Senior Health Coordinator
Merlin

Industry:N.G.O./Social Services
Functional Area:Health & Medicine
Total Position:1
Job Type:Contract ( First Shift (Day) )
Job Location:Thatta, Pakistan
Gender: Doesn’t Matter
Minimum Education:MBBS/D Pharm/BDS
Degree Title:Medical Doctor with extensive public health qualificationManager
Minimum Experience:7 Years (7 Years(experience of medical supervision, M&E, epidemiological analysis, managing humanitarian health programmes at district or provincial level))

POSITION: Senior Health Coordinator
LOCATION: Thatta Sindh, with extensive travel to all Sindh field sites (30 – 40%)
RESPONSIBLE TO: Programme Manager, Sindh
WORKING WITH: Field teams, support and programme departments
Contract Duration: 1 year (with possbile extension)
Start Date:Immediate, applications will be reviewed on a regular basis and the post may be recruited for in advance of closing date.
Context and Background
Merlin is the UK’s leading international health charity, sending medical experts to the frontline of global emergencies and staying on to build lasting health systems. We entered Pakistan in 2005 after an earthquake in Jammu Kashmir left 75,000 dead and hundreds of thousands homeless. Since then we have expanded to provide a wide range of primary health care, malaria control, family planning, post abortion care and nutrition services to over 2.2 million people. We currently support 110 health facilities and ten hospitals, and have scaled up in times of emergency including the devastating floods of 2010 and 2011.
In Sindh, the province which was worst affected by the floods of 2010 and hit again by severe rains in 2011, Merlin is providing health and nutrition services in Dadu, Thatta and Badin. This includes treatment centres for communicable diseases like diarrhoea, feeding programmes for severely and moderately malnourished children and vaccinations to protect children under the age of 5 from diseases such as polio.
In Khyber Pakhtunkhwa, we are working in the Swat Valley, Peshawar, Buner and Nowshera districts – areas which are still confronting political instability, widespread militancy and displacement in wake of the conflict in neighbouring Afghanistan. Merlin has provided emergency healthcare to internally displaced people (IDPs) in Jalozai camp since 2009, which were scaled up at the start of 2012 following an influx of IDPs from Khyber Agency. As people return to the Swat valley, we are working with government of Pakistan to strengthen the country’s health system, including training lady health workers to provide family planning advice in an effort to stem maternal mortality
In Baluchistan, Merlin is implementing a Global fund supported malaria control programme in 10 districts and now planning to expand its health and nutrition interventions into Naseerabad and Jaffarbad districts as Baluchistan has as well consistently faced a sequence of natural and manmade catastrophes. Furthermore, with GAM rates of 16.1%, Baluchistan is confronting, based upon WHO criteria, significantly high levels of child acute malnutrition.

Main Purpose of the role:
The Senior Health Coordinator will be responsible at local level (Sindh) for leading the effective implementation of quality health programmes, grounded in best practice in response to acute and longer-term health needs.
Overall Objectives (scope)
Implementation of health programme in Sindh
Respond to emergencies and assessments as required
Technical support to project health teams
Capacity building and supervision of local team

Management of health team
Responsibilities
Emergency response
To respond to humanitarian emergencies under the management of the Country Health Director and Deputy Country Health Director/Country Director.
To coordinate with the relevant local authorities and other sector actors working within the state as may be necessary.
Assist in a rapid needs assessment as well as other operational research that may be conducted in the state.
Assist in the analysis of health / humanitarian needs and the existing contexts.
Programme development and management
In coordination with the Programme Manager assist in developing concept notes and project proposals.
Assist in the set up of field site and establishment of new Merlin programmes within Sindh Province.
Technical programme administration at project level.
Induction of health staff for project area.
Technical
Oversee and provide and/or support to project health coordinators and project health teams within Merlin project sites in Sindh.
Monitoring and supervision of all Primary healthcare facilities through regular visits.
Provide supervision and training to medical and nursing staff to build capacity and ensure the maximum use of their skills, and their full and effective participation in health activities.
Advise the Programme Manager, Country Director and Country Health Director/Country Nutrition Coordinator in the planning, development and implementation of the projects.
Organize and participate in project health activities as required.
Compile timely project reports and ensure the gathering of relevant health data.
Participate in ensuring the smooth operation and hygiene of the project sites.

Representation
Routinely participate in meetings related to health as well as other key issues that are convened at the state level where merlin is operating.
Regularly inform and update the state Ministry of Health authorities as well as other state government officials of the on-going and planned activities that Merlin is implementing within Sindh.
· Technical representation of Merlin to the health cluster, UN agencies, and other health coordination forum at provincial level.
Staff Health
· As necessary take responsibility for the health and well-being of Merlin staff in project areas, through implementation of Merlin Staff Health Policy, including medical evacuation procedures.
· As necessary ensure an up-to-date medical evacuation procedures document is available for the field team in conjunction with the Country Health Director and all other relevant staff are familiar with its content.
As necessary ensure the National Staff Health policy is implemented.
Emergency Response
Guide field bases (health, logistics and management teams) in setting up and maintaining adequate emergency response capacities
· Deploy to new emergencies or to gaps in health programming to support efficient response to health needs
Other
Fulfil other roles as per specific terms of reference developed by the Programme Manager – Sindh.
Requirements (Person Specification)
Preferably a Medical Doctor with extensive public health experience
Strong experience of overseas work within a humanitarian organisation
knowledge and experience of running primary health care projects e.g. vaccination campaigns, response to disease outbreak, mobile clinics e.t.c in developing countries
Competence in basic epidemiological analysis and knowledge of data collection methods and data analysis skills
Strong coordination and problem solving skills in day to day and challenging situations
Excellent team working and relationship building skills with the ability to develop positive working relations across functions and cultures
Flexible approach and willingness to work and manage a team with a high workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines
Strong experience in managing a team of health professionals and working in a cross cultural context
Willingness to travel at short notice to remote and insecure locations
Good communication skills, with good written and spoken English
Significant experience of representation to a broad range of people and organizations
Confident and proficient user of MS Office
Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues
Understanding of security issues with the ability to live and work in remote, insecure environments.
Commitment to Merlin’s values and aims

Desirable
Qualifications, experience and competences
Previous working experience in the region
Knowledge of a local language