Education Training and Advocacy Director – In Country

Who We Are

Mercy Ships is a global faith-based charity that uses hospital ships to bring life-changing surgeries and transformational medical training to people in some of the most challenging contexts along the African coast. For over 40 years, Mercy Ships has been delivering lasting hope and healing through safe surgical care, while working alongside partners and stakeholders to strengthen local healthcare systems in more than 55 countries. Since the inception of this dream by founders Don and Deyon Stephens in 1978, Mercy Ships has served more than 2.7 million direct beneficiaries without regard for race, gender, or religion.

The Opportunity

Do you have a heart for the hurting and a desire to invest your talents and experiences into a mission with eternal significance? For every transformative surgery that takes place onboard one of our Mercy Ships, there are dozens of men and women being used of the Lord to prepare through their vocational gifts and talents!

$68,000 USD- Compensation listed is for U.S. hires only. Actual compensation may vary dependent upon location of hire

Job Summary

2 Vacancies; 1 Long-Term Role for an ETA Director: In-Country of Madagascar & In-Country Ghana

The Education, Training and Advocacy (ETA) Director leads, develops, and manages the ETA team in-country through program/project design, collaboration, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation and reporting, in collaboration with internal stakeholders and in alignment with established approval processes. Engage and manage stakeholder and partner relationships and lead on program/project co-design with support from Program Design, Monitoring, Evaluation, Learning and Development (PDMELD). Support ETA teams to implement projects towards achievement of programmatic goals and work together with MELD to evaluate the impact of projects.

How You’ll Contribute

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty satisfactorily.

Leadership and Management:

• Provide leadership and direction to the ETA team in the execution of their duties and responsibilities as delegated to them. This includes oversight management of all ETA projects which could include courses, all land-based projects, and donations and support the development of on-ship skill sharing, residency rotations/fellowships for the field service based on the expressed training needs of the country.
• Supervise, encourage, and coach direct reports, providing regular feedback and spiritual leadership to ensure that they are functioning effectively and growing spiritually.
• Develop national staff in administration, financial management and project management skills to support their career development.
• Ensure an empowering work environment for staff performance.
• Prioritize and balance different project objectives, support staff, and logistical and financial resources to maximize sustainable outcomes of ETA projects for both the partner nation and Mercy Ships.
• Oversee and establish clear lines of communication between training participants, national hospitals, and the ship hospital (when in field service).
• Coordinate between ship leadership, land-based leadership, and cross-departmental support to ensure delivery of education and training projects to the highest standard.
• Ensure performance evaluations of team members, providing effective feedback, including goal setting, to encourage personal growth.

Project Development and Implementation:

• Hold overall responsibility for the development and implementation of all aspects of ETA projects within the country of engagement.
• Provide leadership in the development of strategic plans and budgets for all ETA programs in the country.
• Collaborate with Mercy Ships International Programs (Senior Director of Education, Training and Advocacy and Senior Director of Programs Design & Evaluation) for the assessment, co-design, and implementation of ETA projects in the country of engagement.
• Collaborate with PDMELD for all necessary project documentation including project plans, partnership agreements, and final reports.
  • Includes development of project budgets, required equipment/supply lists, staffing requirements, etc.
• Collaborate with MELD and the MEL Specialist in-country on the design, development and implementation of monitoring, evaluation, and learning plans.
• Prepare internal and final reports on projects in conjunction with the Senior Director of ETA and PDMELD in a timely manner.
• Ensure project learning is documented by the team in an effective way to ensure continuous improvement and incorporation into current and future project work.
• Work with People & Culture to recruit and onboard in-country ETA staff.
• Support ETA Program Officer(s) to implement projects.
• Perform ongoing on-site evaluations as necessary, of all ETA projects (including those implemented by partners) for quality-control assurance.
• Ensure that records of all ETA projects are well-maintained and reported on time.

Communication & Relationship Management:

• In collaboration with the Senior Director of Education, Training and Advocacy, the Senior Director Program Design & Evaluation, and the Country Director, maintain relationships with host governments, Ministries of Health, Hospital Directors, national partners, and other non-government organizations involved in global health and training to maximize the scope and sustainability of Mercy Ships ETA projects.
• Maintain consistent communication and collaboration with the Country Director, particularly in terms of government relationships and discussions.
• Liaise with and maintain effective communication with ship based and ISC departments.
• Write and create content for internal communication describing ETA projects to help share the work of International Programs.

Other:

• Respond to local inquiries regarding training projects and opportunities.
• Other duties as assigned.

The Ideal Candidate Will Demonstrate:

• Supportive of Mercy Ships mission and vision and committed to its core values.
• Live in-country full time.
• Understand and apply servant leadership, work collaboratively with integrity, and demonstrate accountability.
• Understanding best practice in the design and implementation of projects within resource-constrained settings.
• Must demonstrate technical and strategic competency and experience in international capacity building.
• Able to lead and manage a diverse team through strong communication, problem-solving, and planning skills.
• Must be able to make sound management decisions in difficult situations and be able to work in a participatory and inclusive team context.
• Project management and budget management skills.
• Must possess cross-cultural awareness and sensitivity.
• Must have excellent written and oral communication skills.
• Must be fluent in English.
• French language skills are strongly recommended when serving in a Francophone country – International B1 Level (or equivalent), B2 level desirable.
• Must have a full, clean driving license with at least five years of driving experience. Will be expected to drive as part of leadership responsibilities.
  • International Driver’s License required.

Education And Experience

• Minimum 5 years’ demonstrated experience with international education, training, capacity building programs or medical programs in resource-constrained environments.
• Bachelor’s degree required in health education, health administration, international development, public health, or related field.
• Master’s Degree (or post-graduate qualification) is preferred.
• Experience in project co-design with national and international stakeholders.
• Management and leadership experience, ideally in a multicultural, international setting.
• Clinical background in nursing, anesthesia, surgery, or other related health field strongly recommended.
• Successful completion of On Boarding will be required within the first year.

Benefits

• The opportunity to use your professional skills to make a global impact.
• The opportunity to live out your faith at work.
• Medical, prescription, dental & vision insurance.
• 403(b) retirement savings plan, with matching contribution.
• Paid holidays & a competitive rate of Paid Time Off accrual
• Staff devotionals, prayer time, and Chaplaincy support.
• On campus dining with gourmet meals, including a specialty coffee shop and community events.
• On campus recreation, including indoor basketball and racquetball courts, weight room, walking and biking trails, a disk golf course, and an outdoor pool.

Pour your God-given talents into a mission with eternal return on investment — join the Mercy Ships Crew, today!