Essential Criteria

For most profiles we require a minimum of two years relevant professional experience, post graduation.

For physicians (excluding surgeons, ob-gyns, and anaesthetists), completion of PGY3 satisfies this requirement. Nurses are required to have a minimum of three years professional experience. People with a medical background must display no recent gap in clinical experience greater than two years.

Most first assignments are 9 to 12 months long.*

This level of commitment is a requirement because of the degree of responsibility MSF overseas workers are expected to assume, the time needed to acclimatize to a project and context, and the need for continuity among project staff for the benefit of both our locally hired staff and patients.

*Due to the nature of the workload while on assignment, a shorter time commitment is required for some specialist roles.

Since MSF works mostly in developing countries, recent and relevant experience working, volunteering, living, and/or traveling abroad, particularly in Africa, Asia, Central or South America is essential.

We are most interested in instances where you have been outside your comfort zone – although this may generally be outside of Australia and New Zealand, some domestic activities will also be applicable; particularly relevant work experiences in rural or remote areas, and within indigenous communities.

The ability to train others, to act independently and to organise well, wherever you might be working, are prerequisites for satisfactory job performance during a project.

Every project worker will be in a supervisory or management position on assignment and will often spend more of their time overseeing and training others than doing hands-on work. In the majority of positions, one of the primary responsibilities will be to manage a team of national staff, build their capacity, run training workshops and take on planning and administrative duties for their department, including the performance management of staff.

Details of your experience in supervision, preceptoring, mentoring, coaching, managing, and coordinating, should be included in your application, whether directly related to your profession or not.

The ability to manage staff respectfully, responsibly and compassionately is an essential criteria for anyone coming to work with MSF in the field.

An MSF team is made up of medical and non-medical professionals from an array of nationalities and cultural backgrounds. While the rewards are great, it can be a challenge. MSF field workers live and work together. The hours are long and the living conditions may be basic and offer little privacy. You need to be tolerant and flexible and possess solid interpersonal skills.
The ability and willingness to interact with people of all nationalities and cultures is essential.
 

MSF projects are designed specifically to meet the needs of the most vulnerable people in terms of healthcare. The nature of our work means that just over half of our projects are in unstable contexts due to conflict, instability, or post-conflict challenges. It is impossible to exclude all risks, but we do our utmost as an organisation to mitigate these risks through strict security protocols.

In the last five years South Sudan, Yemen, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Papua New Guinea, and Nigeria have featured in the top ten countries that MSF has most frequently sent Australian and New Zealander fieldworkers.

Working for Médecins Sans Frontières is a deeply personal choice; individuals must determine for themselves the level of risk and the circumstances in which they feel comfortable.  As an MSF field worker you will often find yourself in an insecure environment; working in these particular regions implies an inherent risk or danger is present. 

MSF operates independently of any political, military, or religious agenda, observes neutrality, and provides impartial care delivered on the basis of need alone. These principles of action are described in MSF’s founding charter, and should resonate with anyone thinking of applying to MSF.

By applying to work with MSF you should be aware that the organisation strives to provide access to healthcare for the most vulnerable populations, wherever they might be. Demonstrable knowledge of MSF’s humanitarian principles, our work around the world, and the humanitarian sector in general, indicate your understanding of the responsibilities you are applying for.

To reflect changing needs on a project, activities can shift quickly and job descriptions change accordingly. Working environments, security protocols, and team size/composition may also change during assignments.

Your ability to be flexible and adaptable, both personally and professionally, is critical to your success on an MSF mission.

Many of our projects are located in or near conflict areas. The environment is often chaotic and volatile and the target populations are large and in distress.

Even in more stable areas, sizeable workloads and team living may cause stress.

You must be able to cope in a difficult and unpredictable environment. MSF offers support to field staff in managing in stress before, during and after missions.

All MSF humanitarian workers write and submit reports, and many are involved in data collection. To apply to MSF you must have basic computer skills and must be comfortable using Microsoft Office applications (Word, Excel, and PowerPoint).

While not required, prior experience using any database software is an asset.

The more restricted your dates of availability, the more difficult it can be to match you with an appropriate field position. Those with flexible dates of availability, for example those able to commit to 9+ months within a 12+ month window, will be eligible for more positions.

Some MSF projects are launched in response to sudden crises, whether natural or anthropogenic, requiring field workers who are available at short notice once successfully recruited.

A significant number of MSF's missions are in French and Arabic speaking countries, therefore these language skills are highly desirable as they allow for more opportunities for placement.

Fluency is valuable but not essential—a competent level of spoken French or Arabic is more important.

While less urgently needed, skills in other languages, such as Spanish, Portuguese, or Russian are also assets in the field.

An interest or educational qualification in these subjects is highly valued for project work.

Not essential, but it's highly valued if you have experience working overseas in a low resource setting with a non-government organisation.