SENIOR MEDICAL OFFICER

Job Title:	Senior Medical Officer
Grade:	P4
Section:	Medical Unit
Reports to:	Chief of Integrated Support Services
Duty Station:	Mogadishu, Somalia

2.    JOB PURPOSE:

The Senior Medical Officer serves as the Chief Medical Officer (CMO) of the Mission, under the delegated authority of the Chief of Integrated Support Services (CISS). The CMO is responsible for the provision and maintenance of all clinical services in the mission area, except for services offered out of contingent-owned level 1 medical facilities. The CMO is responsible for the management, oversight, provision, and reporting on all clinical activities that may incur costs to the mission.

3.    MAIN DUTIES AND RESPONSIBILITIES:

•        Serve as the Chief Medical Officer and the head of the of the Mission Medical Unit;

•        Counsel staff on travel and preventive medicine

•        Provide first aid and emergency treatment

•        Responsible for budgeting and disbursement of funds for the medical cost centre in the mission;

•        Responsible for verifications of sick leave notes, MIP medical bills and evaluation of entry examination of locally employed staff;

•        Medically responsible for initiating and technically evaluating contracts with providers of medical evacuations and specialist and hospital services to mission members;

•        Serve as the point of contact between the mission administration and Medical Unit, which develops and supervises the medical support plan, and is the AU-HQ point of contact for all matters of AUOE medical support and COE;

•        Serve as the primary civilian point of contact between the uniformed planning and operational elements and the clinically and financially accountable elements in the area of the Chief of Integrated Support Services;

•        Plan, direct, advise and supervise all AUOE activities relating to the mission’s medical support plan;

•        Responsible for authorising medical evacuations in mission, and for liasing with AU-HQ in all matters of out of mission evacuation;

•        Where requested by the mission COE unit, conduct functional inspections, assessments, and surveys in all medical facilities;

•        In cooperation with the mission HIV/AIDS focal point and the Force Medical Officer is responsible for awareness training of mission staff and compliance with a comprehensive mission policy on HIV/AIDS;

•        Responsible for propagating an efficient policy on malaria prophylaxis for all personnel;

•        In cooperation with relevant Sections, initiate and run campaigns promoting road safety, workplace safety and accident prevention;

•        Responsible for setting up a system to verify standard, safety and hygiene of buildings and accommodation for the mission and its employees, where requested;

•        Co-ordinate cooperation on medical matters between all TCC medical facilities and AUOE level 1 facilities, other organisations, Governmental and Non-Governmental-Organizations (NGOs) and local health authorities, within the Mission area;

•        Oversee the collection and reporting of epidemiological and casualty data from all AUOE facilities, as required by AUHQ, and relay compiled mission statistics (Military as well as civilian) to the Medical Support Unit at the AU Commission;

•        Notify relevant agencies of incidents involving severely ill, wounded or deceased AU staff members, and follow up on their condition, treatment, evacuation and repatriation;

•        Maintain ongoing assessment and control to secure that medical services offered to AU personnel by contracted facilities maintain internationally acceptable standards and are prudently billed;

•        Responsible for supplies, distribution and asset control in the mission medical warehouse, as well as asset control of all AUOE medical assets; and

•        Perform any other tasks as directed/requested.

4.    QUALIFICATIONS

Doctorate (MD) in Medicine required with residency in a medical specialty, preferably internal medicine is required. Additional training in tropical medicine highly desirable.

5.    EXPERIENCE

At least 8 years post internship clinical experience as a medical practitioner in a recognized medical facility. Previous experience in a peacekeeping mission is a highly desirable, as is managerial experience. Experience in a tropical environment, in an AU or UN medical facility, emergency care and family medicine would be an asset.

6.     SKILLS AND COMPETENCIES REQUIRED

•         Ability to work closely with governments, NGOs and multi-lateral institutions in complex political affairs, peace and security undertakings

•         Working knowledge of several of the following fields: occupational health, travel medicine, public health, and acute care

•         Analytical skills and ability to make timely and appropriate decisions in any medical situation

•         Ability to interpret medical information/data, to summarise findings and to contribute to draft reports and policies

•         High level of initiative and independence, including the ability to make medical decisions

•         Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges

•         Remains calm in stressful situations

•         Empathy, tact and discretion in dealing with patients

•         Ability to deal with administrative issues and to supervise staff

•         Delegates the appropriate responsibility, accountability and decision-making authority

•         Computer literate and well versed in the use of the Internet, Power Point, Excel and Word including working knowledge of an occupational health record system

•         Excellent writing, negotiating, analytical and communication skills

•         Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required

•         Ability to work in a multicultural setting

•         Must be prepared to work in a hardship, highly pressurized and sometimes hazardous environment.

7.     AGE REQUIREMENT:

Candidates must preferably be between 35 to 50 years old.

8.    LANGUAGE REQUIREMENT:

Fluency in spoken and written English is required. Knowledge of other working languages of the African Union would be an added advantage (Arabic, French and Portuguese).

9.    GENDER MAINSTREAMING:

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

10.  TENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The appointment shall be for an initial period of one (1) year, the first three (3) months of which shall be on probation. It shall be renewable subject to performance and availability of funds.

11. REMUNERATION: The salary attached to the position is an annual lump-sum of US$ 113,483.60 inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and

US$ 101,878.35 inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff

Applications must be made through the AUC E-recruitment Website http://www.aucareers.org not later than12^th November 2012.

Directorate of Administration and Human Resource Management

African Union Commission

Addis Ababa (Ethiopia)