Medical Officer NOC | Kinshasa | DRC

Qualified women and people with physical impairments are strongly encouraged to apply.

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity.

It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

JOB TITLE****:

Medical Officer

TYPE OF CONTRACT:

Fixed - Term

GRADE:

NOC

DUTY STATION (City, Country):

Kinshasa, Democratic Republic of Congo

DURATION:

12 months initial

NUMBER OF POSITION:

1

WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world's largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly, women and children, can access the nutrition food they need.

DRC is one of the largest hunger crisis in the world. Hunger and conflict fuel one another, with armed conflict and widespread displacement prevailing for the past 25 years and multiple other crises compounding DRC’s humanitarian challenges. North Kivu, South Kivu and Ituri are the provinces where war and unrest have been the most protracted. Three out of every four internally displaced people live with host families, many of whom were already just scraping by before taking in strangers in need. The number of acutely food-insecure people stands at 27 million, making access to food a daily struggle for a significant part of the Congolese population. An estimated 3.4 million children are acutely malnourished.

The escalating insecurity situation in Eastern DRC is worsening the humanitarian situation in the region. Information compiled by OCHA and its partners indicates that increased fighting in Ituri, Nord-Kivu and Sud-Kivu has resulted into millions of people being in urgent need of life-saving food assistance.

Considering these challenging circumstances, WFP is using various approaches/modalities and methods to be able to provide food assistance to the displaced persons. These modalities include CBT, capacity strengthening as well as general food distribution, and need to be closely monitored and supervised.

The presence of a finance and administrative officer is to support these transactions as well as lead the office to be compliant in the various demands and activities. The aim of the finance and administration officer is to ensure proper management of the Finance and Administration functions under Bunia Field Office as well as ensure funds are disbursed in accordance with authorizations and legitimate documentation as per IPSAS regulations. In addition, the finance and administration officer will support and ensure a proper oversight of CBT and all the distribution methods used to provide food assistance to the displaced persons.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:

The role is based in Kinshasa, DRC Country Office, and reports administratively to Country Director and technically to the Regional Medical Officer based in Johannesburg – South Africa. The local healthcare system in parts of DRC is weak and cannot at present assure reliable access to the required level of health support in all the locations where WFP is operating. The COVID 19 pandemic has aggravated the situation. WFP is strengthening access to healthcare services within the framework of the DRC MAT (WFP clinics). Working closely with the RBJ staff wellness team, WEL HQ team, and other actors as appropriate (Security / Human resources / administration units etc.), the Medical Officer will spearhead healthcare support to staff.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES (not all inclusive):

The Medical Officer will be responsible for the following key duties:

• Contributes to the design and coordination of delivery of medical services in the DRC for efficient and effective promotion, prevention and protection of the health and safety of WFP staff following the Wellness Strategy and the Country Strategic objective.
• Manages, advises, and reports on all health and safety matters related to staff including on Covid-19 pandemic and health and safety challenges, liaising with the DRC MAT, the UN Clinic, WHO and Ministry of Health, preparing and delivering preventive communications.
• Spearhead compliance to applicable UN WFP medical protocols and recommendations (HIV/AIDS, first-aid training PEP kit country specific protocols including PICT and VCCT).

• Support the management and monitoring of the implementation of the Service Level Agreement or Memoranda of Understanding on shared UN field medical services to WFP staff.

• Coordinate with DRC MAT, UN clinic, and local medical facilities to ascertain proper medical care rendered and establish a referral list, whilst monitoring and verifying appropriateness, reasonableness and customary nature of major medical bills as required.

• Implement staff health training (e.g., COVID-19 awareness, malaria prevention, first aid training); Follow-up of occupational health and safety issues in terms of prevention and promotion

• The Medical Officer is NOT the primary care physician of WFP Staff; however, s/he does provide first aid emergency services in response to accidents occurring in the workplace.

• Provides orientation to staff /dependents on health issues

• Preventive medical guidance to staff on measures to be applied during field missions

• Surge capacity in emergency response including mass casualty incidents.

• Participates in pre planning of WFPs Emergency response operations (e.g., food distributions) to ensure appropriate health protection measures in place.

• Proposes, assesses, updates as needed SOPs for staff protection, in specific higher risk occupational settings (e.g., food distributions, ports and warehouses with casual laborers, drivers and cleaners).
• Coordinates with health sector colleagues on the UNCTs to improve healthcare access for UN staff and family members.
• Assesses and responds to increase of disease incidents among WFP staff, outbreaks or other environmental hazards that could have impact on WFP’s operations and recommend mitigating measures.
• Monitors WFP activities and needs involving health issues: Road traffic accidents involving physical harm to third parties, management of mortal remains
• Coordinates with staff counselor to implement programs on stress or other psychological concerns and coordinates assistance to staff.

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Education:

• Doctor in Medicine.

  • Postgraduate medical qualification in one of the medical specialties, e.g., emergency medicine, internal medicine, occupational health and safety, public health or similar.
  • Current registration license to practice medicine in own country or any UN member state is required.

  Experience:

• Have vast experience in disease outbreak response and emergencies

  • Minimum 5 years of progressive professional experience in healthcare with at least 2 years in an international organization
  • At least five (5) years progressive experience and practice in general medicine in developing countries or countries in conflict.
  • An asset would be experience within the UN system, or similar NGO.

  Knowledge & Skills:

• Creation of training programmes, workshop & presentation training

  • Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter.
  • Excellent communication, presentation and drafting skills.
  • Experience in emergency management (crisis or disaster medicine), travel medicine, tropical and infectious disease.
  • Knowledge of addressing the psychosocial needs of humanitarian workers.
  • Project management
  • Formal training in CPR and, preferably in BCLS and ACLS or equivalent emergency medical care
  • Is conscientious and efficient in meeting commitments, observing deadlines, and achieving results
  • Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges
  • Remains calm in stressful situations

  Languages:

• Fluency (Oral and written) in French and English.

  DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

11/04/2023

Ref.: VA 674367

Kindly note the only documents you need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter****. Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc may potentially be requested at a future time.

For candidates who experience problems accessing WFP E-recruitment platform and need accommodations in applying, please contact [email protected] mentioning the VA number in the subject line.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.