Médecins Sans Frontières is looking for experienced coordinators for the positions of Field/Project Coordinator (PC) or Head of Mission (HoM), who are available for at least 1 year with flexible start date and no preference for project location.
A Field/Project Coordinator is responsible for all aspects of our medical field projects.
A Head of Mission is responsible for all aspects of our medical projects within a country.
The Coordinator is part of the Country Management Team (CMT) that works in close collaboration with the Desk/HQ. The Coordinator takes the lead in:
- Project design and implementation
- Project progress, evaluation, reorientation and closure
- Team coordination and supervision
- Team security
- Information, communication and networking
Responsibilities of the Coordinator include operational management, human resources (HR) management, financial management, communication and representation of Médecins Sans Frontières to local authorities. The Coordinator is also delegated responsibilities with regards to safety & security of all Médecins Sans Frontières staff in the project or country. The Coordinator plays a key role in ensuring the quality & appropriateness of the project activities, implementation & evaluation of these activities, and bears witness to the fate of people facing humanitarian crisis. This contribution gives meaning to Médecins Sans Frontières social mission.
Tasks and activities of the Coordinator include (but are not limited to):
- Defines within the CMT (and with HQ) the strategy of the mission
- Defines with the field team(s) the project objectives
- Assures the follow-up and respect for the mission/project objectives by the managers of the different Médecins Sans Frontières activities – medical, logistics and administrative activities
- Stays alert to any humanitarian needs in the country/project and submits new proposals for interventions
- Briefs new arrivals and debriefs departing staff on the political, contextual, programmatic and overall functioning of the mission/project
- Maintains, explains and defends the principles of Médecins Sans Frontières to the national staff, the population, the authorities and other partners
- Builds good contacts with medical, civil and military authorities, other NGOs & UN agencies
REQUIREMENTS
- Minimum of 3 years recent experience as an expatriate working in field projects, at least 1 year of which was in a field management position within an international humanitarian and/or emergency organisation
- Minimum of 2 assignments in 2 different contexts in developing countries – e.g. (1) insecure context and (2) emergency response situation
- Positive understanding of Médecins Sans Frontières principles & programs and able to represent the organisation with (inter)national counterparts
- Positive understanding of Médecins Sans Frontières’ medical activities and related issues (medical knowledge)
- Capability for initiative in identifying humanitarian issues of interest to Médecins Sans Frontières (exploratory activities, development of new projects, project closures)
- Analytical, strategic thinking skills; capacity to develop an operational vision over the short and medium term
- Previous experience in project (cycle) management in an NGO or development context
- Ability to work well as part of a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team
- Ability to organize and prioritize workload, using initiative when appropriate
- Ability to take responsibility for delegated security management
- Proven negotiation and problem solving skills
- Demonstrated HR management experience in supervising, managing/coaching and training a team with more than 10 staff members
- Positive public communication skills (presentation, meetings, etc)
- Adaptability & flexibility
- Ability to work in French and English
- Availability to work in field for a minimum of 1 year with flexible start date
ASSETS
- Availability to work in field for 2 years
- Fluent in a third language such as Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian.
- Public Health background/knowledge
- Previous experience in an International Medical organisation
- Strong Human Resource management experience
- Knowledge and understanding of current humanitarian issues
- Willingness to work in unstable environments
All Australian and New Zealand field worker applications are processed through our Sydney office.
For information on living allowances, see Benefits and Opportunities.
Ready to apply
Please view the Essential Criteria for all profiles.
If you are ready to apply you can start an application using the link below. Allow approximately 1 hour and please have ready your CV and motivation letter.
If you’re not yet ready to apply, use the link below to register to receive updates from our Field Human Resources team including information on upcoming recruitment events.
