures and an ability to work well with local authorities and other humanitarian actors
•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

Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences
•Experience of working in the Region
•Experience in epidemiological data analysis, interpretation and qualitative/quantitative
assessments and programme development
•Flexibility towards treatment protocols and ability to incorporate advice from the health team when developing the same.
•Confident and proficient in HMIS and statistical package (Epi-Info, SPSS, STATA)
•Some experience of managing budgets

£25,214 and £27,439 per annum dependant on relevant
experience, an annual cost of living allowance of £4,909, insurance cover, accommodation and return flights.

To apply, please send an updated CV and covering letter to applications@skillsforcauses.com

Applications will be reviewed on an ongoing basis