General Coordinator at Medecins du Monde (MdM)

Medecins du Monde (MdM) is an international humanitarian organization whose mission is to provide medical care for the most vulnerable populations, the world over, including France. It seeks to stimulate voluntary commitment from doctors, other health care providers, and from those whose expertise in other fields is needed for its activities, to enlist all competent support required for the achievement of its projects, and to seek at all times to encourage close working relationships with populations in its care. MdM operating in Nigeria, Borno state since October 2016.

We are recruiting to fill the position of:

Job Title: General Coordinator (M / F)

Location: Maiduguri, Borno
Contract Duration: 9 months
Starting Date: 15/09/2020

Description

Under the responsibility of the desk manager based in HQ Paris, you have the overall responsibility for the strategic leadership and direction of the MdM Nigeria program.
You represent MdM and you take a leading role in developing, overseeing implementation, reviewing and monitoring of the country program strategy.
You are responsible for developing new programming initiatives, new partnerships and maintaining existing partnerships and actively leading key phases of ongoing programs including phase out.
You are responsible for promoting fundraising initiatives ensuring the smooth running of the country program and its financial & grant management as well as the program’s sustainability.
You are responsible for the overall financial and HR management and supervision over security and safety.
You supervise 2 bases within the country (Maiduguri main office and Damboa base) as well as one base in Abuja which supports operations.
You manage the coordination team: finance coordinator, HR coordinator, logistics coordinator, program coordinator, field coordinator and grants officer and supervise a team of approximately 150 people.

Management:

Elaborate and share a continuous analysis of the socio-political and humanitarian context to adjust the MdM intervention to the needs
Take the lead in defining the operational and advocacy strategy together with the coordination team and the desk officer
Provide guidance and support to the different departments as needed
Support the program coordinator in the daily management of the program
Ensure that adequate means (HR, logistics, financial, logistical) are available for the smooth running of the programs
Ensure the respect of MdM internal rules and of MdM obligations and code of ethics
Be responsible for the compliance with the objectives, rules and procedures related to the grant contracts with donors
Contribute to the yearly budget framework and its revision, justify the budget consumption per line and anticipate budget amendments
Monitor expenditure and budget compliance on a regular basis, report any concerns to the administrative coordinator and develop plans to mitigate any under or over expenditure at project level
In close coordination with the different managers, define the general organisation of the mission and the organisation chart, and propose changes in the structure
Make sure that performance appraisals are regularly conducted for the staff mission, in link with the HR coordinator
Develop capacity building strategy and activities for the mission staff

Program Designing and Coordination:

Monitor regularly the humanitarian situation in Nigeria in collaboration with the coordination team and define the MdM strategy in the country, in close collaboration with HQ
In case of substantial changes or difficulties, propose and discuss new actions with the team, and the desk officer, including the conduction of needs assessments, the reorientation of certain activities or the implementation of new activities
Analyze the context, develop a network of contacts inside and outside Nigeria in line with the humanitarian situation
Ensure global adherence to the general strategy for the Nigeria response and provide guidance to the team
Supervise the preparation of project proposals, reports and other documents requested by the donors, and ensure the quality and accuracy of documents submitted

Security:

Be responsible for the overall security of the mission and the final in-country decision making in front of national political & security authorities
Validate movements inside the country
Identify and change, if needed, the security phase of MdM mission in the country with support of the mission management team, HQ desk and HQ security focal point
Monitor the security situation, in collaboration with the liaison officer
Analyze and anticipate the security evolutions and regularly update the security guidelines
Ensure reporting to the desk manager and the rest of the team on any security incident or dangerous development
Ensure a national security plan is updated and implemented
Define and implement safety rules up to date and guarantee their application by all the team
Propose and enforce new rules or procedures, in reaction to security incidents or to changes in context, in collaboration with the liaison officer
Build the capacities of the liaison officer and the logistician coordinator in managing the team safety

Representation and Donors Relations:

Ensure regular interaction, information sharing, and collaboration with other humanitarian actors in Nigeria (UN agencies, INGOs, local NGOs), in particular with the medical organizations with similar programs
Represent MdM with the authorities and ensure a regular communication with stakeholders at central level. Representation at peripheral level can be delegated to the field coordinators, field manager and operation manager
Develop and maintain smooth relationship and network with authorities in order to facilitate the implementation of activities
Establish and develop regular contact with funding partners
Ensure a smooth collaboration with partners through regular meetings, exchange of information, joint strategies, etc.
Undertake pro-active donor prospection and propose alternative sources of funding for discussion with the HQ, and inform HQ about the results

Communication:

Ensure that the level of visibility and the public messages on the programs are in line with MdM strategic position
Be the spokesperson for MdM in Nigeria with local and international media, in coordination with HQ
Report regularly and share information with the desk manager through monthly sitreps
Ensure briefing and follow-up of teams in Nigeria, including security and program briefings for new arrivals
Ensure good information flow and maintain proper communication between the different departments

Qualifications
Profile:

Extensive experience in a similar position in the humanitarian sector
Experience in supervision and management of a large expatriate and national team
Experience in representation with humanitarian actors, authorities and donors
Experience in hard negotiations with local authorities, partners and staff
Solid experience in a volatile security context and in security management
Experience in managing health program is an asset
Ability to have a global overview of a program
Excellent communication, listening and diplomacy skills
Working previously in Nigeria or in the region is an asset
Ability to take effective decisions according to the context
Excellent knowledge of Windows environment (Word, Excel)
Languages: English is mandatory (oral and written), and knowledge of country languages such as Hausa or French would be an asset