General coordinator (head of mission) (F/M) - Iraq/Kurdistan - IQ Talent Marketplace

For more than 40 years, Médecins du Monde, a campaigning medical organisation committed to international solidarity, has been caring for the most vulnerable populations at home and abroad. It has continued to highlight obstacles that exist in accessing health care 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 currently works in 30 countries across all continents where it focuses on 5 priority areas: emergency and crisis, sexual and reproductive health, harm reduction, migrants and displaced populations (health rights), health and environment.

Iraq has been impacted by two decades of internal conflict, which left the country facing multiple political, economic, social, and security challenges. Today, despite its fragility, Iraq has entered a transitional phase of early recovery. The majority of the IDP formal camps have been closed since the majority of IDPs have returned to their areas of origin.

As a result of the context changing, the humanitarian landscape has evolved on multiple fronts. First, the needs have started shifting from humanitarian to early recovery & development. Further, the Humanitarian Cluster Coordination system has discontinued its activities in December 2022. Simultaneously, the UN and GoI / KRG have signed two transitional cooperation agreements to support the efforts of the exiting UN Clusters and GoI / KRG in ensuring sustainable and durable solutions for the returnees and the remaining IDPs, respectively.

MdM has been working in Iraq since the 1990s, aiming at supporting and strengthening the various Directorates of Health in providing quality primary health services for the most vulnerable populations – either IDPs, returnees, or host communities. Over the course of 2022, while still supporting a total of 6 PHCCs in Ninewa and Kirkuk Governorates, the mission and HQ alike initiated a reflection on strategy change. This reflection aimed to align the response to the evolving humanitarian landscape of Iraq – both in terms of needs as well as of donors ’availability.

As such, MdM planned an exit strategy that has been implemented over the course of four-month period – between January and April 2023. Simultaneously, the mission planned and carried out an initial multi-thematic rapid assessment in 4 governorates of Federal Iraq (Sulaymaniyah, Baghdad, Basra, Thi-Quar). The assessment focused on Harm Reduction and Environmental Health. The reason of this choice was two-fold: (1) a post-conflict, socially and economically depressed context such as southern Iraq is at high risk of presenting pockets of population with a high rate of drug use with a preoccupying government negligence or inadequate response in terms of harm reduction; and (2) certain areas of Iraq are prone to severe weather conditions and recurrent sandstorms – which have an impact of the general health of the population.

Following this initial rapid assessment, we decided to give priority to Harm Reduction, since it overall presented more concrete resulting elements over Environmental Health for the development of a possible project. Needless to mention the expertise MdM has developed on Harm Reduction over many years, which is not yet the case for Environmental Health.

TASKS AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

Under the supervision of the desk manager, you are responsible for the overall management of the Iraq mission.

Your main responsibilities are:

• Recruit, manage, train and motivate the mission’s team
• Define the operational and advocacy strategy together with the coordination team, the desk manager and the volunteer board delegates of the mission
• Plan and monitor activities, implement corrective action when necessary, providing technical support to the team
• Represent MdM with authorities, local actors, partners, donors and the media
• Monitor partnership agreements with partners, authorities and donors, seek out and develop new partnerships, and ensure or supervise fundraising
• Ensure the financial coverage of the mission by leading fundraising and budget management
• Draft, adapt and monitor safety regulations and procedures and coordinate crisis management in the region
• Implement and monitor the application of MdM’s programmatic and support services framework, policies and procedures
• Supervise reporting to MdM and donors.

CONDITIONS OF EMPLOYMENT:
Status : Employee Contract : Fixed-term contract
Duration : 12 mois

Starting date: February 1, 2024
Gross monthly salary: 3 363 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 and 40% by the employee)
• Insurance (repatriation…)
• Médecins du Monde promotes trainings and internal mobility

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Single posting

SKILLS AND EXPERIENCE NEEDED:

• Bachelor’s degree in social sciences, political sciences, international relations, humanitarian and international cooperation or related field
• Minimum 5 years experience in a similar position with an international NGO working in emergency contexts, preferably within the health sector, or previous field experience with MdM in different contexts.
• Experience in managing medical activities and programs focussing on health or in harm reduction/ Drug use project
• Experience in safety and security management
• Experience in leading a multi-disciplinary, multi-national team in a challenging context.
• High level of expertise in representation and negotiation with governments and donors
• Strong understanding of the humanitarian emergency operating context
• Adapt language and feedback to the audience
• Discuss, present arguments, negotiate and convince authorities and partners
• Analyze the context and the consequences of an intervention, assess the risks and constraints, and identify priorities
• Manage and follow a budget
• Identify the levers and barriers to advocacy work
• Autonomy
• Adaptability and sense of initiative

Languages: fluent in English
You embrace the core values and support the proactive philosophy of Médecins du Monde.

TELEPHONE APPLICATIONS WILL NOT BE ACCEPTED
Médecins du Monde reserves the right to fill the vacancy before the closing date for applications.
MdM stands up for the integration of people living with disabilities and fights against discrimination.