Country Director Mission Rabies Malawi

After graduating from vet school in 2000 I worked in several great small animal practices with fantastic teams and management, I have always loved being a vet and didn’t specifically set out to diversify.

In 2015 I went on my first volunteer trip with Worldwide Veterinary Services which was a pivotal moment in my career. Volunteering in the NGO sector, particularly in LMIC countries, gave me so much job satisfaction, felt like great use of my veterinary skills, and I gained so much both professionally and personally from the experiences.

I continued to undertake regular volunteer trips with a number of NGOs in Asia and Africa over the coming years, and also set up a veterinary surgical training project with a University in Nepal.

Throughout this time I continued to work in first opinion clinical practice, and was incredibly lucky to be supported by my employers in pursuing this passion, using holidays and overtime to manage time off for volunteer trips.

In 2017 I knew I wanted more flexibility and proceeded to locum for the next 4 years whilst continuing to travel and work on charitable projects, at this time I also decided to return to study completing a distance learning Masters degree in Conservation Medicine. In 2020 the covid pandemic halted travelling for charity work, and by 2021 I decided to move back into to employment, and was lucky to be welcomed back to one of my previous workplaces.

I was very happy back in a normal routine of clinical practice was back working with a great team, but I never quite hit the same level of ‘job’ satisfaction I got when I was volunteering.

Volunteering was obviously never an actual job, so when I saw a rare senior position with Mission Rabies advertised, despite the fact it would require relocation, my husband encouraged and supported me to apply.

The role required experience of working oversees and managing projects and teams. I had gained a lot of oversees experience through my previous volunteering, and had also ran surgical training projects. Experience in epidemiology was also desirable which I had studied in my Masters, conducting my final year research project in Nepal.

For me working in the charitable sector is very strongly aligned with my values and working with the local Malawian Mission Rabies team is incredibly rewarding. The project is literally saving lives and it is a humbling to be part of such important and impactful work.

The work can be demanding, and in country resource limitations can be challenging, but ultimately I know that we are working hard to eliminate human deaths from dog mediated rabies.

My role is largely office based managing our local team in Malawi, but can also be highly variable from joining online meetings, data analysis and report writing, to managing field teams and travelling around project sites, or engaging with local and senior government partners.

There is also the option for oversees travel to other Mission Rabies projects or wider team events.

My position is officially a non-clinical role, although I still occasionally pick up my stethoscope working on outreach neutering campaigns, or even wildlife work in the National Park. These activities are done in my free time as they are not part of my official role.

Someone strongly motivated by impactful work and prepared to live outside of their normal comfort zone.

Working in the charitable sector whether home or abroad is an incredibly rewarding career choice.

The biggest hurdle for me was relocating for my role as it meant leaving my family. However, I have huge support and have managed regular trips home.

• Understanding of epidemiology, managing disease at population level
• Passion for animal welfare
• Good organisational skills

Gaining experience in the NGO sector and volunteering with organisations you are interested in is a great starting point to make contacts and connections