Apply for our new Medical Inventory and Procurement Officer role
The David Nott Foundation is a UK charity dedicated to training surgeons in conflict zones and austere environments, giving them the skills needed to save more lives. We do this by delivering our Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) courses in territories affected by conflict, such as Palestine, Iraq, Syria, Yemen, Somaliland and Ukraine. Since 2016, our faculty of trainers have upskilled over 2,007 doctors in 17 countries.
Job title: Medical Inventory and Procurement Officer
Summary: This role is an essential part of the success of the programmes delivery here at the Foundation. The Medical Inventory and Procurement Officer will be responsible for managing our global training and logistics HQ where the David Nott Foundations surgical training equipment and other is kept. This space will be owned by you.
Accountability: Initially this role will managed by and accountable to the Programmes Manager with some support provided to the Head of Operations.
Responsibilities:
Responsibilities include, but are not limited to the following
Inventory management
- Maintain and manage inventory records for all items in a clean and tidy store.
- Ensure safety and security of access into the store at all times.
- Conduct regular stock checks and audits to ensure appropriate accuracy of inventory records.
- Monitor stock levels and reorder items as needed to prevent shortages and to ensure we can deliver training at reasonably short notice if required.
- Communicate stock and inventory issues to management.
Procurement
- Source and purchase the small and single use items through our list of current suppliers.
- Develop and maintain relationships with current and future suppliers and vendors.
- Ensure all procurement activities comply with the organisation’s policies, procedures and environmental and sustainability ambitions.
- Research and obtain quotes and negotiate prices for new stock items to ensure cost effective purchases.
Support training and events
- Work with the Programmes Team to understand upcoming trips and what kit will be required for these training courses, as well as support with packing the kit ready for travel.
- Work directly with heads of Faculty and Director of Product in the training section to better understand equipment needed for training.
- Work with the Communications and Engagement and Fundraising teams to ensure that there is kit and supplies for fundraising events, TDNF and FDNF conferences, meetings and other training events.
Development
- Devise ways to optimise inventory management.
- Work with Programmes Team to understand and anticipate needs for upcoming courses.
- Work with Faculty and others to understand new equipment that will further support the success of our training offerings.
Wider support
- Across the charity we all pitch in to help different teams and areas of This may mean you attend and support with the delivery of other teams’ activities and events. From time to time, you may also work with another team for a fixed period of time or collaborate on a project to ensure we deliver on our mission for safe and skilled surgical care for all. We think this is a good way to gain experience in different areas of the organisation and enhance your professional skills. Willingness to occasionally travel where we work is required.
- There is also a requirement that this role will manage aspects of the day-to-day running of the office in support of the Head of Operations, this will include procurement of office supplies, stationary and other things that support the smooth running of the office.
Person Specifications:
Communication
- Ability to communicate effectively with people at various levels of their careers.
- Ability to develop and maintain relationships with suppliers and manufacturers.
- Ability to communicate effectively about medical inventory needs and developments.
Initiative and Problem-solving
- Identifies problems and suggests potential solutions.
- Proactive in seeking feedback and enhancing processes.
Developing Self and Others
- Creates and commits to personal development plans to address strengths and weaknesses, using feedback to strengthen plan.
Role Specific Knowledge and Skills
- Essential – Medical background, as this role requires understanding and identification of a wide range of medical equipment and instruments.
- Essential – Good working knowledge of Microsoft.
- Essential – Adhere to all policies set pit in the charity’s staff.
- Essential – Capable of adapting quickly to new systems and interfaces.
- Essential – Ability to communicate effectively with those in the team and others.
- Desirable – Data management and forecasting.
Role specific Experience and Qualifications
- Essential – Experience of working with medical inventory and stock as a clerk or officer.
- Essential – Medical Background, experience working with clinicians.
- Desirable – Experience of using inventory management.
The role holder must have the right to live and work in the UK, and they must not have any
restrictions on their international travel through dual nationality or an entry ban in any country
within which the Foundation might, in future, operate.
Salary: £32000-£35000, depending on skills, attributes, and experience, plus an annual personal development fund of £2000 and membership of a workplace pension scheme.
Contract Length: Permanent, with an initial probationary period of three months.
Application Details: To apply, please send a copy of your CV and a cover letter (no longer than 2 pages) stating why you want this opportunity and detailing how you meet the person specification above. Please send all applications to [email protected] quoting ‘Medical Inventory and Procurement Officer’ in the subject line.
Application deadline: Midnight 24 November 2024
A milestone mission in Ukraine
In October, we partnered with the World Health Organization (WHO), UOSSM, and the Ukrainian Ministry of Health to deliver our frontline surgical courses in Ukraine. Thanks to the support of our partners, we were able to train 71 medical professionals from across the country, including the frontlines, who travelled to Kyiv to gain essential trauma care skills. These newly acquired skills will be crucial as they return to their hospitals and provide care in some of the most difficult conditions imaginable.
Since the onset of the war, we have remained steadfast in our commitment to support Ukraine’s medical community. Our mission has been clear: to empower medical professionals who face the realities of war injuries every day. To date, we have trained a total of 666 healthcare workers across Ukraine and built a dedicated team of Ukrainian instructors who, this October, successfully led the Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) course. This October mission was a milestone, as it included an adaptation of the courses tailored to Ukraine’s needs, extending our usual three-day Hostile Environment Surgical Training-Anaesthesia (HEST-A) course to five days, allowing us to deliver even more course content.
Empowering Frontline Nurses and Strengthening Local Healthcare
This mission to Ukraine marked many milestones for us, one being the pilot of our Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) course specifically designed for nurses. In this pilot course, we trained 15 nurses, equipping them with vital trauma care skills. Just as importantly, this course offered us an opportunity to learn from the participants themselves. As they shared their insights, experiences, and specific challenges they face on the ground, we were able to gain a deeper understanding of how we can adapt and enhance our training to best meet their needs in conflict settings.
Nurses are at the heart of frontline healthcare, providing continuous care in some of the most intense and difficult environments. Their bravery and commitment are essential not only in treating patients but also in strengthening healthcare systems in conflict zones. We firmly believe that building resilient healthcare systems requires empowering and supporting nurses.
In addition to training, we are committed to localisation in Ukraine. We do this in a number of ways, including the local employment of key programmatic team members, building relationships with local suppliers and ensuring our strategy is fully in line with that of the Ministry of Health and affiliated bodies. This approach ensures that our training sessions are adapted to locally available resources, we support the local economy, and we deliver a sustainable product for the future of Ukraine.
Our team’s dedication has been unwavering. They travelled long hours, often overnight, and took shelter alongside Ukrainians as they navigated the challenges of delivering these courses amidst ongoing conflict. This commitment was evident in every moment of training.
“As my first deployment with the Foundation, seeing the dedication and resilience of the Ukrainian surgeons, anaesthetists and nurses, who both delivered and attended the courses, palpably highlighted the importance of DNF’s role in providing not only training, but also solidarity.” – Hetty Cane, DNF Programmes Officer
The Power of Partnerships
Our work would not be possible without the strength and commitment of our partners. With critical funding from the WHO, logistical support from UOSSM, and guidance from the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, we have been able to deliver life-saving training in Ukraine. These partnerships are central to our mission, enabling us to empower frontline medical professionals and make a lasting impact on healthcare in conflict zones. Together, we are building a future where medical teams are equipped, resilient, and ready to save lives when it matters most.
“This mission was a huge step towards our goal of localising our HEST courses in Ukraine. It was a mission of firsts. It was a privilege to collaborate with UOSSM, headed up by Ahmed Aldbis and Muhammad Zaydiye, who, with their team, worked with us to enable these courses. We're indebted to the Ukrainian Ministry of Health, WHO-Ukraine and Bogomolets National Medical University for partnering with us.” - Nick Cartwright, DNF Head of Operations
Find out more about our work in Ukraine
Stars align at Almeida Theatre to support our mission
On Sunday 13th October, the Almeida Theatre welcomed an audience to a special event, ‘Doctor Theatre’. The evening featured a line-up of some of the world’s greatest actors, Peter Capaldi, Judi Dench, Lindsay Duncan, Stephen Fry, Ian McKellen, Simon Russell Beale and Imelda Staunton. During the course of the evening each actor took to the stage to interview or to be interviewed by one another. They discussed life on stage, on screen and in the real world. It was at times hilariously funny and, in other moments, deeply moving. In a special moment, Judi Dench and Ian McKellen spoke to each other as old friends, almost as if the audience were not there. The final conversation was with Judi Dench and David Nott. For the audience, simply to witness their connection and mutual admiration was wonderful.
The evening was filled with ‘peek behind the curtain’ moments; anecdotes of life on stage, the secrets of making blockbuster hits, and of course some personal revelations. The actors also brought some prized mementos to auction at the end of the evening, including a prop from the “Harry Potter” films (from Imelda Staunton), a personally illustrated “Doctor Who” script (from Peter Capaldi), a prosthetic heart the Foundation uses to teach surgeons lifesaving skills, and a painting by done by Judi Dench herself. The auction was conducted brilliantly by the evening’s emcee, Stephen Fry, who played a major role in making the sum raised on the auction alone £19,500.
In addition to this once in a lifetime line-up of actors providing the audience with a thoroughly entertaining and moving evening, the event generated an incredible £61,000 for our work. We are indebted to the Almeida Theatre, the supporters who attended and to the Theatre Friends of the David Nott Foundation who organised the event. We would like to say a special thanks to Joyce Nettles, without whom the evening would not have been possible. Her tireless dedication to the Foundation, not just this year but in years gone by, is truly remarkable. On behalf of the 2077 doctors we’ve trained worldwide since 2015, thank you.
Should you wish to watch the event, we will soon have a recording available to view for a small donation. Please watch this space or contact [email protected] for more information.
If you’d like to contribute to the total, donate by Dec 31
October 7th: A catalyst for unrelenting crisis and the fight to save lives
October 7th is a day that remains seared into our collective memory—a day marked by unimaginable loss, fear, and suffering. The death toll continues to rise, and for every life lost, there are countless more left injured and grieving. The ripple effects of this violence are spreading far beyond that single day, reaching into every corner of the region. As the violence escalates across Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, Yemen, and Israel, the humanitarian needs grow more urgent with each passing hour.
We have not forgotten the victims—the hostages, the dead, the wounded, and the families in mourning. Like many in the humanitarian and development community, we’ve been overwhelmed by the surge in requests for assistance. Over the past year, we have adapted to meet this growing need. We know the skills, knowledge, and expertise we provide will save lives. This year alone, we’ve trained 55 surgeons and 18 anaesthetists in the UK and Kuwait to prepare them for operating in Gaza. Our founder, David Nott, and Head Surgeon, Ammar Darwish, have both traveled to Gaza on missions with MAP and MSF, bearing witness to the daily horrors Palestinians face. In addition to direct medical support, we’ve created teaching videos in English and Arabic to assist doctors in real-time on the ground.
“Seeing Gaza reminds me of the vital importance of our foundation’s work. Training doctors, operating on patients in war zones, bearing witness to doctors’ needs on the ground, I’m more driven than ever to help the charity grow so we can reach even more people in need.”
We hear a lot about the death tolls of Oct 7th and the violence since. But for every death there are countless injuries. Many of these will be life-changing and require highly specialist input that is simply not available. This is the case across the region, as the violence begins to spread beyond Gaza and Israel, into the West Bank, Lebanon and Yemen.
"The number of injured in Gaza has now surpassed 70,000. The complexity of these injuries means that these patients will require extensive medical care—surgeries, physiotherapy, and immense resources to reconstruct their lives. This is a humanitarian crisis of unimaginable proportions."
As the violence spreads like a global contagion, the need for medical aid is growing by the day, and we remain committed to doing everything we can to provide support.
James Gough,
CEO
Our most recent work for Palestine
Addressing the crisis in healthcare
As conflicts continue to devastate civilian lives across the globe, healthcare systems in war zones face unprecedented challenges. In the past decade alone, over 180,000 civilians have been killed in armed conflicts worldwide, with regions like Syria experiencing a mass exodus of healthcare workers—over 70% have fled due to violence. In Ukraine, recent reports indicate that over 17 million people require humanitarian assistance, with healthcare facilities frequently targeted and damaged, leading to significant shortages of medical supplies and personnel. In Palestine, the situation is even more dire, with access to healthcare severely restricted due to ongoing violence. Reports show that over 50% of medical facilities in Gaza are non-functional or operating at reduced capacity due to conflict, significantly affecting patient care.
In response we are equipping healthcare workers with the skills they need to save lives in these volatile environments. Our flagship Hostile Environment Surgical Training (HEST) program provides essential training to doctors, preparing them to handle trauma injuries common in conflict zones, including gunshot wounds and blast injuries. Given that the majority of injuries in modern warfare are caused by explosive devices, this specialised training has never been more critical.
Bridging the skills gap in conflict medicine
Conflict medicine involves the diagnosis, treatment, and management of injuries resulting from armed conflict, encompassing a range of trauma-related conditions. It requires a unique set of skills that go beyond conventional medical practices. In areas like Sudan, and Somaliland where many doctors lack the necessary training to manage complex war injuries, our work is vital.
The Foundation has trained over 2,000 doctors in 17 countries, offering practical skills in triage, emergency procedures, and trauma care. However, the scarcity of surgeons with specialised knowledge in conflict-related trauma exacerbates the situation, as studies indicate that 90% of healthcare workers in these zones feel inadequately prepared to handle such injuries.
Impacting lives in conflict zones
Our trained doctors are now saving lives in some of the most dangerous regions, including Yemen, where half of the healthcare facilities are non-functional. They are not only addressing immediate trauma but also providing long-term care, helping communities recover from the devastating impacts of war.
Through ongoing training programmes, we continue to build a global network of conflict medicine experts who are making a significant difference in conflict zones.
World Humanitarian Day
On World Humanitarian Day, we perhaps allow ourselves a few more minutes to think about others. Perhaps those we often find it hard to think about or to imagine. To remind ourselves that humans, wherever they are, deserve the basic access to freedom, to peace, to equity and to love that many of us enjoy. To have to make a special day each year is both a tribute, and a damning indictment of humankind. On most measures, it has been a relentless and notably horrific few years for humanity.
Moving from the private sector as I have and beginning my first few weeks as CEO of the David Nott Foundation, I have been struck by the unfortunate parallels in the language used. I did not expect to be talking about a “growth market”, but that is indeed what humanitarianism is experiencing.
For the past 12 years, the number of displaced people has increased every year. The number of refugees has tripled in a decade. In 2023, 1 in 69 of us on the planet were forced to leave our homes – 117.3 million people. More specifically to our line of work, conflict related fatalities are also on the rise. The annual number of deaths in conflict since we began our work almost a decade ago has risen by 92% to almost 250,000 this year.
Many of those deaths will be what we call ‘Survivable Deaths’. It is these deaths our teams work tirelessly to prevent by training doctors with the skills they need in conflict and catastrophe.
You can imagine that if we saw these kinds of numbers on a business forecast in a different context, it would be a reason to celebrate. But we are in the business of alleviating suffering. The more suffering there is, the more of a strain and demand it puts on the sector as a whole to meet the vital needs of those we must continuously work to serve.
In a conversation with a Ukrainian diplomat some months ago, I heard her talk of war as “a branding exercise”. She explained to me that Ukraine was not just competing with other wars for international attention and resources, but also with Donald Trump, Taylor Swift and the Climate Crisis. Her point was clear. To win the war, you need to win the media and the requisite public support. It is for this reason that today I believe we should think deeply, not just about the horrors we are seeing on our newsfeed, but to the horrors we are not. With conflicts and catastrophe raging all over the world in Haiti, DRC, the West African Sahel, Afghanistan and Myanmar, to name just a few, we can perhaps be forgiven for feeling overwhelmed and somewhat fatigued. One of our explicit responsibilities at the David Nott Foundation is to think every day about these ‘forgotten conflicts’ and lesser-known catastrophes. Thanks to the incredible generosity of our donors, we are able to consider them in our planning and delivery of vital surgical and medical training. However, the increasing need is so vast, that we and other non-profit organisations worldwide need to think very seriously about how we scale – another regrettable business term that is a sign of our times. Scaling requires funding, partners, innovation, knowledge and an appetite for risk. Many of us do not consider ourselves as direct contributors to humanitarian work, but with the skills and requirements I describe, perhaps today is the day to re-consider. To be more explicit, we certainly wish to hear from you at the David Nott Foundation.
With gratitude, James Gough
CEO
Doctors’ needs in the West Bank
Over 300 days have passed since Hamas’s invasion of Israel and Israel’s retaliatory attacks on Gaza. Gaza is home to many forcibly displaced Palestinian refugees. The 41 kilometers-long Strip has been under siege since 2006, enduring five major wars, with the retaliation of the October 7th conflict being one of the deadliest in recent history.
In the West Bank, Palestinians live under Israeli military occupation, with Israel controlling essential resources like water and electricity. The intensifying Gaza-Israel war has exacerbated these difficulties. On-the-ground reports reveal that those who live in the West Bank face increasing attacks from Israeli settlers, checkpoints, military raids, increase in settlements, and the detention of Palestinian men, women, and children.
We reached out to Dr Mariam Aweidah, a general surgeon and our Faculty Lead for Palestine, to shed light on doctors’ needs in the West Bank. Mariam lives in Ramallah and travels to Jericho to work, a journey that should take an hour but often stretches to several due to road conditions and checkpoints.
"Every day is different. We always check the news before leaving to see if there are settlers or checkpoints on the roads. As Palestinians, this is part of our daily routine to ensure the roads are somewhat safe for travel." – Mariam Aweidah, Faculty Lead for Palestine.
Mariam works at a peripheral hospital in Jericho, where resources, infrastructure, and specialisations are limited. They frequently need to refer patients to the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah to seek the care they need but face significant checkpoint challenges which can prevent patients from passing through, even in ambulances.
Despite being a general surgeon, Mariam sometimes operates on paediatric cases due to the limited capacity at the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah. Patients come from across the West Bank, but intensified travel challenges between cities and villages have increased the difficulties for both patients and doctors.
"We don't have intensive trauma training. With more trauma cases and cities isolated from each other, this causes a heavy burden because we aren't all trained for this. We often have numerous gunshot cases, and hospitals can't handle them due to a lack of resources and trained personnel."
Now more than ever, we are committed to training medical professionals in territories that require urgent support such as Palestine. As soon as it is safe to do so, we aim to raise doctors' skills through our training.
"I received training with the David Nott Foundation, which has greatly influenced my ability to manage, stabilise, and save lives quickly”, shared Mariam. “However, not all doctors in Palestine have had this opportunity. I hope to organise another training course to enhance the skills of more medical professionals in the West Bank and in Gaza."
103 surgical life savers in Tripoli, Libya
We’re back from a week in the Libyan city of Tripoli after completing a first-in-our-history mission. We upskilled 103 doctors – the largest number trained on one mission – and trialled our brand-new obstetrics and gynaecology course.
Libya’s history is marked by political turmoil and civil unrest. The uprising against the rule of Gaddafi led to brutal violence against Libyan civilians and instability across the country. Today, 13 years after the ruler’s death, conflict between armed groups continues and Libya’s security remains fragile.
Outside of politics, Libya has been devastated by natural disaster. In September of 2023, heavy rain caused the collapse of two dams, leading to horrific damage and the loss of thousands of lives. Wounds inflicted by violence or natural disasters often require rapid surgical care, with a need to focus on controlling the worst of the damage first.
Surgical toolkit for any crisis
In a bid to empower Libyan doctors with skills to treat wounds caused by war or natural disaster, we partnered with the Libyan Board of Medical Specialties to deliver four surgical training courses in parallel. Over five intense days, our team of expert trainers delivered two trauma surgery courses, two anaesthesia courses and a brand-new obstetrics and gynaecology course.
According to a 2023 UN agency report, a woman dies from pregnancy or childbirth every two minutes. During conflict, women are less likely to seek maternal care and hospitals are under-staffed or under-resourced. That's why our trainers created a bespoke obstetrics and gynaecology course to help doctors better protect mothers and their babies in war and catastrophe.
During the week, we trained 103 doctors. Doctors we’d previously upskilled in Libya also joined our training faculty and led the teaching of a number of our modules for the first time. Dr Aisha Alghamji was one of them.
It really was paralysing
Dr Alghamji shared: “I remember I have a case of a 70-year-old lady. We found there was a huge bleed in her tummy. Most of her blood is – in minutes – almost drained out. It really was paralysing – what to do? She doesn’t have that much time.
"That lack of knowledge paralysed me. She is a living, human being – with dreams, hopes, a whole community. She is part of it. It keeps haunting you, that feeling. What I could do differently?"
She lost her life.
After 2018 when I attended the course with the Foundation, there is something shifted in my way of thinking. It did that thing for me, that confidence the surgeon needs to do more than their best – to run the extra mile for the patient.
I faced another case similar to it (this lady). I told immediately to me brain – ‘damage control! Damage control!’. I was able to send her home. She is alive, she is a grandmother, she is everything.”
A resilient healthcare system
Dr Moez Zeiton, Consultant Orthopaedic Surgeon and our Faculty Lead for Libya, said: “It is a privilege to have had the opportunity to lead the single most ambitious series of courses for the foundation, training over 100 doctors in a week. It was a huge effort from the foundation’s team and superb faculty to get over the line.
Candidates in Libya travelled from every part of the country with many travelling over 1000km to participate in our surgical training. Their eagerness to learn and share their own experiences was evident and they will now be equipped with the skills needed to deliver high quality care to their patients. "
This marks the beginning of continued training in Libya and a commitment to gifting doctors with extensive trauma skills to handle any challenge.
HELP US FUND MISSIONS IN LIBYA
Two years of war and two years of attacks on healthcare
Two years have passed since Russia's invasion of Ukraine and the scars continue to run deep. As published in the Foreign Policy Centre, our CEO, Elly Nott, shares the realities faced by Ukrainian doctors and the relentless attacks on their healthcare system that continue to persist even after 24 months of war.
Ongoing struggles, relentless weaponisation and devastating attacks on healthcare continue to be perpetrated by Russia. The numbers are staggering with over 1,000 verified attacks on healthcare in Ukraine as confirmed by the World Health Organisation.
"These figures are not just statistics. They represent lives shattered, dreams destroyed, and communities torn apart."
Beyond the numbers, healthcare plays a critical role in upholding societal cohesion and fostering trust between citizens and their government. Despite relentless onslaught, the Ukrainian people have displayed remarkable resilience, refusing to let their national spirit be broken by the brutality of war. But amidst the devastation, there is a glaring absence of justice.
Our work at the David Nott Foundation stands as testament to our commitment to supporting those affected by conflict. As the conflict unfolded in 2022, our Co-Founder, David Nott, conducted a series of intensive training sessions, upskilling 573 Ukrainian doctors over Zoom. In the subsequent years of 2022 and 2023, we expanded our efforts, providing specialised training to 442 surgeons and anaesthetists through 11 comprehensive surgical training courses.
We have forged crucial partnerships with Ukraine's Ministry of Health, the World Health Organisation, and UOSSM. As part of our broader Ukraine program, we've also funded scholarships to further empower healthcare professionals. Specifically, we funded a Ukrainian surgeon and anaesthetist to undergo paediatric trauma surgical training.
As the war wages on, we will continue to support Ukraine's healthcare heroes, ensuring they are equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to save lives and alleviate the suffering caused by the ongoing conflict.
Elly Nott,
Co-Founder