Emergency Team Director 12-377

Job Location:

Job Description:

International Medical Corps is a global, humanitarian, nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in underserved communities worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at highest risk, and with the flexibility for rapid response to emergencies. International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

PROGRAM BACKGROUND
The influx of refugees into South Sudan since the start of 2012 has continued to rise dramatically as conflict and hunger in Sudan’s Blue Nile State drive record numbers across the border into South Sudan. The highest numbers have been recorded in Upper Nile State; latest UNHCR estimates indicate more than 110,000 refugees are in Maban County alone.

The majority of the refugees (2,000 arrivals/per day) arriving from the El-Fuj border point have been in poor physical condition after walking for days with limited access to food or water. They are reported as having had to consume leaves and insects during an average 15-day trek to the border. There have been seven confirmed deaths at the site in the past two weeks, five of which occurred on June 8 due to severe dehydration upon arrival at the camp. UNHCR plans to relocate 2,000 refugees a day from Hofra and Kilometer 18 to Yusuf Batil. After relocating roughly 30,000 refugees from the transit site to Yusuf Batil, UNHCR plans on relocating another 15,000 to 20,000 from the Jamam camp to new Gendrassa camp after heavy rains flooded the camp late-June.

International Medical Corps has been requested to urgently intervene in order to rapidly scale up health and nutrition capacity, including hygiene promotion to cover rapidly increasing needs. The diminishing water levels within all the Maban camps, poor hygiene standards and cross-contamination of water sources after the start of the rainy season have also significantly increased the risk of cholera and other communicable disease outbreaks.

JOB SUMMARY
Management of the International Medical Corps Emergency Response Team (ERT) and coordination of their deployment in order to respond to humanitarian emergencies.

ESSENTIAL DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:
Leadership
- Lead, manage and coordinate the overall contribution of the International Medical Corps

Emergency Response Team: planning, training and development
- Create a shared vision and team cohesion among the ERT
- Manage the operating principles and guidelines for the ERT
- Lead, develop and implement a coherent country response strategy that contributes to International Medical Corps global objectives
- Coordinate closely with Director of International Operations and other departments within International Medical Corps

Staff Management / HR
- Establish systems for maintaining an overview of all staff activity in pursuit of ERT aims
- Co-ordinate prioritizing of requests for ERT staff in consultation with other involved functions
- Maintain HR management tools incl. organizational charts, job descriptions, performance evaluations, disciplinary processes as per International Medical Corps policies
- Line manage staff, including regular performance management and appraisals in coordination with Operations Desks
- Ensure effective teamwork among staff

Needs Assessments and Emergency Response
- Undertake emergency field deployment and perform needs assessments as ERT leader
- Develop and maintain productive working relationships with emergency donors
- Facilitate smooth handover of programme management to the Operations desk, past the first response phase.

Representation
Influence (inter)national health and other policy and practice by:
- Represent International Medical Corps to Local & National Authorities, international donors, UN Agencies, international and national NGOs.
- Develop good working relationships with other humanitarian/emergency actors such as INGOs, UN agencies and Donors.

Administration
Ensure that appropriate logistic, administrative and financial structures and procedures appropriate for emergency response are established and / or maintained in accordance with IMC guidelines.

Security (If Security Officer has not been deployed)
- Responsible for the security of all international and national staff when deployed on needs assessments or emergency response..
- Ensure that appropriate security guidelines and procedures are established, maintained / updated regularly and adhered to by the response team.

Finance
- Oversee budget preparation, setting the parameters and the process
- Establish and / or maintain the International Medical Corps field accounting systems
- Oversee the completion and return to LA/Split of field accounts within the agreed deadlines.

Other
Carry out any other responsibilities as requested by the Director of Emergency Response and or his designee