Head of Mission at the Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA)

The Alliance for International Medical Action (ALIMA) is an independent humanitarian medical NGO that was created in 2009 by professionals of humanitarian medicine. ALIMA’s mission is to provide medical care in emergency situations or medical catastrophes.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: Head of Mission

Location: Abuja (FCT) - Travel to Country Projects required
Contract term: Contract under French law
Contract length: 12 months (renewable, based on funding availability and performance)
Position to be filled: autumn 2021
Starting Position: ASAP

ALIMA in Nigeria

• The humanitarian crisis in Nigeria’s northeast and the Lake Chad region is one of the most severe ongoing crises in the world, now entering in its ninth year and shows no sign of abating. In 2021, at least 8.7 million people are in need of urgent humanitarian assistance in the worst affected states of Borno, Adamawa and Yobe. Up to 5.1 million people risk being critically food insecure during the next lean season (June - August 2021), a level similar to 2016-2017 when famine was looming over Borno State.
• Nigeria is now facing a second wave of COVID-19 infections. Borno, Adamawa, Yobe states have recorded new cases. Aid actors are intensifying actions and prevention measures
• Despite challenges including humanitarian space reduction, aid workers had already provided around 5 million people with life-saving assistance in Borno, Adamawa and Yobe states in 2020.
• Conflict, explosive remnants of war and insecurity have cut people off from their main means of livelihoods-farming and fishing. This causes major food insecurity in north-east Nigeria, which COVID-19’s effects on incomes have exacerbated: despite good crop yields, food insecurity is rising. Findings of the October2020 Cadre Harmonisé (CH) analysis projected that about 5.1 million people in the three states will be food-insecure in the lean season between June and August 2021 – a 19% and 34% increase on the 2020 (after COVID-19 June CH Update) and 2019 figures respectively. According to the Nutrition and Food Security Surveillance Round 9, conducted in October 2020, the level of acute malnutrition increased in all the three states compared to 2019. Global acute malnutrition (GAM) rates of 10.7% were recorded in Borno, 7.5% in Adamawa and 13.6% in Yobe. According to the survey, several LGAs had high pockets of global acute malnutrition of above the 15% threshold (emergency phase), including Gubio, Magumeri, Mobbar and Bayo in Borno State and all LGAs in northern Yobe. Movement restrictions and insecurity continue to hamper the ability of IDPs, returnees and the host communities to access basic services, livelihoods, and land for farming and grazing. This means that more people will rely on humanitarian aid to survive in 2021.
• In 2017, ALIMA continued to implement projects in Muna Garage in Jere LGA, where ALIMA performs general consultations for children under 5 and provides Sexual and Reproductive Health (SRH) to pregnant and lactating women (antenatal and postnatal consultations).
• An Outpatient Therapeutic Feeding Program (OTP) is also available for children under 5 suffering from severe acute malnutrition (SAM) in the clinic, where women and caretakers are trained to screen their children for malnutrition using the MUAC tape.
• In Maiduguri MC, where ALIMA is working in partnership with the University of Maiduguri Teaching Hospital (UMTH), the Inpatient Therapeutic Feeding Center (ITFC) manages children under 5 suffering from SAM with medical complications in a 50-bed capacity building.
• In December 2020, ALIMA conducted a needs assessment survey in the north of Yobe where a high level of acute malnutrition was recorded by nutrition sector. The results of this survey prompted ALIMA to open a nutrition and health project covering the Kasasuwa LGA, one of the most affected LGAs and where there was a gap. This project started in May 2021 and fund by ECHO aim to support Karasuwa health facilities and improve access to nutrition and health services including pediatrics healthcare and reproductive health.
• ALIMA also support COVID-19 vaccination in Borno and Yobe with focus on most vulnerables.
• In parallel ALIMA is opening an emergency nutrition project in Katsina state and is present is Owo state since 2018 for Lassa fever response and research.

Post Typology
Management lines:

• Line Manager:
  • Desk Programs Manager based in Dakar

Line Management:

• He/she supervises all the project coordinators and the coordinators of the support departments.
• He/she works closely with the authorities and NGO partners.
• He/she creates links with other national and international NGOs, United Nations agencies and state and non-state organizations.

Protection of Beneficiaries and Community Members

• Level 3: As part of his/her duties, the job holder will visit programs and come into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. Therefore, a criminal record check or a certificate of good conduct will be required. In situations where the impossibility of providing a criminal record or a certificate of good conduct is found, a declaration of honour will be requested.

Mission and Main Activities:

• The Head of Mission is the representative of ALIMA in Nigeria at the Federal Level as well as at local level in Borno State.
• He/She is here to manage the Nigeria mission, by ensuring that the functioning of all projects is matching ALIMA’s main objective in Borno State.
• Within the following frame, the HoM is independent and responsible to define and ensure the goals as well as improving the targeted population’s health conditions and humanitarian situation.

Major Responsibilities

• The Head of Mission is the representative of ALIMA in Nigeria at the Federal Level as well as at the local level in Borno State.
• He/She is here to manage the Nigeria mission, by ensuring that the functioning of all projects is matching ALIMA’s main objective in Borno State.
• Within the following frame, the HoM is independent and responsible to define and achieve the following operational objectives:

We want to provide and ensure an appropriate medical response in emergency and if conditions permit, in early recovery situations:

• Ensure permanent monitoring of the political, humanitarian and health situation of the state (+ surrounding states in Nigeria + surrounding countries)
• Analyze the consequences of ALIMA interventions (risks, constraints, priorities)
• Rational use of means and resources to carry out emergency projects - Projects implementation supervision

We want to be known and accepted by the population as well as concerned authorities in Nigeria:

• Negotiating and renewing the terms of collaboration (MOU) between ALIMA and the Government or any other institution involved, and keeping national partners informed about ALIMA’s activities on a regular basis.
• Monitor permanent follow up of potential emergencies in the Northeastern part of Nigeria
• Create and maintain up a solid network in Nigeria (key persons/institutions)

We want to protect our beneficiaries and our team from the high and volatile insecurity:

• Bearing the final responsibility for security in the Mission.
• Evaluating the risks and threats linked to the implementation of ALIMA’s activities throughout the Mission.
• Defining and updating the mission’s security policy (in consultation with the teams) and submitting it to the Desk PM for approval.
• Alerting the Desk PM immediately of all security incidents or threats that could have an impact on the Mission, the personnel’s security and/or ALIMA’s affairs.
• Writing up reports on each incident linked to security and carefully follow up those affecting ALIMA personnel and monitoring its aftermath, and developing scenarios and contingencies, adapting our programmes and staff set up to minimize risks and exposures
• Checking compliance with security rules (by holding regular meetings) as set out in the security guidelines, which S/he updates on a regular basis. Checking that international and delocalized personnel receive any necessary security briefings, and stays informed of any risk in all the projects.
• Maintaining up a network of information allowing the monitoring of developments in risks and threats.
• Keeping Headquarters informed of any new risks taken and developments in the security context.
• In collaboration with the PM, setting up a Crisis Cell in the event of a serious incident if deemed necessary

Our 5 years of presence has shown us how worrying the medical situation of Nigerian populations in Borno State is: we want to deploy the necessary means to stay beneficiaries/patient-oriented action:

• Supervising the project proposals according to the needs on the field. Ensures that the distress of the populations affected is documented, described and appropriate responses are proposed.
• Writing and sharing periodic operational reports
• Evaluating the need of opening new projects
• Ensuring an effective internal and external communication policy for the projects

We need a solid and cohesive team on the field, to provide the best and in time care:

• Leading, briefing/debriefing, coaching, etc. of team members
• Definition of job profiles, monitoring, goal setting, support and evaluation of ALIMA employees
• Organization and facilitation of coordination team meetings.
• Drafting of individual action plans for the Project Coordinators and other coordinators in collaboration with their technical referents at headquarters.
• Implementation of prevention measures against abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence:
  • Ensures that his/her team, partners and community members are aware of ALIMA's policy and have access to information (complaint escalation mechanism, focal point...).
  • Facilitates the organization of training and awareness sessions
  • Implements standards related to the prevention of abuse of power, gender-based violence and sexual violence.
  • Ensures that team members and partners involved in the project (Ministry of Health, national partners, etc.) follow training and awareness sessions and apply the rules for preventing abuse.
  • Contributes to creating and maintaining a nurturing and protective environment for his/her team, community members and project partners.

Education

• University Degree in Medicine, Public Health or Paramedical, International Relations or any other relevant education.

Experience and Qualities:

• Previous experience working with ALIMA in a similar role is an asset. Project management experiences with ALIMA or international medical NGO, at least three (3) years, is required.
• Ability to delegate, and at the same time, to follow up on several projects in several areas.
• Strong leadership and ability to inspire and bring together various profiles, team management as well as management/ training capacity
• Strong organizational capacities
• Ability to work rapidly under short deadlines.
• Experience in Security Management; conflict or post-conflict, access constrained and resource-poor context.
• Strategic vision, large portfolio and multi-donor budget management. Knowledge of and experiences with key institutional and development donors eg OFDA, ECHO, EU, UNICEF.
• People management.
• Strong negotiation skills with key government, donors and partner organizations.

Languages:

• Proven writing and spoken English are required; knowledge of the local language is an asset.
• English is mandatory (written, read, and spoken), French is an asset.

Salary
Depending on experience + per diem.

ALIMA Supports:

• 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
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply

Note

• To apply, please send your CV and your answers to via the link above.
• Applications are processed in the order of arrival and we reserve the right to close the offer before the term initially indicated if a good application is successful.
• Only full applications will be taken into account.
• Only accepted applications will be contacted.
• Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply

Application Deadline  2nd May, 2022.