Opportunities For Youth

Deadline: 11 August 2010

Contract Duration: 3 months (extendable)
Starting Date: ASAP
Responsible To: Program Manager and CD/CHD Assistant
Working with: Field Staff, Country Management Team
Only short-listed applicants will be contacted
Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be short listed on a regular basis and we may offer this post before the closing date.

General Responsibilities

- Merlin’s focal point in the district for epidemics and regular program activities
-    Oversee Merlin’s emergency response activities in the respective districts, to ensure rapid and appropriate integrated response together with the District MoHCW team for communicable disease outbreaks and/or emergency health events
-    Participate in rapid needs assessments as required
-    Work in close collaboration with the District Health Executive to undertake capacity building of the district staff
-    Contribution towards logistic support including supply request for CTUs / ORP’s or emergency health facilities
-    Oversee Merlin’s financial and administrative requirements at field level, including monthly financial forecasts
-    Data collection, analysis and report writing on a daily, weekly and monthly basis
-    Any other reasonable task or role required by program needs
-    Ensure integration of Merlin’s activities into the district health plans
-    Assist the district MoHCW in the development of health strategic plans
-    Oversee epidemic investigation, prevention and control of epidemics in the respective districts
-    Develop emergency response team plans in collaboration with the District Health Executive
-    Keep regular contact with the district MoHCW and Administrative authorities, providing regular updates as necessary
-    Assist in the monitoring of preventative and promotional activities in the emergency health facilities and communities of operation
-    Support the DHE in transfer of lab samples to confirm communicable disease outbreaks, as necessary
-    Support a quality referral system from emergency health facilities or ORPs to secondary level health services or cholera treatment centres (CTC), as appropriate
-    Contribute to the training and capacity building of MoHCW staff at health facility
and district level and community level health cadre
-    Ensure the appropriate management of essential supplies/materials at any emergency health facilities, including ORPs/CTUs Assist in the design of public health awareness campaigns and institute their use
-    Take lead in the establishment and management of basic referral system
-    Ensure use of established reporting frames for data collection, and contribute to analysis and reporting as required by line manager
-    Assist in ensuring that all records and reports are accurate
-    Ensure correct and timely financial and activity forecasts on a monthly basis as well as a correct use of the assigned budgets.

Qualifications, experience and competences:

Essential

-    Medically qualified (doctor, clinical officer or senior nurse) and strong post qualification practical experience
-    Qualified Nurse or Environmental Health Officer with strong post qualification practical experience
-    Substantial experience of managing teams
-    Experience of communicable disease outbreaks, including cholera
-    Proven experience of conducting training and capacity building of clinical staff
-    Proven experience of conducting assessments and contributing to the program direction and establishment
-    Experience of being part of or leading a mobile outreach team which undertakes rapid assessments and response
-    Substantial experience of representing an organisation to a variety of stakeholders, including a good balance of diplomacy and capacity to influence decision-making at district level
-    Previous experience and willingness to travel and work in insecure environments An ability to analyse information rapidly
-    Good reporting skills
-    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 issues and finding solutions in day to day and crisis situations
-    Experience in basic financial accounts and handling petty cash

This position is only open to Zimbabwean nationals.

To apply for this position: Please download an application form from our website www.merlin.org.uk Completed form should be emailed to vacancy.merlin.zw@gmail.com