This position is still pending funding and 3-6 months duration.
About Mercy Corps
Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within. Now, and for the future.
Program / Department Summary
Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of over 300 people working in Eastern DRC, with the overall country goal to support vulnerable communities through crises, while fostering programs that build resilience and promote long-term change. Mercy Corps’ national office is in Goma with sub-field offices in North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri. Mercy Corps’ key programming areas include a combination of longer-term development and immediate humanitarian response programs in order to:
1) Improve water service delivery and ensuring equitable access to Water, Sanitation and Hygiene services, in urban and rural areas;
2) Improve food security and nutrition;
3) Promote diversified livelihoods, economic recovery and development.
Mercy Corps DRC’s humanitarian programs aim specifically to assist populations affected by the conflict and crisis in Eastern Congo. With funding from humanitarian donors including ECHO, OFDA and UN-donors, the humanitarian portfolio continues to expand in order to provide multi-purpose cash assistance and emergency WASH to displaced and host populations. An Ebola virus outbreak has recently been confirmed in Beni area of North-Kivu province. Mercy Corps is working in close coordination with other actors and is getting ready to prepare a WASH response should the Health Division requests more support from partners. All Mercy Corps interventions in DRC are implemented in a conflict and gender sensitive manner.
General Position Summary
Under the supervision of the Ebola Team Leader the Medical Advisor will assure that all members of the team receive medical support during the Ebola crisis. The Mercy Corps Ebola medical advisor is also in charge of leading the infection prevention control program in support of MC Ebola WASH program manager.
Essential Job Responsibilities
TECHNICAL SUPPORT
- Select, train and manage daily activities for Mercy Corps’ Ebola prevention and control team for the Ebola response
- Management support to the Ebola prevention program in matters concerning medical referrals and related the control and prevention of the virus
- Management of partners including WHO and all others working in Ebola infection prevention and control.
- Represent Mercy Corps as asked at Ebola coordination meetings.
- Provide program support in relation to partner coordination—specifically with WHO and in relation to infection prevention and control of Ebola.
- Participate and contribute to monitoring and reporting of infection prevention and control activities according to the Ebola coordination standards
- Develop and manage a system for monitoring internal infection prevention and control activities.
CAPACITY DEVELOPMENT
- Training and management of Mercy Corps teams on infection prevention and control measures critical to all project implementation.
- Provide orientation and regular training to Mercy Corps team members and partners on EBV-related SOPs so that these skills are understood and effectively transferred.
- Train and test all contingency plans related to EBV and medical emergencies.
MEDICAL COORDINATION
- Follow up the medical condition of Mercy Corps team members mobilized to the Ebola zone. Liaise with medical actors if needed.
- Provide frequent updates of the Medevac plan and ensure Mercy Corps’ Ebola handbook is revised and up to date at all times
- Develop and maintain an understanding of the health services and limitations in country.
OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY AND SECURITY
- Participate as part of country Security Management Team and help perpetuate an informed dialogue around these threats and our risk threshold – including partners.
- Review and routinely update the existing security plans (SOPs and Contingency planning) as relates to EBV and other medical or medical emergency issues.
- Seek information related to the changing health care system in DRC and ensure Mercy Corps planning is utilizing the best resources available for national and expatriate staff based on understanding of the agency insurance and medical evacuation policies.
- Be supportive and creative in this process with an understanding of Mercy Corps and partner capabilities and risk thresholds.
- Ensure compliance with security procedures and policies as determined by country leadership. Maintain all security procedure are being followed in line with the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) to minimize risk upon staff.
- Proactively ensure that team members operate in a secure environment and are aware of policies.
Organizational Learning
- As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries
- Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
Accountability
Reports Directly To: Ebola Team Leader
Works Directly With: Deputy Country Director of Programs and Ebola WASH program manager, Field-based security, logistics and finance teams, WASH Advisor, HQ-based Program Operations, Finance, and Technical Support Unit (TSU) staff, (Humanitarian Leadership Response) HLR team, other agencies as assigned.
Knowledge and Experience
- Masters in Medicine, pharmacy science or nursing.
- 3-5 years of demonstrated experience working with an international NGO
- Experience in project management tools and practice
- Clinical experience in the management of the Ebola Virus Disease
- Experience in the management and training of staff
- Experience with key donors including ECHO and/or UNICEF a plus
- Experience in Ebola coordination is a plus
- Demonstrated attention to detail, ability to follow procedures, meet deadlines and work cooperatively with team members.
- Proven ability to work and solve problems independently without direct supervision.
- Experience living and working in West or Central Africa, preferred.
- Excellent oral and written English and French skills required.
- Ability to work effectively with an ethnically diverse team in a sensitive environment.
- Knowledge and comfort level working with technology such as the Microsoft Suite including Excel and Word
- Knowledge of Sphere standards and other training in humanitarian response preferred.
Success Factors
A successful candidate will be well-trained and aware of the transmission and effective prevention of the Ebola Virus. S/he will be skilled in conducting training and transmitting important protocols and behaviours to others and will be knowledgeable of the health and security protocols to put in place during an epidemic such as Ebola. A successful candidate will understand the importance of our operations in the DRC and –with a caution against undo risk taking – will have the patience and focus to facilitate the safe implementation of program activities.
Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions
This position is an unaccompanied position. Shared housing will be provided in Goma according to Mercy Corps DRC housing policy. Goma is a provincial capital of over 800,000 inhabitants. Travel may be required up to 40% of the time to program areas within North and South Kivu and Ituri provinces. Living in Goma is comfortable, although water and electricity can be unstable. Outside Goma, travel can be dangerous and unpredictable due to armed forces and rebel activity.
While security is quite stable in Goma, North and South Kivu continue to be an arena of violence and insecurity. Mercy Corps’ sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with evacuation options for serious illnesses. There is reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues. Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
More Information
- Job City Beni
