Country Director AT International Medical Corps Lagos, NG

Job description

Essential Job Duties/Scope Of Work

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

PROGRAMME BACKGROUND

International Medical Corps has been operating in Nigeria since November 2013, and currently has projects in two states (Kano and Borno). In Borno, International Medical Corps has been actively implementing interventions to support vulnerable populations recently affected by conflict and displacement due to Boko Haram insurgency. Northeastern Nigeria has experienced large-scale population displacement over the last few years because of the Boko Haram insurgency. Currently it is estimated that at 8.5 million people need humanitarian assistance in the three affected states of Yobe, Adamawa and Borno in North eastern Nigeria. Of these, 4.4 million are in Borno state alone. There are 1.4 million IDPs in Borno, accounting for 69% of all IDPs in the three states. The IDPs are either living in informal settlements, host communities, and government designated formal IDP camps around Maiduguri town, the capital city of Borno State.

In Borno, International Medical Corps has been implementing an Integrated Emergency Nutrition and GBV action supported by ECHO. This action is focused to treat and prevent acute malnutrition in Borno State and improve vulnerable women and girls protection networks and services at community level through the provision of GBV prevention and response services including safe space, case management and psychosocial support, referrals, outreach and risk mitigation in Borno. IMC's curative and preventive nutrition intervention in Borno has expanded to 11 OTPs in 3 LGAs-Jere, Konduga, and MMC. The Additionally, IMC has integrated the Food security activity in its program and providing food assistance through food voucher system to about 1900 food insecure households.

Other nutrition related programs include food assistance program under the World Food Program/WFP. In Oct-December 2016, the program distributed over 1.5 MT of food commodities. The current WFP aims to reach 136,000 beneficiaries with 8.5 MT commodities for BSFP under 5 years, PLW and General Food Distribution. IMC runs sister programs with support from ECHO and OFDA, International Medical Corps is currently implementing integrated emergency humanitarian response programs in Borno focusing on WASH, Health and GBV by targeting internally displaced persons and host community.

Job Summary

The Country Director is directly responsible for the overall strategic planning, human resources, program design and implementation, program support operations, finance, administration, monitoring and evaluation supervision, expansion/development, and required reporting for the country program.

Essential Duties And Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation

• Program Management
• Develop country specific strategic plan and proposals for programs that will successfully transition our relief programs to early recovery and transition to more long-term development programs.
• Work closely with the MoH to identify a strategy for the strengthening the health care system
• Represent the organization and liaise with local and national authorities, UN, NGO, and donor agencies to promote the organizations programs, facilitate successful coordination of activities and ensure transparency and accountability to all stakeholders
• Participate in writing and reviewing proposal applications
• Provide technical inputs and assistance to programs with particular reference to financial management and reporting systems
• Participate in UN health, Nutrition and WASH Cluster coordination to ensure programs playing a vital role and to secure required support from the cluster coordination mechanism and the UN funding instruments such as CERF, CHF etc
• Compliance
• Oversee program operations and reporting, ensuring compliance with agency policies and procedures, Donor regulations and local laws
• Monitor, evaluate and report on all program activities and progress to the central office and Donors
• Oversee the preparation of annual work plans and budgets
• Report regularly to headquarters, providing timely updates of all situational and project developments
• Create and maintain an environment that prevents sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) of beneficiaries, by clearly defining the standards of behavior that are expected of IMC staff, as described in the organizations Code of Conduct; Ensure that mechanisms supporting these standards and principles are promoted, disseminated, and integrated into personnel requirements, and that the organizations SEA complaints procedures are in place and functioning properly.
• Program Development
• Primarily responsible for expanding country portfolio
• Pursue new sources of donor funding and maintain adequate donor funding levels to sustain identified program and support activities
• Drafting and editing proposals
• Remaining aware of donor funding intentions
• Human Resources
• Oversee the recruitment and selection of qualified program field staff, recommend promotions, disciplinary action and termination of staff in consultation with supervisors
• Collaborate with security staff to maintain security of staff in the field locations
• Make frequent site visits to facilities to ensure that appropriate care and training are being conducted and to offer support to field staff
• Maintain open lines of communications with all field staff
• Training/ Capacity Building
• Determine training needs for the field staff
• Train senior national staff to increase their responsibilities in order to build capacity and ensure sustainability of programs
• Advocate and plan for professional development for expat and national staff
• Working Relationships
• Maintain frequent communication with Regional Coordinator to ensure program activities and objectives are communicated
• Work with Deputy Country Director, Medical Director, Finance Director, Security and Logistics staff to ensure the coordination of programs
• Represent the organization at task force meetings, assessment missions, camp coordination meetings, UN coordination meetings, INGO coordination meetings
• Interface with national government and relevant agencies to ensure mutual understanding of programs and maximize resource distribution and allocation of available funds
• Representation
• Serve as the principal liaison with Donors on matters related to the program to ensure financial and programmatic accountability to Donors
• Establish and update contact details of potential Donors in-country
• Participate in Donor meetings and communicate relevant information to HQ
• Work with key Donor Staff to develop and maintain optimum financial and programmatic relationship
• Ensure maximum visibility of the Agency amongst the NGO community
• Lead the production of reports and ensure the timeliness and accuracy of information provided, as well ensuring confidentiality of sensitive information.
• Contribute to the creation of a positive image and overall credibility of the organization, notably through the application of the organizations Code of Conduct, ethics, values and stand-point with regard to internal and external actors
• Security
• The Country Director is ultimately responsible for the security management of staff, operations, assets and directs country-specific response to security threats and incidents, up to and including management of evacuation
• Monitor security level and consult with the Director of Global Security to upgrade or downgrade level
• Responsible for ensuring that Incident Report Forms are completed and submitted to HQ Security in a timely manner (within 12 hours)
• Responsible for ensuring all staff are given a security briefing, and required documentation upon entry into the country
• Ensure application and compliance of security protocols and policies
• In cooperation with the Security Coordinator, monitor the security situation and inform the HQ Security Office through weekly security reports
• Ensure that country security guidelines, SOP’s and policies are updated twice annually (July 31 and January 31) including contingency planning for evacuation, in accordance with agency protocols and respected by all staff
• Ensure adequate security funding is budgeted
• Nominate security focal points at each operational site in country
• Collect and document local security related information (social & political context, external players, presence/reasons for conflict, military developments, political economy of armed groups), and communicates to the Director of Global Security at HQ DC office
• Establish a reliable communication chain to disperse important information, whereby once the CD communicates a message, it is systematically passed on from one person to the next, with each person knowing who they are responsible for informing. (phone tree)
• Collaborate with local agencies to aid with security management
• Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse
• Actively promote PSEA (Prevention of Sexual Exploitation and Abuse) standards within International Medical Corps and amongst beneficiaries served by International Medical Corps.
• Other duties as assigned. The duties and responsibilities listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all inclusive.
To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty with satisfactory results. The requirements listed are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.
• 7-10 yrs of project management experience (management, planning, staff development and training skills) in emergency / development programs; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Significant experience in development programs, mainly in the health field (Health policy, health reforms)
• Comprehensive knowledge and working experience with USAID, World Bank, EU, DfID and other donors;
• Minimum financial management including preparing and managing budgets, banking activities, contracts and negotiations
• Experience in developing and managing procurement and logistical procedures and policies
• Skills and knowledge in program sustainability and capacity building, public-private partnerships and project monitoring and evaluation (both quantitative and qualitative methods)
• Strong writing, presentation and program development skills;
• Extensive fundraising and representational experience
• Proven capabilities in leadership required
• Strong negotiation, interpersonal and organization skills
• Advanced degree in public health preferred, will consider candidates with applicable field experience

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