Medical coordinator (F/M) – Kenya

For more than 40 years, Médecins du Monde, a campaigning medical organisation committed to international solidarity, has been caring for the most vulnerable populations here and abroad. It has continued to bear witness to obstacles that exist in accessing healthcare 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 France currently works in 30 countries across all continents to facilitate access to healthcare through 6 political battles:

• Sexual and Reproductive Health Rights
• Migration, Exile, Human Rights and Health
• Harm Reduction
• Environment and Health
• Humanitarian Space

For several years running, the arid and semi-arid lands of northern Kenya have suffered the consequences of a long drought. This had a direct impact on the living conditions of the pastoral populations, with a lack of access to water for both people and livestock, leading to a drop in milk production, the emaciation and even death of livestock, and an increase in malnutrition rates.

During 2023, some rains and a humanitarian response helped to improve the nutritional situation, moving the IPC from a state of emergency to a state of crisis.

However, the climate remains threatening (e.g. the El Nino phenomenon), the situation of the population is very precarious and the health system is failing.

It is against this backdrop that Médecins du Monde has launched a programme to strengthen the health system in Marsabit county, in northern Kenya. The aim of the programme is to improve access to primary healthcare and sexual and reproductive health rights, and to support the authorities in preparing for and responding to health emergencies (epidemics, malnutrition)

Job description

In the context of mission opening, the medical coordinator will be specifically in charge of the following :

• Participate in the definition of the country strategy led by the general coordinator and drive the medical and technical aspects in the development of this strategy
• Design, plan, implement, adapt and monitor the programme’s health activities
• Ensure the quality and relevance of health activities, supervise the collection and analysis of medical data
• Recruit, manage, train, and motivate the medical team
• Ensure the management of pharmaceutical products
• Carry out health needs assessments and evaluations of medical partners
• Cooperate with the administration team regarding budgeting and supervise the medical purchase process
• Represent MdM with authorities, partners and other NGOs on health issues
• Participate in the writing of proposals and reports

Profile

• Medical Doctor or Nurse or Midwife.
• Master’s in Public Health is desirable.
• Minimum 4 years’ experience in similar positions or in humanitarian sector.
• Experiences in public health and in managing health welfare in communities.
• Experience in supervising Sexual and Reproductive Health and Nutrition programs.
• Experience in outbreak management and emergency response.
• Experience in hard negotiations with local authorities, partners and staff in a tricky context.
• Understand a healthcare system and summarise the broad outlines.
• Understand and analyse a health context, health problems and data.
• Define a level of emergency (micro and macro).
• Plan and quantify health activities.
• Define medical needs and adapt operational activities to new constraints in the field of new scientific information.
• Draft a project (including funding formulation).
• Identify training needs, create and lead medical training modules.
• Discuss, present arguments and negotiate with healthcare authorities
• Excellent Microsoft Office skills (especially Word and Excel).
• Languages : English is mandatory (oral and written), knowledge of Swahili is an asset
• You embrace the core values and support the proactive philosophy of Médecins du Monde

Conditions of employment

• Status: Employee
• Contract: Fixed-term contract
• Duration: 4 months
• Starting date: September 2024
• Gross monthly salary: 3,306 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 recovery days per year
• 5 weeks of paid leaves per year
• Health insurance (60% covered by MdM)
• Insurance (repatriation…)

As part of our measures to combat money laundering and financing of terrorism, any selected candidate may be subject to a background check on international sanctions lists (UN, the EU, France, the United States…). This information is handled confidentially and stored on a secure server. For more information on the processing of personal data throughout this process: http://bit.ly/3CSTDYO

TELEPHONE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED

Médecins du Monde reserves the right to fill the vacancy before the closing date for applications.

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