News story

Urgent opportunities in Sierra Leone

We are looking for qualified individuals available for deployment as soon as possible, and expressions of interest for potential roles

Stabilisation Unit

1. Deployment as soon as possible for approximately three months

The post holder will take direction from the Joint Inter Agency Task Force Headquarters in Freetown. The role is an administrative, leadership and organisational one. Although located in districts within three hours of the capital Freetown, conditions will be in military-run Forward Operating Bases with medical and security provisions provided by the UK military. Rest and recuperation trips to Freetown will be possible within a three month tour. The role does not involve direct contact with Ebola patients, the deceased or treatment units, and will not require any specialist training or Personal Protective Equipment.

Sierra Leone

Responsibilities

  • Manage the district operations room, fixing problems, mentoring Sierra Leonean staff and ensuring daily reporting timelines are met
  • Liaise with a range of partners from UN, NGOs and Sierra Leone Government on a daily basis to improve the functionality of the district Ebola response
  • Take direction from the District Coordinator and UK Senior Adviser on objectives and mechanisms
  • Identify novel and creative ways of improving processes and response and improving the operations centre, working with Sierra Leonean and UK colleagues

Essential Skills and Competencies

  • Ability to operate in a changing and high pressure environment, in austere living and working conditions.
  • Ability to communicate clearly with and influence a wide range of actors – international and local – in a crisis management, international development and operational context
  • Difficult environment experience
  • Team player at all levels, strong organisational skills
  • Ability to deploy quickly and absorb new information, becoming rapidly effective in the field

Desirable Skills and Competencies

  • Confident with strong self-awareness
  • Africa experience
  • Experience in humanitarian or health emergencies or complex emergencies
  • Experience working at civ/mil interface and happy working with both groups
  • Able to manage own health, safety and security in a challenging environment, and play a role in monitoring and ensuring safety and health of the team

Interested applicants are asked to please complete the lite application form attached below and current CV and return to SURecruitment@stabilisationunit.gov.uk. Please state your earliest available deployment date, HEAT completion date and security clearance level (if applicable) in your covering email.

SU Vacancy Application Form Lite

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2. Expressions of Interest to work in Sierra Leone

The Stabilisation Unit requests that any members of the Civilian Stabilisation Group interested in potential upcoming roles in Sierra Leone please express their interest. If you are not a current member of the CSG, please flag this in your application.

As it currently stands, we are unsure of precise roles we may be asked to fill, but are attempting to position ourselves in such a way that we are able to respond to requests that require an immediate response.

Details of potential postings

This is a fast-paced and complex hands-on environment, with potential roles of up to and/or beyond three months. The majority of opportunities will be based at the District Level and therefore accommodation and real life support will be basic, but compliant with appropriate standards for deployment, with support from the UK military. Due to the short duration of the roles, we prefer candidates who can commit to deployment as soon as possible. You will report to the UK Joint Inter Agency Task Force on Ebola. Roles will not involve direct contact with Ebola patients, the deceased or treatment units, and will not require any specialist training or Personal Protective Equipment.

Ideally, please submit an up to date CV to SURecruitment@stabilisationunit.gov.uk as soon as possible, as readily available deployees are preferred. Late submissions will be accepted. Please state your earliest available deployment date, HEAT completion date and security clearance level (if applicable) in your covering email.

Published 4 November 2014