Emergency Medical Coordinator

To be considered for this role: Due to operational requirements and business needs, the successful candidate will need to work from a location within the time zones of UTC-9 to UTC-3.5.

The Emergency Medical Coordinator supports the Humanitarian Response Team (HRT) in three functional areas of 1) preparing for potential emergencies, 2) assessing potential health needs in emergency responses, and 3) responding to emergencies and providing technical health coordination and expertise to the response. This includes overseeing technical quality, coordination with other health actors, community engagement and accountability for Medical Teams International’s humanitarian responses.

When in a deployed role, the position manages health personnel in the program’s field site(s). Medical Teams utilizes international clinical volunteers in some responses; this role would be responsible for ensuring the appropriate engagement of these volunteers and oversight of national health staff. The Emergency Medical Coordinator may represent Medical Teams with relevant governments, donors, health response actors, the international community and local partners. This position contributes to the response strategy, develops concept notes, assists with development of full proposals, and liaises with in-country donor representatives.

The Emergency Medical Coordinator facilitates and leads critical elements of the trauma first aid curriculum at Medical Teams’ Hostile Environment Awareness Training and Humanitarian Principles course.

Medical Teams International Calling:

Daring to love like Jesus, we boldly break barriers to health and restore wholeness in a hurting world.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

Prepare For Responses

• Collaborates with HRT to execute the Humanitarian Response Plan and continuously improve it to learn from previous responses and improve effectiveness.
• Develops humanitarian health capacity through training for staff at headquarters, country offices and the Medical Teams Humanitarian Response Roster of volunteers.
• Leads engagement and protocol development with the World Health Organization Emergency Medical Team (EMT) initiative and the verification process, as well as assessment of requests for Type 1 EMT deployments in close coordination with global Health Advisors and HQ support functions.
• Develops and maintains professional links within the health sector, institutional health donors, ministries of health, other (I)NGOs.
• Contributes to global health guidelines and standards in coordination with the Technical Team.

Respond

• Deploys immediately when an emergency response is initiated; acts as Medical Coordinator, with responsibility for the assessment, design, and quality implementation of health programming.
• Contributes to development of concept notes and proposals for institutional funding.
• Collaborates with the Senior Response Manager to define the response strategy in accordance with Medical Teams’ key focus areas including direct primary health care, health systems strengthening, community health, nutrition, and mental health and psychosocial support
• Designs health staffing structures in line with response strategy, including clinical staffing roles, community health, and health systems strengthening components, as applicable in a response.
• Incorporates utilization of international clinical volunteers into a response, when appropriate.
• Ensures MEAL monitoring systems are in place in accordance with Medical Teams’ guidance and standards.
• Supports the recruitment of national health staff to implement response strategy and oversee their work and utilization of any expatriate volunteers in a response.
• Manages health program staff and in the event of being appointed team leader manages all operations during the emergency phase of a response.
• In close collaboration with the Field Operations Technical Team, supports emergency responses in existing global programs.
• Ensures implementation of and compliance with MTIÂ’s Safety & Security Policy and standards for MTI operations in emergency response programming

Support Responses While Not Deployed

• Support the field team in development of concept notes, proposals, and donor reporting.
• Supports development, implementation and analysis of monitoring, evaluation, accountability and learning (MEAL).
• Provides coaching and guidance to medical coordination staff implementing Medical Teams’ response programming.
• In coordination with Global Programs and HQ Technical Team, provides technical assistance and guidance to Country Offices in implementing health responses based on assessments, recommendations, and program outputs.
• Liaises with Field Operations team to explore new programs, partnerships, handovers and funding opportunities to facilitate organizational growth and to avoid duplication of services

Other Duties:

• Represents the HRT to other departments in Medical Teams for medically relevant issues and liaises closely with Global Programs and Technical Team.
• Ensures the safeguarding of program participants and employees through promoting and upholding the code of conduct provisions of Medical Teams’ Protection from Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, and Child & Vulnerable Adult protection, and Employee Code of Conduct policies.
• Ensures accountability is integrated into country strategies, program design, monitoring and evaluations, recruitment, staff onboarding, trainings and performance management, partnership agreements, and highlighted in reporting.

EDUCATION, LICENSES, & CERTIFICATIONS

Required:

• Relevant clinical degree and training (e.g., M.D., D.O., NP, PA, RN)
• Medical licensure as a physician, physician assistant, nurse practitioner, or registered nurse (MD, PA, NP or RN)
• Valid passport
• International driver’s license
• Current trauma first aid certificate
• HEAT+ Trained

Preferred:

• Masters of Public Health (MPH)
• Additional certification or training in tropical medicine
• International development or similar post graduate degrees
• Training provider (i.e., ToT certification)

EXPERIENCE

Required:

• Minimum four (4) years’ experience leading humanitarian health responses, with at least 2 of those in senior emergency response leadership.
• Designing and undertaking initial needs assessments to contribute to organizational strategic planning, program designs, and implementation of a humanitarian health program that is accountable to the affected population.
• A high degree of understanding of international health program standards in emergencies and ability to implement them to meet organizational needs, including IMCI, ICCM and IASC.
• Experience in leading the development of community acceptance in humanitarian contexts.
• Proven ability to develop strategies, or capacity build others, to mitigate the diversion of aid and operate in areas where designated foreign terrorist organizations are present.
• Led establishment of humanitarian clinical operations and functioned as a country level health coordinator in acute emergencies.
• Experience establishing and managing monitoring and evaluation frameworks to ensure accurate and timely data collection, data entry, data analysis, and data reporting for internal and external audiences.
• Excellent interpersonal skills with the ability to effectively communicate at all levels, establish information and humanitarian networks, and coordinate with country authorities, armed actors (where appropriate), donors, International Organizations, and local NGOs.
• Experience identifying response opportunities and funding by liaising with donors and other collaborating organizations.
• Experience in grant writing for USAID, BPRM, ECHO, UN organizations or similar.
• Demonstrated quality writer/editor; advanced presentation skills.
• Training design and facilitations experience to a multi-national audience on topics including emergency preparedness, response, public health and humanitarian principles and practices.
• Demonstrated experience living and working in a humanitarian context, around infectious disease outbreaks, and in hostile environments.
• Self-motivated with the ability to work autonomously in a highly stressful and challenging environment.

Preferred:

• Additional language(s) –French, Spanish and/or Arabic an advantage.
• Use of digital health information system tools like DHS or CommCare.

KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS & ABILITIES

Knowledge:

• Knowledge of humanitarian contexts and application of humanitarian principles.
• Knowledge of project cycle management.
• Understanding of WHO Emergency Medical Team initiative and the verification process.
• Thorough knowledge of the humanitarian system and current developments, including the transformative agenda and Grand Bargain.

Skills:

• Strong interpersonal skills.
• Effective written and verbal communication skills with the ability to articulate plans and decisions cross-culturally through multiple mediums including in person and virtual
• Skills and experience in developing and maintaining develop collaborative relationships.
• Must be able to exercise considerable initiative.
• Detail oriented with an ability to maintain accurate records.
• An understanding of conflict resolution and experience in negotiation to support positive outcomes.

Abilities:

• Travel:
  • Ability to travel up to 50% (24 weeks) of the time (international and domestic) .
  • Ability to deploy to locations within 48 hours for up to 12 weeks in duration per deployment.
• Ability to set clear objectives with teams and individuals, and monitors progress and performance.
• Able to make decisions in stressful and chaotic situations.
• Ability to independently plan, organize and follow through on task.
• Ability to maintain and protect the confidentiality of organization information.
• Ability to handle multiple projects simultaneously; flexible.
• Fluent in English (written and spoken).
• Experience with Microsoft Teams, Skype, Whatsapp, Sharepoint, and Google Drive preferred.
• Intermediate Microsoft Office computer skills.
• A commitment to Medical Teams International calling statement and core values and to ensure these underpin all aspects of the job.
• Basic understanding of GIS Mapping

PHYSICAL REQUIREMENTS & WORKING CONDITIONS

The physical requirements described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions. While performing the duties of this job the employee must be able to:

• Frequent use of a personal computer, database and digital platforms, and other office productivity machinery, such as a copy machine and computer printer, HF and VHF radio, sat phone.
• Frequently uses hands, fingers, and arms to reach, handle, touch or feel equipment, medical instruments, materials, computer.
• Frequent communication and exchange of information among colleagues and persons of concern which requires the ability to speak, hear, convey and express oneself.
• Frequent close vision and the ability to adjust focus.
• Occasionally ascends/descends stairs, steps, or ladder.
• Occasionally move about inside an office to access file cabinets, office machinery, meet with colleagues, etc.
• The employee must occasionally lift and/or move up to 20 pounds.
• Seldom to occasionally positions self to Stoop, kneel, crouch, or crawl.
• If in travel status, occasional to frequent traversing over rough or steep terrain in either a motor vehicle or on foot.

Work Environment:

The work environment characteristics described here are representative of those an employee encounters while performing the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

• The noise level in the work environment is usually moderately quiet.
• The employee may be required to travel to remote areas of the world where there are potential health hazards and risks, limited hygiene facilities, extreme hot or cold weather, and very basic living conditions.