MISSION SITE
Position based in Dakar, Senegal with 25 to 30% of the time spent in the field.
Desk 3 covers the following countries: Nigeria, Sudan, Ethiopia and Guinea.
FUNCTIONAL AND HIERARCHICAL LINKS
- He/She is part of the Operations team. He/She reports directly to the Program Desk Manager
- He/She works closely with the other members of the Desk
- He/She works across departments with the medical service and with all departments: finance, HR, logistics, development, communication and donors.
- He/She collaborates with the members of ALIMA’s country coordination teams for the missions covered by Desk 3
- He/She is responsible for the functional supervision and training of medical coordinators.
MAIN ACTIVITIES
The Medical Desk Manager has a triple function: he/she:
- Is responsible for defining the medical objectives of the programs on the missions;
- Provides monitoring and medical support to field teams for project implementation;
- Is the medical point of contact for monitoring staff health.
Furthermore, like any manager in the organization, and based on the practical questions he/she encounters, he/she contributes to the reflection on ALIMA’s role and operational orientations.
Description of responsibilities:
1. Definition of the medical objectives of the projects:
The Medical Desk Manager position is central, given the medical nature of ALIMA’s operations. He/She:
- Is at the forefront, in collaboration with the field, to identify the medical needs of the population and the medical issues to be addressed.
- Therefore, it plays a major role in defining projects.
- Must anticipate the evolution of projects by identifying interesting medical questions, ways to advance them, knowing about any new developments, assessing feasibility, etc.
- Responsible for evaluating medical projects, identifying difficulties and is the source of proposals for reorientation.
- Responsible for verifying the medical objectives, medical indicators, and medical budgets of project proposals. Therefore, he/she participates in drafting project documents intended for ALIMA as well as for donors.
- Actively participates in Desk meetings, debriefings and, at the request of the Director of Operations, presents medical issues to the management committee.
- Knows the operational plan, the association’s medical ambitions and research objectives.
- Defines and participates in the writing of pilot medical projects and must therefore follow the international medical context on the issues addressed by the projects, aided in this task by the medical and research department.
2. Field support for project implementation:
The Medical Desk Manager supports country teams in project implementation. He/She:
- Ensures that the objectives, expected results, resources and indicators are known by the field teams.
- Ensures the completeness and promptness of the transmission of reports (medical and pharmacy) and databases of the countries monitored by the desk.
- Supports field staff in periodic analyses of project medical data for better monitoring of their implementation.
- Ensures regular monitoring of diseases with epidemic potential in our countries of intervention and participates in proposing the response strategy in the event of an epidemic.
- Actively contributes to improving the quality of care, in conjunction with the medical department.
- Ensures that the fields have the necessary medical documentation, statistical tools and appropriate medical orders.
- Ensures the monitoring and evaluation of projects, identifies problems, and proposes adjustments.
- Validates medical orders in line with medical activity assumptions and the agreed budget.
- Reads and makes observations on medical reports and the medical sections of the schedules.
- Check in the interim and final reports that the medical activities are correctly described.
- Focuses the field on the staff health policy.
3. Responsible for monitoring medical staff:
The Medical Desk Manager oversees the medical staff on missions. He/She:
- Participates in and validates the recruitment of the mission’s medical coordinator in agreement with the head of the partner NGO where applicable (all managers of the joint project – ALIMA or partner NGO must be validated by both parties).
- Supervises and supports the medical coordinator. He/She establishes objectives in conjunction with the Head of Mission and contributes to the evaluation once a year (minimum) with his/her hierarchical superiors (Head of Mission and/or Head of the partner NGO).
- Ensures the briefing and debriefing of ALIMA medical and paramedical staff and partner NGOs in the various fields.
- Identifies potential and participates in the development of a career path for certain medical executives with the HR manager.
4. Participates in discussions on ALIMA’s strategic directions:
The Medical Desk Officer is responsible for fostering reflection on ALIMA’s role, positioning, structure, objectives, etc. They play a key role in ALIMA’s advocacy on important medical issues and participate in various meetings organized on these topics. They are particularly responsible for leading discussions on medical problems.
5. Prevention against abuse.
The Medical Desk Manager is familiar with PSEA ALIMA policies. He/She:
- Participate in training sessions and awareness sessions
- Applies standards relating to the prevention of abuse
- Ensures that members of his team attend training and awareness sessions and apply standards related to abuse prevention
- Contributes to creating and maintaining a nurturing and protective environment
EXPERIENCES and SKILLS
Formation
- Doctorate in medicine and registration with the medical board of his country of origin or residence;
- Specialization in public health or tropical medicine would be an asset.
Experience
- Proven experience in a similar position or in coordination positions (Minimum 2 years);
- Experience and good knowledge of humanitarian medical projects;
- Experience in actively managing emergencies and responding to epidemics would be an asset.
- Experience in writing project proposals would be an asset.
Aptitudes
- Ability to problematize and summarize key medical topics and set priorities;
- Ability to analyze medical data in relation to intervention strategies;
- Ability to identify difficulties, anticipate risks and formulate recommendations;
- Ability to optimize one’s position in line with the objectives and resources of the association;
- Managerial skills; organizational and negotiation skills; communication and interpersonal skills;
- Expertise in training, coaching and supporting teams;
- Ability to work in a team;
- Autonomy and ability to delegate;
- Good writing skills.
LANGUAGES
- Good command of French and English (written and spoken).
CONDITIONS
Contract duration : Indefinite-term contract under Senegalese law with a trial period of 3 months renewable once, i.e. a maximum of 6 months.
Start date : ASAP
Salary :
- A gross monthly salary of 2,462,038 CFA francs ;
- A travel allowance of 772,303 CFA francs;
- A housing allowance varying between 2 and 5% of gross monthly salary depending on family composition for employees recruited internationally.
Other advantages:
- 33 days of paid leave per year and a system of recovery days for travel;
- Coverage of school fees for dependent children of school age, within the limits of ALIMA ceilings and according to the conditions of the policy in force;
- Supplementary health coverage and evacuation provided by ALIMA for the employee and their dependents.
For employees recruited internationally
- Two return air tickets per year in the country of residence covered for the employee, including one return ticket per year for their dependents according to the applicable policy;
- An initial installation bonus in Dakar according to the conditions of the policy in force.
How to apply
To apply, please submit a CV in PDF format and a cover letter to our online site before 05/02/2026 .
Applications are processed in the order they are received.
ALIMA reserves the right to close the offer before the initially indicated deadline if a candidate is successful.
Only complete applications (CV in PDF format + Cover Letter) will be considered.
Applications from women are strongly encouraged.