SolMne Foundation is looking for an enthusiastic couple to fill the Medical Doctor
International Health (Tropical Doctor) and Hospital Management Consultant position.
2 year contract | Start language course: Sept/Oct 2025 | Start date: Oct/Nov 2025
Mnero Hospital
Mnero Diocesan Hospital was built 75 years ago, and is located in a very rural, remote
and authentic part of south-Tanzania. With currently 4 doctors and a staff of about 75,
the Hospital provides many different forms of care. The Hospital has 100 beds and
comprises a male, female, maternity, pediatric ward, a TB clinic, CTC and an RCH-clinic.
We offer various lab tests, X-ray, ultrasound and dental services. Annually, we perform
over 500 surgeries in our major operating theatre and 1,300 in our minor operating
theatre, and these numbers are growing rapidly. We serve a catchment area of around
150,000 people. Annually, we provide care to more than 25,000 people. The community
that we serve are mainly small-scale subsistence farmers. Their income depends on
their harvest, but generally, they are financially weak. Due to climate change and the
disturbance of elephants, they suffer a lot. Little income and small government support
bring challenges to running the Hospital, but we are doing a great job with a motivated
management team. The hospital is located in rural south Tanzania, and the next nearby
hospital is about an hour’s drive away in the dry season and 1.5 to 2 hours in the rainy
season. The Hospital works closely with the German SolMne Foundation and the Dutch
Stichting Mnero. It is supported by various foundations that help improve the hospital
infrastructure, quality of care and access to healthcare.
The roles
Because of the remoteness of Mnero Hospital, we are only looking for a couple that
want to come and work together. The SolMne Foundation supports the Hospital with
various projects, including two development worker positions. We have two vacant
positions at the moment:
Medical Doctor International Health / Tropical Doctor:
In close cooperation with the local staff, you will work in Mnero Hospital as a general
medical doctor across all wards and the outpatient department. You will participate in
evening, night and weekend shifts (on-call once every 3 weeks), where obstetric
ultrasound and surgical experience is required. You will be part of the hospital
management team with a strong focus on improving the quality of care in the Hospital.
You will perform various outreach activities and on-the-job training of the local Assistant
Medical Officer(s), Clinical Officers, nurses and medical attendants. Occasionally you will
do a one-week outreach to Kipatimu Hospital, a smaller hospital from the same diocese
that needs medical quality support and training.
Key current tasks
• Performing emergency and elective surgeries (cesarean section, hernia repair,
hysterectomy, amputation, emergency laparotomy, wound care, etc.)
• Out Patient Department care: consultations and ultrasound investigations,
supervision of clinical officers.
• Daily ward-round with clinical staff, in-charge of maternity ward, supervision and
training of midwives, supervision NICU-care.
• Coordination of outreach activities
• Further improve quality of healthcare, organization and training of staff
• Member of the 6 headed hospital management team
Qualifications:
• Tropical doctor with training and experience in surgery and obstetrics, with also
interest in pediatrics, non-communicable disease, management and training.
• A flexible mindset an ability to work in a remote-setting and adapt to local culture
and beliefs.
• Able to speak Swahili Language is an advantage (the management team
members, colleague doctors and a few nurses speak English, but patients and
other staff speak Swahili only)
Hospital Management Consultant:
You will work in Mnero Hospital as a Hospital Management Consultant. In this role, you
will be part of the management team and facilitate them with support in various topics.
This includes long-term strategy implementation, excellence in quality care, monitoring
and planning hospital finances budget, and human resource management.
You will work in cooperation with the owner of the place – the catholic diocese of Lindi –
and the government, and strengthen relationships with these stakeholders. Another
essential part of your role is to seek funding in Europe, work with various donors, and
communicate about the progress of improvement projects. Lastly, you will be the
project manager of multiple tasks within the Hospital to further improve the facility.
Every quarter, you will do a one-week outreach to Kipatimu Hospital, a smaller hospital
from the same diocese that needs management support.
Key current tasks
• Continue and embed the ongoing change process.
• Further improve the quality of healthcare and development of the workforce.
• Source more funding for projects to improve the Hospital.
• Work together with the team on following the long-term development plan for the
Hospital to attract more patients.
• Support and supervise the budgeting process and the management of income
and expenditure for the hospital and for project funds.
• With a personal, patient and respectful approach, working together with local
management members to help them organize their tasks and build competence.
• Invest in closer cooperation with Kipatimu Hospital Management Team.
Qualifications
• Experience in a management role.
• A coaching and supportive management style balanced with firm leadership to
provide direction and implement change.
• Knowledge of clinical and non-clinical operational activities within a health
sector organization is a pre.
• Flexible mindset, ability to work in a remote-setting and adapt to local culture
and beliefs.
• The ability to speak Swahili Language is an advantage.
About SolMne
32 years ago, the former German Development Service DED (now merged with GIZ)
sent the first volunteer workers to Mnero Hospital to help improve its services. Before
that, the Hospital had not had a resident doctor for many years. The volunteers stayed
for 2-3 years each and succeeded each other without interruption for the subsequent 18
years. Together with their Tanzanian partners, they reestablished and ran appropriate
medical services. In 1994, they started a small charity in Germany called “Solidarity
Mnero” (SolMne), which has been active until now. It was founded to assist the Hospital
in terms of support and advice and with funds for improving infrastructure, education,
medical equipment and pharmaceuticals. Over time, the activities extended to other
health-related fields like reforestation, support of local schools or village water supply.
Conditions
• We provide a monthly allowance of € 1.000 per person, which is supposed to cover
all your expenses (including health insurance and retirement funds).
• Housing will be provided free on the hospital compound.
• We would give a one-time lump sum of € 500 per person for personal expenses,
including furniture and appliances for the house.
• We cover the flight to and from Tanzania at the beginning of the contract and its
end.
• To enable you to visit your family, we pay an additional lump sum of € 500 per
person for travel expenses after the first year, second year, etc., provided another
year of contract follows.
• We cover the costs incurred to get a work- and residence permit.
• We require a two-year contract – with the option of extension if both sides agree.
• It would help if you learned intensively Swahili as soon as it becomes clear that we
agree with each other. We contribute € 500 per person for a language training course
in the country.
Procedure
If you are interested in these two interesting and demanding positions, please provide
your detailed CVs and motivation letters to Dr. Stefan Kaiser, chairman of the SolMne
Board (stefan.kaiser.konstanz@gmail.com) – also for questions about the vacancy!
Sending your data includes permission for us from SolMne to confidentially share this
information for discussion within the SolMne Board and Mnero Hospital. We then would
reply to you by mail, and if we are interested, we would invite you to two video calls.
One with the SolMne Board – we would also consider a personal interview if feasible –
and one with the Mnero Management Team. After agreeing, we will send you your
contracts, inform you about the situation, and prepare you for your new positions.
Please be aware that you will sign a contract with SolMne, and another working
agreement will be made with the Catholic Diocese of Lindi.
Application deadline: 1. June 2025.
Selection & Interviews: from mid-June onwards
Language course – 2-5 weeks in Tanzania: Starting September
Starting date in Mnero: Oct/Nov 2025 (initial period of some weeks with
predecessors)
More information can be found at http://www.mnero.de/ or www.mnero.nl
