Field Trainee Management Programme

Position: Field Trainee – Programmes

Department: International

Responsible to: Head Office: Head of Region / Field: DCD or Ops Manager

Salary: £232 per week (UK minimum wage)

Location: 6 months in London, UK / 6 months in a Merlin field programme

Duration: 1 year in this role with the expectation of moving into a Merlin field job afterwards

Closing date: 14 November 2012

Start date: 27 February 2013

Merlin

Merlin is an international health charity, saving lives in the world's toughest places. Merlin responds with healthcare, when people are overwhelmed by natural disaster, conflict or disease and in need of immediate help. We focus on treating those who are beyond the reach of existing health services. After the immediate crisis, Merlin stays on to assist recovery. Using our expertise, we support health workers and strengthen existing health services. We build resilience by helping those at risk of future health disasters, to be better prepared.

We think everyone should have access to lasting healthcare. We believe good health is fundamental to transforming people's lives, that's why Merlin is A Force for Health

Department

The International Department provides strategic support and guidance to the programmes in the field, with the aim of implementing Merlin's mission and achieving the organisational goals. The department works with the field programmes and head office departments to continually improve the scope and impact of our work and increase the value of the services we offer to our beneficiaries.

Main purpose of the role

The Field Management Development Programme is a one year programme designed to prepare participants for management roles in Merlin field programmes.

Initially you will spend six months in Head Office where you will work four days per week supporting the Programmes department and have the remaining one day per week allocated to supporting your learning and development. Having successfully completed the six month placement in Head Office you will then spend six months in the field developing a core operational skill set for key field management positions in Merlin.

By working in both Head Office and the field, we want to ensure you are fully prepared for future operational responsibilities in a Merlin field logistics management position.

This is a valuable opportunity to develop a career path within a leading international health charity.

Overall Objectives (scope)

This role will:

• Support the International Department at Head Office and Field level in delivering its organisational goals
• Establish positive working relationships across all departments in HO and field programmes
• Prepare you to take on a position of operational responsibility in a Merlin field programme

Responsibilities in Head Office (UK)

• Supporting a Regional desk with the administration of desk activities
• Contributing to key projects as directed by the Head of Region (e.g. Remote Assessment for a new country programme)
• Regional socio-political analysis
• Ensuring international staff receive appropriate pre-deployment briefings and documentation
• Assisting Marketing & Communications department in developing appropriate messages regarding the programmes
• Keeping country information up to date
• Developing regional and programme maps
• Assisting with the delivery of high quality proposals and reports to donors
• Tracking proposal and reporting submission schedules
• Tracking and following up on Finance issues
• Assisting with communications with field offices
• Collating funding statistics
• Taking minutes at desk meetings and Country Team Meetings

Responsibilities in the field

Shadowing a Project Coordinator and supporting them to fulfil their responsibilities in:

• Operational Management
  • Ensuring collaborative stakeholder management including involving the relevant stakeholders in the planning and implementation of Merlin's activities
  • Being responsible for the effective and efficient management of the project consistent with the project management cycle and compliant with Merlin systems and guidelines
  • Establishing and maintaining project monitoring and evaluation plans
  • Preparing high-quality and timely donor reports
  • Providing regular written and verbal reports to the CMT (Country Management Team) on project progress and issues
  • Monitoring the evolving humanitarian situation and considering immediate and strategic responses
  • Contributing to preparing plans, proposals, and budgets for project extensions
• Safety and Security
  • Managing day-to-day security of the field team and liaising with security focal point
  • Briefing all staff on arrival in the field on the security context, key risks and Merlin procedures
  • Monitoring the political, military and security situation in all project areas and responding accordingly
  • Establishing the Local Safety & Security Plan, keeping this up to date and ensuring adherence by all project staff
  • Providing timely verbal and written security incident reports to the Country Director
  • Attending security meetings and maintaining regular contact and information flows with other actors (e.g. OCHA, military, community leaders) in the field
• Logistics / Finance / Administration
  • Ensuring all projects adhere to Merlin's systems and procedures
  • Ensuring that project implementation meets donor compliance requirements
  • Responsible for budgetary control and overall financial management at the project site, including maintaining oversight of expenses and procurement
  • Ensuring that the programme complies with all legal and bureaucratic requirements
• Human Resources Management
  • Maintaining good team communication and dynamics and take constructive action when problems occur
  • Supporting team members professionally and monitoring stress levels
  • Conducting and documenting regular team meetings for planning and reporting purposes
  • Ensuring all new team members are adequately briefed on arrival in the field, and departing team members are debriefed
  • Maintaining up-to-date job descriptions for international staff and national staff
  • Assuming overall responsibility for national staff recruitment and assisting with recruitment of international staff in project area
  • Being responsible for development and training of national staff
• Representing Merlin externally
  • Representing Merlin to donors, authorities, (I)NGOs and other parties as necessary
  • Ensuring all relevant parties are kept informed of Merlin activates as appropriate (e.g. donors, health authorities etc.)

This job description is not comprehensive and the post-holder will be expected to take on other responsibilities as may be reasonably required.

Dimensions and Limits of Authority

This role is not a line management position and does not hold final power, authority or decision-making rights. The position has no financial authority.

Person Specification

Values, Behaviours and Core Requirements

Essential

• Proven experience of having a high level of sustained responsibility working on a complex project or within a professional organisation involving dealing with multiple stakeholders
• Proven ability to organise people and tasks
• Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues
• Experience of adopting a flexible and innovative approach to achieve results
• Experience of managing and prioritising a high workload and multiple tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines
• An analytical approach, with excellent attention to detail
• Experience of establishing strong working relationships with colleagues from different functions and cultures
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
• Ability to represent Merlin confidently and professionally to external contacts
• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office
• An understanding of and commitment to Merlin's mission, values and behaviours
• Willingness to travel to remote and insecure locations

Desirable

• Good level of written and spoken French
• Experience of using budgets
• Good numeracy skills

Data Protection

Please note, on submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin holding and using the information that you have given for the purposes of recruitment and employment – should an offer be made. Where required by donors funding requirements, some job offers are conditional on our ensuring that potential employees' names do not appear on counter terrorism lists generated by the United Nations, European Union or the United States. On submitting your application, you are agreeing to Merlin using the information that you have given for checking that your name does not appear on these lists.

Work Permits

Work permits are required for UK-based posts by all non-EC nationals. You therefore need to have the right to work in the UK order to apply for this post, and proof of this right will be required, at interview, and before any offer of employment is made.

Closing Date: 14^th November 2012

Assessment Day: 10^th December 2012

Interview Date: 11^th December 2012