Head of Mission - South Sudan - M/F

The ALIMA SPIRIT: ALIMA's purpose is to save lives and care for the most vulnerable populations, without any discrimination based on identity, religion or politics, through actions based on proximity, innovation and the alliance of organizations and individuals. We act with humanism, impartiality and respect for universal medical ethics. In order to access patients, we are committed to intervening in a neutral and independent manner.

THE VALUES and PRINCIPLES of our action, inscribed in our CHARTER :

1. The patient first
2. Revolutionizing humanitarian medicine
3. Responsibility and freedom
4.  Improve the quality of our actions
5. To trust
6. Collective intelligence

ALIMA promotes and defends the principles of fundamental human rights. ALIMA has a zero-tolerance approach to perpetrators of gender-based and sexual violence and to inaction in the face of suspected or actual violence. The protection of those who benefit and are impacted by our intervention is our top priority in everything we do. Everyone who collaborates with ALIMA is committed to :

• Respect the charter, the code of conduct, the institutional policies including the policy of protection against abuse of power and gender and sexual violence, the policy of prevention of corruption and fraud;
• Report violations of policies, framework documents and procedures to a supervisor, manager or referral agent 

CARING - INNOVATING - TOGETHER:

Since its inception in 2009, ALIMA has treated more than 6 million patients, and today deploys its operations in 12 countries in Africa. In 2019, we have developed 41 humanitarian medical response projects to meet the needs of populations affected by conflict, epidemics and extreme poverty. All of these projects are in support of national health authorities through 330 health facilities (including 28 hospitals and 300 health centers). We work in partnership with local NGOs whenever possible to ensure that our patients benefit from expertise wherever it is available, whether in their country or in the rest of the world. In addition, to improve the humanitarian response, we conduct operational and clinical research projects, particularly in the areas of malnutrition and viral hemorrhagic fevers. ALIMA also conducts operations in response to the covid-19 pandemic in all our missions.

OUR PROJECT THEMES: 

Malnutrition, Sexual and reproductive health including gender-based violence, Primary and secondary health, Pediatrics, Malaria, Epidemics (Hemorrhagic fevers, meningitis, Cholera, Measles, Dengue, Covid-19).

OUR COUNTRIES OF INTERVENTION: 

Mali, Burkina Faso, Central African Republic, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, Democratic Republic of Congo, Cameroon, Guinea, South Sudan, Mauritania and Senegal. 

ALIMA IN SOUTH SUDAN

ALIMA has a renewed and strategically anchored presence in South Sudan, building on an initial operational cycle (2017–2021) during which the organisation implemented integrated medical and nutritional programmes in Northern Bahr El Ghazal, Western Bahr El Ghazal and Central Equatoria (Juba). After suspending its activities in 2021, ALIMA reassessed its positioning in early 2025 in response to the regional spillover of the conflict in Sudan, increased population displacement and a marked deterioration in health, nutrition and epidemiological surveillance indicators. An exploratory mission was conducted in March 2025. Based on these findings, ALIMA re-established an operational presence focused on Northern Bahr El Ghazal (Aweil East and Aweil Centre), two counties characterised by high population density, fragile health systems and some of the worst maternal and paediatric indicators in the country.

ALIMA's current programme in Northern Bahr El Ghazal aims to reduce excessive mortality and morbidity through a three-pronged approach:

1. Strengthening BEmONC services at Maper PHCC (Aweil Centre) and Akwem PHCC (Aweil East)

This includes 24/7 operational maternity capacity, rehabilitation of labour, delivery and postpartum rooms, strengthening of CPN/CPON services, and improved referral pathways to CEmONC facilities through ambulances. Capacity building covers IPC, management of obstetric emergencies, neonatal resuscitation, family planning and maternal care, complemented by an expansion of community activities through the training and motivation of 20 midwives.

2. Strengthening paediatric care for children under 15

ALIMA is increasing OPD and IPD capacity at Akwem PHCC, including a 14-bed stabilisation unit, while strengthening EPI and preventive services for children, PCI, waste management, and expanding community mobilisation through training and support for 10 community health workers (CHWs).

3. Strengthening malaria prevention and management during the July-November season

This includes six Test & Treat points located in high-incidence payams, strengthening consultation teams, and adding 10 beds seasonally at Akwem PHCC.

ALIMA's anchoring aims to complement and strengthen the existing humanitarian and health landscape in Northern Bahr el Ghazal. In Aweil East, the Health Sector Transformation Project (HSTP) supports a limited number of PHCCs/PHCUs with basic services, while ACF implements small-scale health and nutrition activities funded by ECHO. At the secondary level, Aweil State Hospital (ASH) is supported by MSF, which provides CEmONC services, specialised paediatric care and management of complicated nutritional cases. However, ASH remains severely congested, particularly for maternity and paediatric admissions.

In this ecosystem, ALIMA fills a critical gap by providing comprehensive BEmONC services, paediatric stabilisation capacity and seasonal reinforcement of the malaria response in strategically located PHCCs in Aweil East and Aweil Centre. Strengthening the primary level reduces pressure on the ASH and optimises referrals, allowing MSF to focus on the most complex obstetric and paediatric cases.

Priority 

During the assignment, the HOM’s primary priorities will be to:  

• Programme design and implementation: Able to conduct thorough health and humanitarian analyses, assess medical needs, and design and implement appropriate activities with the project team, in close collaboration with the country coordination.
• Programme monitoring and evaluation: Monitors the evolution of the context and adjusts activities accordingly. Ensures the efficient and appropriate deployment of resources and leads the collection of information needed for activity reports.
• Team leadership and supervision:Leads, supervises, and supports the team while fostering a clear understanding of the project’s objectives and strategic priorities.
• Team safety and security management:Has proven experience in security analysis and risk management. Builds and maintains a network of formal and informal relationships around the project. Assesses risks and threats linked to the implementation of project activities.
• Representation and negotiation:Represents the organisation with local authorities and stakeholders. Negotiates humanitarian access and protects operational space.
• PSEA compliance:Ensures that staff, partners, and community members are aware of ALIMA’s PSEA policy and have access to information on reporting mechanisms and focal points.
• Establish and secure funding for 2026 and 2027;

Project-specific profile requirements: 

In addition to the core requirements in the job description, candidates should demonstrate experience in:  

• Analysis and strategic planning
• Representation and Partnership:
• Search for funding and donor relations
• Implementation, monitoring, evaluation of activities 
• Supervision and management of support departments
• Human Resources Management
• Implementation of prevention measures against abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence

PROTECTION OF BENEFICIARIES AND COMMUNITY MEMBERS 

Level 3: As part of his/her duties, the incumbent will visit programs and come into contact with children and/or vulnerable adults. Therefore, a criminal record check or a certificate of good character will be required. In situations where a criminal record or character reference is not available, a statement of good character will be required.  

MISSION AND MAIN ACTIVITIES

• Under the authority of the Head of Emergency department based in Dakar, you will be responsible for implementing the Country operational strategy validated by the desk, the management and the Board of Directors.
• In close collaboration with the NGO partners, with the objective of guaranteeing the quality of the programs and strengthening the NGO partners, you will have to: launch initiatives, define the objectives of each department and give the means to the coordinator to achieve them. You will plan, organize and coordinate all activities of the mission and find solutions when necessary.

1.       Analysis and strategic planning

• Analyze the humanitarian, political, economic and social context of the country;
• Anticipate the evolution of the humanitarian context and define scenarios in order to ensure the preparation of teams for emergencies;
• Coordinate with each department (logistics, medical, HR, finance) to develop the country contingency plan (EPREP);
• With the support of the medical coordinator and the project teams, identify and analyze the humanitarian and medical needs requiring an intervention of ALIMA (exploratory missions, analysis of field data);
• Based on the needs analysis and the contributions of other coordinators, propose a relevant operational strategy (operational objectives, operational setup, means, timeline...);
• Coordinate the definition of an overall strategic framework for the mission, in the medium/long term (3 years) based on humanitarian and medical needs, internal capacities and identified opportunities;
• Responsible for drafting the mission's annual action plan;
• Coordinate the annual operational review exercises (mini MAP and MAP) and ensure their presentation to the headquarters teams;

2.       Representation and Partnership:

• Meet regularly with humanitarian aid actors, particularly in the health/nutrition and emergency sectors, to ensure proper coordination of actions in the field and pooling of resources. Participate in sectoral and inter-sectoral coordination meetings and convey ALIMA's position and strategic vision;
• Maintain close relations and regular exchanges with the administrative and health authorities at the national level (signature and respect of the MoU with the Ministry of Health, registration in the country, activity report, ethics committee...);
• Identify, develop and maintain a network of collaborators (NGOs, donors, embassies, national authorities, universities, scientific research actors, media, civil society...);
• Organize and lead the partnership within the mission: identify potential partners, support partners, evaluate partnerships;
• Supervise the proper conduct of technical and financial partner visits to projects (donor visits, etc.) in collaboration with the relevant coordinators;
• Define advocacy issues, in collaboration with the Desk Manager, the Medical Desk Referent, and bring them to the attention of identified stakeholders;
• Intervene in clusters and national technical meetings to feed and influence the definition of humanitarian/medical needs and operational priorities. Advocate at the national level to ensure that humanitarian and medical needs identified by ALIMA are taken into account in country action plans (e.g. HNO, HRP).

3.      Search for funding and donor relations

• Identify potential new donors and funding opportunities at the mission level;
• Maintain regular links with donors in the country of intervention;
• Responsible for writing responses to calls for projects;
• Responsible for the validation and submission of interim and final reports, with the support of the desk team.

4.       Implementation, monitoring, evaluation of activities 

• Capitalization of information necessary for a possible advocacy/communication;
• Ensures, with the technical expertise of the medical coordinator, that each project has a monitoring and evaluation plan and the appropriate tools to track the quality of activities;
• Supervises, mentors and supports the project coordinators in the implementation of projects and assists them in the management of the projects. He or she is their line manager.

 5.       Supervision and management of support departments

• Support for the planning of medical, logistical and administrative activities;
• Supervises, with the support of the desk's technical manager, the finance department to ensure proper management of the mission's financial (budget, cash flow forecast) and administrative resources;
• Supervises, with the support of the desk's technical manager, the logistics department, ensuring the proper management of material resources  (transport,  communication, premises, equipment, etc.) for the mission;
• Supervises, with the support of the desk's technical manager, the HR department  and ensures good human resources management (updated organization chart, recruitment planning, conflict management...) of the mission. 

6.    Security : Responsible

• Analysis of the evolution of the situation linked to the political and security problems of the country of intervention;
• Analysis of the context and the risks involved;
• Validation and update of safety rules;
• Control of the transmission of the safety rules and their respect in all the collaborators on the mission;
• Decision after agreement of the headquarters to evacuate a base or the mission if necessary;
• Is responsible, according to the ALIMA procedure, for the management of incidents / in particular major incidents (loss of contact...);
• He reports to the desk any information related to the security of his teams and any incident according to the procedures in force.

7.       Human Resources Management

• Define job profiles and performance objectives for team members;
• To carry out the assessments of its team in an approach of professional course;
• Facilitate training activities to develop and strengthen the skills of teams on HR and cross-functional issues;
• Propose and support job changes in accordance with ALIMA policies;
• Propose and anticipate secondments;
• Promote staff mobility (internal and external) within the framework of current policies;
• Identify the skills that team members need to acquire to master their positions and organize training to reinforce them;
• Organize and facilitate team meetings.

8.       Communication:

• Initiate testimony and participate in advocacy if necessary;
• Participation in donor and public education;
• Participation in the external communication of the association of the country of intervention.

9.       Development of computer tools

• Push the use of the drive in information sharing and archiving;
• Provide ALIMA employees with the means to train in the use of these tools.

10.   Implementation of prevention measures against abuse of power, gender-based and sexual violence:

• Make the diagnosis and develop an action plan that will be revised regularly;
• Organize, with the support of the head office referent, and participate in training and awareness sessions;
• Ensure that team members, partners (including Ministry of Health staff), and community members attend trainings and awareness sessions and apply abuse prevention standards;
• Participation in incident management;
• To help create and maintain a nurturing and protective environment.