Position: Health Coordinator (Maternity Cover)
Supervisor: Deputy Director Programs
Background: The International Rescue Committee has been working in Somalia since 2006, providing essential services to conflict and disaster affected communities. The IRC has been operational in Central Somalia (Mudug and Galgadud regions) and Mogadishu implementing interventions in the areas of livelihood, Governance, protection, GBV, WASH and health reaching out to more than 200,000 conflict and drought affected people.
This is a senior, international level position, within the Somalia Senior Management Team. The position will be responsible for ensuring implementation of all aspects of IRC’s health programs in Banadir and Galmudug regions of Somalia, while striving to expand the health programs in other areas and sub-sectors. 
The position will be particularly responsible for: overseeing the development and timely implementation of program activities in line with approved budgets and proposals and following up on the project’s monitoring and evaluation activities. The temporary assigned Health Coordinator will be based in Nairobi with travels to the field. This position will work with the incumbent Health Coordinator (HC), field site Health Managers and Senior Medical Officers to roll out and follow up on implementation of proposals as well as donor and government reports. In addition, the position will provide oversight to field based staff on implementation of primary and secondary healthcare and public health interventions.
The temporary Health Coordinator will report to the Deputy Director of Programs (DDP).

Specific Responsibility
 

Representation, Coordination and AdvocacyEnhance coordination and advocacy with other health stakeholders and avoid overlap and duplication of projects with other donorsRepresent IRC in external coordination meetings with the UN/NGOs, donors, partners and government in Nairobi and the field in collaboration with the DDP; participate actively in various coordination mechanisms including Health working groups and coordination meetings to develop and maintain internal and external relationships to promote program linkagesKeep the local authorities and other project stakeholders well informed of the progress of the programBe the donor liaison on Health technical issues for the Somalia Country ProgramProgram Development and PlanningLead the development and expansion of the IRC Health sector throughout Somalia, as opportunities arise. This will involve conducting quality assessments, development of quality concept notes and proposals and development of new projects and initiativesConduct gap analysis in Puntland to identify key community needs in the area of iCCM, and if appropriate, develop an iCCM concept paper with a budgetLead the process of planning and implementation of health projects and provide ongoing quality technical support to the field teams, including, development of monthly sector plans, detailed implementation plans for each grant and establish communication channels with the fieldProgram implementation and monitoring (M&E)Work with the field teams to develop specific M&E systems for each health grant, ensure timely submission of monthly and quarterly grant reports; weekly updates; and documentation and sharing of these case studies within the organizationGenerate health data to be used internally and externally by donors and cluster systems to influence donor policies with the purpose of generating more fundingMonitor program implementation against work plans and overall project objectives, documenting progress and achievements, providing analysis and adapt program strategy and implementation accordinglyEnsure effective and high quality reporting, monitoring and evaluation systems for both internal and external use, capturing best practice to support program decision makingMaintain regular communications on program work to the DDPLead the development of realistic budgets for the health program and identify areas which require fundraisingEffectively manage health program and staff; ensure all PRs raised are in line with approved budgets, closely monitor the weekly and monthly PR tracking sheets and closely follow up on budget spending in line with budget holding responsibilitiesRequired Qualifications & Competence:Background in health preferable: medical doctorMasters degree preferably in public health or international developmentMinimum 5 years’ experience in developing, managing/coordinating health programs in a wide range of contexts such as developing/under developed countries, refugee settings, natural disasters, etcDemonstrated ability to work in insecure and inaccessible settingsExperience in nutrition interventions/integrating nutrition within primary care is highly desirableExperience in coordinating with MoH and other stakeholdersStrong management (including Remote management), assessment, project planning, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skillsProficiency in Microsoft Office Packages and Statistical Packages is a mustExcellent written and verbal communication skills in EnglishExperience implementing community outreach strategies for health is desirable
Deadline for all applications: 15th June 2014

HelpAge international East, West and Central Africa Regional Development Center seeks to recruit a Regional Head of Programmes on maternity cover 25th June, 2013 for six months.

The incumbent will be expected to contribute to the growth and development of the East, West and Central Africa region by identifying strategic partnerships, defining and implementing relevant programme areas that advance HelpAge International’s regional strategy.

He/she will be responsible for the identification, development and monitoring of HelpAge International’s programmes in the region, working with strategic partners including affiliates and partners, overseeing fundraising activities by ensuring the design and implementation of quality programmes attract donor funding, strictly adhere to standard requirements and to specific donor terms and conditions. He/she will be a member of the management team and will contribute to management decisions within the regional development centre.

The ideal candidate will have significant experience of programme development and implementation at national and regional level, experience of organisational development and fundraising work with NGOs and Community Based Organisations, understanding of policy development process as well as ability to juggle many priorities. He/she MUST have regional experience in a Senior Management position. Attached please find a detailed job description for the role.

This position is open to Kenyan Nationals or individuals who have existing authority to work in Kenya only.

Interested candidates are requested to send their application and curriculum vitae detailed how they fit into the role to hr@helpage.co.ke by 19th March, 2013.

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I know most of you have a problem writing cover letters (and CV's) going by the daily emails we get. Here is a cover letter i did for a soft engineer. The cover letter has a bonus in that it addresses the all important question of where to put the salary requirement as requested by many employers.

Date

Dear (Employer),

REF: Job Application: Senior Software Engineer: Ref 02368

In response to your job posting for a soft Engineer, I have attached my CV for your review.

My background includes 7 years of C++ programming in a high volume transaction environment. I have a passion for coding and produce high quality code, of which I am very proud.

Most recently, my experience has been in the financial services industry and specifically Banks, producing systems to assist Financial Services clients maneuver the tricky world of portfolio planning and portfolio allocation. I am confident that my experience would be an asset to your organization.

I would like to schedule a time to discuss my qualifications and see how they fit with your needs for a Senior Software Engineer. Please do not hesitate to contact me to arrange a time. I am available by phone at XXXXXX or via email at bob@dash dash.com

I look forward to your response.

Signed.

Kimani xxxxx

As requested, my salary history is:XYZ Ltd: starting salary K'sh 80,000 current salary: K'sh 97,000+ Medical Cover
XYZ Software: starting salary K'sh 60,000 ending salary: K'sh 72,000

I always say the best post topics come straight from real job seekers (like you). And this week, my idea came from a former co-worker who recently went through the whole job search process. She had two questions: "What's the best subject line for an email in response to a job ad?" and "Should you attach the cover letter to the email, or copy and paste it into the body of the email?"

I always wondered this myself, so I did some research and here's the consensus:

Jane Kamau CV for Sales Manager Position

It's straightforward and informative. It tells the recipient who you are, what you're sending, and why you're sending it.

This isn't a concrete formula, however. Since some job ads require you mention a job reference ID number when you apply, you should substitute the name of the position with the number. Example: Jane Kamau CV for Sales Job REF #5527.

Best Way to Include Your Cover Letter:Copy and paste your cover letter into the body of the email.

Why is this the preferred method? Three reasons my dear:
1) It gives the recipient one less attachment to open,

2) It gets to the point faster than writing the awkward "here is my CV and cover letter" mumbo jumbo, and

3) It gives you the ability to make an impact as soon as the recipient opens your email.

Be sure to attach your CV to your email. And as always, refer to the company's job posting and apply, using whatever guidelines they specify. Adhering to the employer's guidelines will not only ensure your documents get to the right place at the right time, it will prove that you pay attention to details and follow instructions!

Now start applying for those jobs and if you have more questions, post in the comments sections.

Chances are you went through several drafts of your CV before you submitted it to a prospective employer. You wrote and rewrote each line several times and had friends, family, even strangers proofread it or you even had a professional firm do it for you. But if you send it off without enclosing a cover letter, your hard work may never be seen. I recently had to read an email application for someone who had one line as a
cover letter. It really left me wondering about the seriousness of such a candidate.

Most HR managers, directors, recruiters or other decision makers prefer a good cover letter attached to a CV. Think of it as the first chance to stand out in a sea of applicants. Your cover letter, if done well, tells the hiring manager you are qualified for the job and a serious candidate. Perhaps more important is the opportunity to show your personality.

For this reason, many hiring managers discard any CV’s that don’t have cover letters. Omitting a cover letter tells the employer that you can’t make the effort to sell yourself and to save him or her some time. Writing a cover letter is an easy way to keep you in the game.

Here are some things to remember as you write your cover letter:
It’s your cover letter, not your memoirA lady once sent me quite a long cover letter and asked me to critique it and of course get back to her on what could be wrong. I had to actually take a minimum of 20 minutes off to read through it because it came to 2 pages of story after story which of course was irrelevant. Keep the cover letter to a few organized paragraphs that fit on one page. You want to give the reader a glimpse into your personality and your ability as an employee, but no one needs to know every little detail about your life. Being yourself doesn’t mean being your Saturday-night self. It means putting a little personality into your writing. Recruiters aren’t looking for jokes, but they do want to know a real person is applying for the job. Don’t copy someone else cover letter and send it as you. The point would be it is not you. Hiring managers read the cover letter before they (hopefully) flip the page to look at the CV. They might decide they don’t want to read the CV if your cover letter sounds like it’s restating the exact same information without offering anything new. Discuss a specific achievement or experience that shows your qualifications for the job. The cover letter and CV combined give you their attention for only two pages, so don’t waste it repeating yourself.
If your boss greeted you each morning by saying, “Hello, employee,” you’d be irked she didn’t know your name. Cover letters beginning “Dear Sir or Madam” and “To Whom It May Concern” leave similar impressions. If the job posting does not specify who will receive the applications, you are exempted and you are allowed to address it as such. If you do know the name of the person, use a formal title such as Mr., Ms. or Mrs. It adds a personal but professional touch that will be appreciated.
Sure, a paycheck would be nice, but hopefully you want this job for another reason. The company’s history, accomplishments and culture probably played a role in your decision to apply. Let the hiring manager know. It tells him or her that you’ve done your homework and are serious about being a member of the team.
Even though job hunts are increasingly taking place online, you still need to adhere to business etiquette. As you would on any professional correspondence, include your full contact information as well as the hiring manager’s name and company address. And of course, avoid any typos and grammatical errors, which include net speak (k? thx). You already know how important a cover letter is, so don’t rush through it. Treat it with the same care you used for your CV. Check your facts. Write several drafts, revise it and look it over again. Let your first impression be a good one.

The writer is a HR Officer. Corporate Staffing Services.  Reach her on Email. bettercv@staff-kenya.com for CV writing and recruitment services. www.staff-kenya.com