Country Director
About Medical Teams International
Medical Teams International provides medical and dental care, humanitarian aid, and holistic development programs to all people in need, regardless of religion, nationality, sex, or race. They respond to disasters around the world by sending teams of volunteer medical professionals and medical supplies to care for the sick and injured. They also mobilize long-term health promotion initiatives, collaborating with established partners within each community to ensure that their programs have a sustainable impact.
Role Objectives
MTI’s work in Syria is centred on their partnership with a young and dynamic NGO based in Turkey. Relationships are essential in this role: as well as nurturing and building on this relationship with their partner you will build others with the Turkish government, donors, UN agencies and other humanitarian organizations.
This is a blank canvas and you will be able to develop programmes as you see fit. Much of the approach and the decisions regarding MTI’s work in Turkey and northern Syria will be yours. The work is likely to be delivered in some of partnership, either with existing partners or others you have established yourself. You will also be expected to secure funding and pursue some of the many opportunities to grow and diversify MTI’s operations. By being involved in cluster systems and having a good relationship with partners and other organizations you will put MTI into a good position to access the funding which is available to good organizations.
About you
You are entrepreneurial and will relish coming in and building from scratch, taking the opportunity and space to create something new. A self-sufficient person, you don’t need to rely on direction, systems or processes when it comes to designing and building programmes. There will be strong personalities around you, so your energy and flexibility to keep things moving towards MTI’s goals will be essential.
You know how to obtain funding, are well-connected to networks and donors, and have a good understanding of Turkey and the Syrian crisis. You are able to navigate government regulations, rules and laws without putting a foot wrong. Your ability to communicate and establish relationships allows you to build and use your influence. You have a good feel for donor relations and are able to write and submit proposals. Knowledge of the US government, the UN and WHO would be an advantage, as would an ability to communicate in Turkish or Arabic.
Essentials
We expect you to demonstrate that you are:
- Entrepreneurial: can identify gaps and opportunities, working with limited guidance from the centre.
- Resilient and disciplined: you can work in tough environments and also know and understand the importance of laws and regulations, following them to the letter
- Able to work in partnerships: can work through and with existing partners, as well as building relationships with new partners
- A fundraiser: able to write proposals and obtain funding from a range of donors
- Strategic: can design and manage operations that make use of the capabilities of MTI and its partners to respond to people’s needs.