Since its creation, ALIMA and its partners have successfully developed in line with the increase in humanitarian medical needs, especially in Western and Central Africa: 650,000 patients treated in 2015 including over 48,000 hospitalizations, new governance between the partners of the medical NGO platform in the Sahel, new innovative approaches and operational research projects. With operations in nine countries, 17 projects + 7 research projects, over 1,300 employees and a budget of €35 million in 2016, ALIMA is a dynamic NGO, effectively deploying medical aid for the most vulnerable.

ALIMA’s aim since its creation in 2009 is to provide a high standard of healthcare in situations of emergency or medical disaster and to improve the practice of humanitarian medicine by developing innovative projects associated with medical research.

POSITION : Medical Coordinator M/F

CONTEXT

ALIMA supports two health and nutrition projects in Borno State, in Monguno and Maiduguri.

Following a United Nations alert in May about the dire situation of people displaced by conflict in northeastern Nigeria, ALIMA conducted an exploratory mission in Monguno, a city in Borno State where more than 100,000 displaced people are seeking refuge. Working alongside the Ministry of Health, ALIMA vaccinated children against measles. ALIMA found that more than 40% of children were suffering from acute malnutrition, 13 % of whom were suffering from severe acute malnutrition and at a high risk of death. Faced with this major emergency, ALIMA deployed additional resources and has now opened 5 clinics to provide urgent medical care to displaced people in Monguno. ALIMA teams on the field are providing over 1,000 medical consultations per day, a figure that reveals how alarming the health situation is and the lack of other actors in Monguno, since ALIMA is the only NGO to cover health and nutrition at the moment for over 150,000 people, all the more that internally displaced people are continuing to arrive in Monguno every day.

Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, has seen its population more than double with the influx of people displaced from other areas of the state. Especially in Muna where about 50 000 IDP moved into the Muna Garage camp and all around, the bad sanitarian, medical and nutritional situation has to be addressed. ALIMA is opening a clinic by the end of August, and already provide general consultations for children and adults. Malnutrition cases are managed by the teams, but a larger screening would show how numerous they really are. ALIMA plans to enlarge its activities to provision of services for pregnant women and capacity to take in charge victims of sexual violences.

ALIMA’s teams in Nigeria represent as of now 16 expatriates.

POST TYPOLOGY

MAIN PURPOSE

The Medical Coordinator plans, designs, leads, coaches and coordinates the implementation of the overall medical content, strategies, activities and resources in the missions in order to facilitate the delivery of quality medical care for patients and their communities as well as to improve population health condition, its humanitarian living conditions and disease prevention. He guarantees the appropriate implementation and management of medical aspects of ALIMA projects in the mission, ensuring the achievement of the objective set. This will be done in close collaboration with the Head of Mission, the Medical Department and other local authorities and following the corporate ALIMA ethos and values, health policies, protocols, and operational plan; and monitoring medical and humanitarian situation in the country.

MISSION AND MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Be responsible to define, monitor and update the medical content of the ALIMA country policy, annual plan and budget, by scanning health needs through exploratory missions and implementation of health information system, elaborating, monitoring and reviewing project proposals, determining, necessary resources in order to cover medical and humanitarian needs of the population at risk. This will be done ensuring linkage with the community, its proximity by safe-guarding medical ethics and the quality of medical programming (ie. Relevance, effectiveness, safety, accessibility and appropriateness of ALIMA’ s medical interventions, as well as “best practices” clinical management of patients.).
• Be accountable to ensure that the objectives and goals set in the Mission’s annual plan, project plans in regards to the medical activities carried out by ALIMA are achieved.
• In close collaboration with the HR Coordinator, participate in the planning, definition and sizing of the health-workforce in the mission to ensure the implementation of medical activities in the mission.
• Be responsible to define and size other resources (pharmacy and medical equipment management in collaboration with logistics) and timelines, procedures and protocols in order to efficiently achieve the medical objectives in the mission.
• Be responsible to coach, and directly support medical teams in the implementation of the medical activities, translating the ALIMA health policy and identified health needs into project objectives and activities in order to ensure high quality health assistance to population and that mission medical objectives are achieved.
• Be responsible to evaluate medical team through regular appraisals and detect training and developing needs in order to manage talent and increase medical staff contribution.
• Be responsible for the Mission’s Health Policy and Medical Repatriation Policy. Together with the HR Coordinator, define, update and implement an appropriate health policy framework, including medical insurance and social packages, for international and national staff, providing all prophylactic and preventive necessary measures, structures and emergency plans, managing any medical evacuation in order to ensure ALIMA staff health.
• Be responsible for preparation of all medical orders in collaboration with Logistics Department, ensuring they are done according to guidelines and on time, and ensuring fulfillment of all procurement policies adhered to. 

• Be responsible for the submission of all local medical purchase requests to HQ.
• Be accountable for and supervise the medical technical aspects and, in coordination with the Logistics Coordinator, the material aspects of the programs (quality of drugs, safety and quality of health care facilities, consumptions, etc.) through regular field visits as well as analyze difficulties during the implementation (on district, provincial and national level) and report deviations as they appear (amongst the local authorities, the capital coordination team, field project teams and headquarters), in order to proactively provide the necessary solutions and achieve operational results.
• Be responsible to promote communication, exchanging information and active participation of all medical staff in the mission’s development as well as remind and underline ALIMA values and philosophy to improve team motivation and engagement.
• Be responsible to monitor the psychological status of all Mission’s staff, and suggests solutions to help improve mental health related issues.
• Be accountable for the proper management of the pharmacy in the Mission, including projects.
• Be responsible to ensure security related to medical issues (Bio-security, universal precautions and health and safety in the workplace) is guaranteed to the highest possible level, by implementing all ALIMA policies, protocols and procedures (i.e. Use of condoms, needle accidents, etc.)
• Be responsible and supervise all medical team at capital level.
• Be responsible for the Medical Library of the Mission, informs the medical field staff of all material available, and keeps all medical documents updated in the database.
• Represent ALIMA before local medical authorities and keep regular contact with other counterparts in the mission (such as other NGO’s, local and international organizations, donors, civil and military authorities) in order to broaden the medical-humanitarian situation analysis, strengthen the impact of the medical intervention and support advocacy actions to raise humanitarian awareness.
• Be responsible to contribute to the proper induction of all staff, ensuring that medical briefings and debriefings are done to all ALIMA staff.

EXPERIENCE AND SKILLS

• Essential, degree in medicine or other paramedical studies. Specialization in tropical medicine or a degree in Public Health would be an asset
• Essential, working experience of at least two years in relevant jobs and previous humanitarian experience in ALIMA or other NGOs in developing countries.
• Essential working experience of one year as a Medical Coordinator
• Fluent English; local working language like Hausa/Kanuri would be an asset.
• Essential computer literacy (word, excel and internet)
• Strategic Vision
• Leadership.
• Networking
• Cultural. 

CONDITIONS

Contract term: contract under French law, contract length: 3 to 6 months

Position to be filled: As soon as possible

Salary: depending on experience + per diem ALIMA pays for:

• travel costs between the expatriate’s country of origin and the mission location
• accommodation costs
• medical cover from the first day of the contract to a month after the date of departure from the mission country for the employee
• evacuation of the employee

How To Apply

Documents to be sent: To apply, please send your CV and covering letter to candidature@alimango.org with the reference “Nigeria- Medical Coordinator” in the subject line.