Medair Relief & Recovery Orientation Course (ROC) - March 2015 - Switzerland

Role and Responsibilities

If you have professional experience that matches one or more of the Medair sectors below, but you cannot see any current jobs that fit your profile, apply directly for the Medair ROC, our “Relief and Recovery Orientation Course”. We will try and match your profile to our upcoming field vacancy needs and if there is a good match, we will consider you for this or a future ROC. Everyone who works as an Internationally Recruited Staff in one of our field programmes must first successfully complete the ROC.

Project Overview

The ROC is an intensive experiential orientation to relief work with Medair. The ROC simulation includes practical exercises, research, and daily updates of changing field conditions and security bulletins. Participants experience the challenges of relief work through practical simulations and become familiar with Medair’s values, projects, and country programmes.

This 7-day course is held three/four times a year, normally in Switzerland or in Europe, occasionally in the United States. If you are accepted, the cost of the course is dependent on your relief or development experience. Each participant will be interviewed by a senior member of the Medair Human Resources team to evaluate the week and discuss their possible future with Medair in a field programme. The majority of the candidates that have successfully complete the ROC, start a career with Medair.

Medair

Medair is a humanitarian organisation inspired by Christian faith to relieve human suffering in some of the world’s most remote and devastated places. We save lives in emergencies and then stay to help people recover from crisis with dignity - working side by side with communities to leave a lasting impact. We provide a range of emergency relief and recovery services: health care and nutrition; safe water, sanitation, and hygiene; shelter and infrastructure. As signatories of the Red Cross Code of Conduct, we believe that aid should be given to everyone who is in need, regardless of political, social or religious viewpoint.

ROC Dates and Locations

ROC Course Location /Dates /Application Closing Date

Vallorbe, near Geneva, Switzerland / 28th February – 7th March 2015 / 5th January 2015

Vallorbe, near Geneva, Switzerland / 6th June – 13th June 2015 / 12th April 2015

Initial Contract Details

If a field contract is signed after the ROC, it normally ranges from (a minimum of) 12 months to 2 years

Field Workplace

Medair is currently working in Afghanistan, D.R. Congo, Haiti,Iraq, Madagascar, the Philippines, Somalia, South Sudanand Syria (regional response in Lebanon and Jordan). Field contracts given will be based in one of these countries or any new programmes that Medair starts up.

Experience / Qualifications / Trainings

Medair seeks a range of professionals with experience, qualifications and training in the following sectors:

Senior Management

• Senior managers, business executives, leaders with years of experience successfully managing teams and projects; (Project) Management experience, business administration, development studies, security management, leadership training.

Health and Nutrition

• Medical doctors, nurses, nutritionists, public / clinical health professionals, those with tropical medicine or public health training and experience, M&E officers, reproductive health specialists (including midwifes), epidemiologists and behaviour change communication specialists.

Water, Sanitation & Hygiene

• Engineering (civil, water resources, environmental), hydrologists, water treatment specialists, hygiene promotion managers, specialists in chemical contaminants, environmental health professionals, WASH programme assessors and evaluators.

Shelter and Infrastructure

• Engineers (civil / structural), or professionals with a degree in architecture, construction management or quantity surveying; we also consider construction site managers, supervisors, forepersons, clerks of works, construction managers, architectural technicians, building technologists, and built-environment specialists.

Logistics / Supply Chain

• Logistics managers, fleet managers, transport managers, facility managers, warehouse managers, procurement / purchase managers, stock managers, supply-chain managers, and import / export coordinators.

Project Support

• Business management / administration, office management, finance, accounting, logistics or HR experience.

Communications / Marketing

• Professionals with experience in communications, public relations, media, fundraising, brand management or marketing, donor relations, journalism, copywriting, and photography.

Finance / Grant Management

• Accountants, bookkeepers, and finance managers; sometimes financial consultants and advisors, business managers and account managers.

Human Resources

• Human Resources advisors, managers and generalists, sometimes HR trainers, recruitment managers, talent management professionals, and reward managers.

Information & Communications Technology

• IT managers, end-user-professionals, help-desk professionals, and LAN-support professionals, all with management experience.

For all our positions in the field, we are seeking a:

• Relevant professional qualification
• Post-graduate qualification in relief or development desirable

Languages

• Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written)
• Working knowledge of French (spoken and written) for French-speaking field programmes

Experience / Competencies required (for most field positions)

Medair is looking for candidates with the following experience and competencies:

• Minimum 1 year`s professional experience in one of the sectors referred to above
• Project management and team management experience
• Management experience desirable, especially in a relief environment
• Experience in dealing with donors and government officials desirable
• Experience in training/mentoring staff; team player with strong relational skills
• Experience in cross cultural communication techniques; diplomatic and sensitive to cross cultural issues
• Good negotiation skills, especially in the context of another culture
• Clear verbal and written communication skills; able to express views clearly
• Committed to team-building, and to consultative and servant leadership
• Planning, assessment and analytical skills; report writing and proposal writing skills desirable
• Good level of self-motivation, with a pro-active approach to work, problem solver, dynamic, mature
• Able to prioritise clearly and oversee multiple tasks
• Capacity to work under pressure and to tight deadlines
• Ability to live and work in conflict and rural environment

Medair Standard Working Requirements for the Field

• At least one year’s professional experience in a relevant field
• Committed Christians
• Commitment to Medair values (faith, hope, accountability, integrity, dignity, compassion)
• Overseas intercultural experience
• Strong working knowledge of English, spoken and written
• Working knowledge of French, spoken and written for French-speaking field programmes
• Single or married (with no children under 18). If married, your spouse must also apply.
• Competent with Office Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Outlook
• Successful completion of Medair Relief & Recovery Orientation Course (ROC)
• Reflect the vision and values of Medair when interacting with team members, local staff, beneficiaries and external contacts
• Able to live and work with a multicultural team under difficult conditions
• Strong character traits, including emotional stability, adaptability, ability to handle stress, cultural and gender sensitivity, honesty, and physically fit

Medair Benefits

If successfully placed in a field assignment after the ROC, the following benefits are provided:

• A salary based upon the grade of the position and the experience of the position-holder
• Comprehensive briefing at our Swiss headquarters, as well as an in-country briefing
• Security training for those going to particularly insecure environments
• Accommodation, food, and transportation in-country
• Return flights to and from the country programme (one return flight for every year of service)
• Rest and recuperation (R&R) leave (including travel, accommodation, and food)
• Annual leave; Disability Allowance
• Contribution matching programme for retirement savings (for experienced relief workers)
• Additional contract benefit allowance for those who commit to longer contracts
• Comprehensive medical and emergency rescue insurance, with up to 60 days post- assignment coverage, including debriefing

Working Conditions

The following are standard working conditions in our field programmes (specific locations may vary in their security situations):

• Based in the capital or main base, or in field project locations.
• Living standards are reasonably good and often the security situation is stable but this can change rapidly.
• International staff are sometimes limited in their movements and social activities.
• Some of the projects may be implemented in more remote and potentially insecure locations.
• Field visits have basic living conditions, sometimes arduous travel and potentially high levels of insecurity.

Application Process

Follow this link: www.medair.org/work-with-us, check if you are an Experienced or New Relief Worker in one of our professional sectors, and that you fit our standard working criteria, then:

a)      apply for this Medair ROC (where we can try and match your competencies to our vacancy needs), or

b)      apply for a vacancy that matches your profile.

Please do not make multiple applications. We will not review email applications. Only English-language applications / CV’s will be reviewed. Medair does not set closing / deadline dates for applications; recruitment is on-going until the position is filled.