Medical coordinator (M/F) – Iraq/Kurdistan

For more than 40 years, Médecins du Monde, a campaigning medical organisation committed to international solidarity, has been caring for the most vulnerable populations at home and abroad. It has continued to highlight obstacles that exist in accessing health care and has secured sustainable improvements in health-for-all policies.

Those working for this independent organisation do not solely dispense care and treatment but condemn violations of human dignity and rights and fight to improve matters for populations living in precarious situations.

MdM currently works in 30 countries across all continents where it focuses on 5 priority areas: emergency and crisis, sexual and reproductive health, harm reduction, migrants and displaced populations (health rights), health and environment.

MdM has been working in Iraq since the 1990s. The mission strategy is to transition from a humanitarian approach to a more development approach and to strengthen the resilience and capacity of the local community affected by the conflict. The current programme focuses on supporting the local health authorities in providing quality primary healthcare services (including mental health and psychosocial support as well as gender based violence response) and continue to strengthen the capacities of local public health authorities in Dohuk, Kirkuk and Ninewa governorates, to provide quality care and respond to health needs of IDPs, returnees and vulnerable host communities. For 2022-2024 MdM has identified four main pillars to guide the strategy in Iraq: community health-based approach, capacity building of the local health authorities, partnerships with local NGOs and advocacy.

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the general coordinator, you have the responsibility of the mission’s health strategy and the quality of health programmes. You supervise directly a deputy medical coordinator and a pharmacy warehouse manager, while working in close collaboration with the field health teams.

Your main responsibilities are the following:

Monitoring and review of the health strategy

• Contribute to the development of the operational strategy
• Submit proposals for the development of new health activities to the general coordinator and the health advisor at headquarters
• Ensure that health activities of the programme comply with the strategy
• Ensure the integration of health, mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) and gender-based violence (GBV) activities in coordination with the MHPSS coordinator
• Ensure tools and practices are harmonised and capitalised and contribute to update them when needed
• Ensure epidemiological data, health protocols, national health policy and assistance programmes from other key players in the healthcare sector are monitored and analysed in coordination with the health advisor
• Promote the production of research documents in coordination with the health advisor
• Contribute to the reflection and strategic development workshops

Development of new proposals

• Participate in or supervise exploratory missions and needs assessments
• Guide and train the teams participating in needs assessments and ensure the availability of adequate tools
• Ensure the writing of reports of each assessment conducted and submit them to the health advisor and the general coordinator for validation
• Monitor the healthcare coverage provided by the Ministry of Health and NGOs in the country
• Prepare and draft project proposals for health activities jointly with the project teams and the coordination team

Programme monitoring

• Provide continuous information to the general coordinator, the health advisor and the health programme teams on new directions on health policies
• Analyse health data received from the teams in the field and share it with the coordination team and the headquarters
• Ensure epidemiological data, indicators and results of the programmes are monitored and analysed
• Ensure reporting to the health cluster at local and national levels
• Supervise the operation of health activities, especially through field visits, monitoring of the quality of care, meetings with the staff and training
• Provide technical support to programmes, identify solutions to problems
• Ensure orders for medical equipment, medicines and consumables are appropriate to requirements and local constraints
• Communicate internal and external reports to the general coordinator and the health advisor

Team supervision

• Draw up job descriptions for the members of the health team and submit them to the human resources coordinator and the general coordinator for validation
• Participate in the recruitment of health staff
• Ensure a coordination mechanism with all the health staff and the line managers
• Participate in health staff performance evaluation
• Identify training needs for MdM health staff as well as local partners and local health authorities, provide organisational and technical support for trainings
• Prepare or validate training manuals, training tools and supervision tools, ensure the quality of the training and supervision conducted by the health teams

Pharmacy management

• Supervise the pharmacy warehouse manager and the pharmacy supervisors
• Guide, support and train the team in the preparation of a needs analysis and final order for medical supplies
• Review and validate medical purchases, ensure international orders fit the standards and the budget
• Ensure pharmacy reports from the field are submitted monthly, analyse them and provide feedback

Logistical and administrative follow-up of health and programmes

• Contribute to the analysis of bids made by suppliers for purchases with stringent technical specifications
• Provide the finance coordinator with information needed to produce a monthly cash flow forecast for the health department
• Ensure up-to-date budget follow-up for the health department, participate in the budget follow-up analysis, identify discrepancies and propose adjustments to the finance coordinator

Representation

• Represent MdM towards NGOs, UN agencies, local and national government bodies, donors and other relevant parties in the field and share related information with the coordination team
• Represent MdM in the health cluster, ensure active participation and timely reporting
• Play an active role in preparing and managing any visit by a donor

Safety of people and assets

• Contribute to the collection of safety and security information and share it with the security manager and the general coordinator
• Ensure health teams have access to safety equipment appropriate to their activities
• Ensure the availability of medical hibernation boxes and first aid kits in offices and guesthouses
• Participate in the management of medical evacuations when necessary.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Status : Employee

Contract : Fixed-term contract
Duration : 6 months
Starting date: May 1, 2022
Gross monthly salary: 3 089 euros
Premium equal to one month salary paid in two instalments – minimum of 6 months seniority required
Expatriation bonus (10% gross salary per month)
Transportation cost, vaccines and visas covered
Guesthouse housing
22.5 RTT (recovery days) per year
5 weeks of paid leaves per year
Health insurance (60% covered by MdM and 40% by the employee)
Insurance (repatriation…)
Teleworking agreement for positions eligible to telework: 110 days/year (minimum of 1 day per week onsite)
Given the current circumstances of Covid-19 pandemic, we are taking special measures to apply health protocols and hygiene measures to guarantee the safety of our staff.
Médecins du Monde promotes trainings and internal mobility.
Single posting

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE NEEDED:
Master’s degree in public health
Professional health or paramedic training
At least 3 years of experience in a similar position in the humanitarian sector
Training and experience in project cycle management in the field of health
Experience in remote management and post emergency contexts
Experience in management of multi projects budgets
Capacity building and training skills
Supportive management style
Autonomy, proactivity and sense of responsibility
Stress resistance and management
Analytical skills
Adaptation, flexibility
Sense of organisation, sense of priorities
Diplomacy and listening skills
Sense of contact, communication
Participation / contribution to a team
Sense of rigour
Knowledge of MS Office
Languages: fluent English (written and spoken) mandatory
You embrace the core values and support the proactive philosophy of Médecins du Monde.

TELEPHONE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
Médecins du Monde reserves the right to fill the vacancy before the closing date for applications.
MdM stands up for the integration of people living with disabilities and fights against discrimination.