Logistician

Job Description
Position: Logistician
Responsible To: Programme Manager
Works With: Libya response team
Location: Nalut, Libya
Contract Duration: 2 months
Starting Date: ASAP

Salary: £22,100 - £22,850 per annum (dependant on relevant experience) inclusive of
annual Cost of Living allowance.

Benefits: Insurance cover, accommodation and annual leave entitlement of 24 days per
annum rising to 30 days at the completion of 12 months of continuous
employment with Merlin.

Closing Date: Ongoing

Only short-listed applicants will be contacted. Due to the urgency of this position, applications
will be short listed on a regular basis.

Please note that this is an unaccompanied position.
Merlin International Profile
Merlin is the only specialist UK charity which responds worldwide with vital health care and medical
relief for vulnerable people caught up in natural disasters, conflict, disease and health system
collapse. Each year, Merlin helps more than 15 million people in up to 20 countries.

Context and Background

Merlin has set up a trauma orthopaedic surgical programme in Western Libya and adjacent Tunisian
border in order to support the treatment of casualties occurring in Western Libya as a consequence
of the Libyan civil war.

The Nafusa Mountains are a region pf North Western Libya with a pre-conflict population estimated
to have been around 500,000. Nalut is a major town of the region with a population estimated in
the 2006 census to be 90,000. Nalut is connected by road (60km) to the border crossing into Tunisia
at Dehehiba. As of 2 May 2011 the town is rebel held and has not been attacked or bombarded. The
majority of the civilian population, have fled as refugees across the border into Tunisia, with the
director of Nalut Hospital, estimating that only around 7,000 people remain in the town, the
majority of which are rebel combatants and there being almost no women or children still present.
Although Nalut town has not been the scene of serious fighting the border crossing with Tunisia at
Dehehiba has been hotly contested, changing hands between rebels and Government of Libya (GoL)
forces twice in the week beginning 25 April 2011.

Nalut hospital has 240 beds. A considerable proportion of the staff are expatriate (Bangaldeshi,
Ukrainian, Phillipino, North Korean), and although some of these have left the majority remain in
their posts with no stated intention of leaving. The majority of the Libyan staff also appear to have
remained in post although specific deficits do exist;
Given the relative depopulation of Nalut and its surrounding areas the hospital is very quiet, with
virtually the only admissions being combatants injured in war fighting. In the absence of aerial
bombardment and with a paucity of heavy armour or heavy weapons on either side of the conflict,
the majority of injuries are high energy transfer bullet wounds. Protocols are already in place for
transfer of orthopaedic injuries to Nalut from the outlying hospitals of Kabao (55km away), Jadu
(130km) and Zintane (170km) once life saving abdominal surgery has been undertaken, if required.
The number of bullet wounds being admitted to Nalut is estimated to be around 10-20 per week
currently.

At the time of the assessment visit, a team of UK based expatriate Libyan surgeons were in Nalut
and have now left Libya on 1 May. The hospital still has the North Korean orthopaedic surgeon who
has been in Nalut for some time.

It is possible to transfer select patients over the border into Tunisia following treatment or if their
clinical needs cannot be met at Nalut. Patients can travel through Dehiba and are reviewed and
stabilized at Dehiba stabilization centres supported by partner agencies (MSF, IMC). Patients can
then be transferred for Tataouine or, if severe, to Sfax tertiary hospital in Garbes.
Merlin concluded that, at present, Nalut Hospital is having difficulty managing the influx of patients
with war related orthopaedic injuries. Although most of the civilian population of Nalut has fled as
refugees across the border into Tunisia there is a steady stream of orthopaedic war injuries
presenting to Nalut as the hospital is the orthopaedic referral centre from the surrounding hospitals
and health centres. Although there is the potential to transfer some cases across the border for
treatment in Tataouine, for some patients this is not possible and definitive care must thus be
provided in Nalut.

For this programme Merlin requires the presence of a logistician with security background to
support the Merlin team (coordination of movements, supplies, security updates and responsibility)
deployed in the Hospital (at least 2 people, a orthopaedic surgeon and the logistician) although the
team may be increased according the needs.

OVERALL OBJECTIVES
To ensure the coordination of movements of personnel and supplies across the Tunisian border into
Libya.
To act as the Security Focal Point for the Merlin medical team established at the Nalut hospital; to
maintain regular contact with the Tunisian Security Focal Point and to develop a local network of
contacts.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES

COORDINATION
- Represent Merlin with local authorities in Nalut, particularly with the Libyan Red Crescent and
the Nalut Hospital Adminstration.
- Report to line manager in Tunisia, and liaise with other technical focal points in HO including
HR, logistics, finance and health. Provide regular sit-reps and security updates.
ADMINISTRATION AND HUMAN RESOURCES
- Maintain local cash book, petty cash box, etc.
- Start recruitment process of two drivers and one security officer.

SECURITY
- Update security risk assessment on a regular basis.
- Liaise with another INGO’s present in the area to ensure coordination of activities and
exchange of security information.
- Identify reliable local security sources and establish a local security network to allow
triangulation of information from other humanitarian actors working in the area.
- In coordination with the Libyan Red Crescent plan for movements of personnel and supplies
across the border.
- Maintain in good operational condition all the necessary communications equipment (Sat
Phones, Bgan, Mobile phones)
- responsible for doing a security check with Tunisia office (staff numbers, staff movements and
security updates)

LOGISTICS
- Plan for and prepare necessary logistical requirements for immediate project implementation.
- Identify logistical resources for project implementation such as accommodation for the Merlin
team in Nalut and vehicles when and as security situation allows it.
- In coordination with the medical team, assess and identify medical supplies and equipment
required for the implementation of the project.

RECOMMENDATIONS
a. Immediate
b. Medium-term
c. Long-term

Person Specification

Essential

Qualifications, experience and competences
• Strong experience in logistics within an international humanitarian aid programs
• Good training skills and a commitment to national staff capacity development
• Supply chain management skills, procurement, warehousing / stock control, distribution
• Demonstrated experience of managing security in a complex humanitarian environment
• Ability and flexibility to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well
with the local authorities
• Excellent management and personnel skills to enable the motivation, encouragement and
participation of team.
• Level headed and able to manage stress
• Flexible and able to easily adapt to different environments
• Strong communication skills, with excellent written and spoken English
• Confident and proficient in the use of MS Office
• Experience of a flexible approach to managing and prioritising a high workload and multiple
tasks in a fast paced environment with tight deadlines
• Experience of proactively identifying and addressing issues
• An understanding of and commitment to Merlin’s mission and values

Desirable

Qualifications, experience and competences
• Previous experience with Merlin
• Previous experience in conflict areas
• Good French and / or Arabic speaking skills
• Proven skills as good team member

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reference number (if any).

No Fee

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SOME EMPLOYERS MAY ACKNOWLEDGE RECEIPT OF YOUR APPLICATION.