Emergency Coordinator

CONTEXT

The Operations Department of MSF OCB (Operational Centre Brussels) consists of 8 managerial and technical teams called Cells or Regional Support Teams (RST), each in charge of a portfolio of countries and 1 Emergency Unit (E-Pool) for the management of intense emergency interventions. These teams directly supervise and support the interventions implementation.

The main responsibility of the E-Pool is to intervene with medical activities, directly and quickly in crisis situations like conflicts, epidemics, and natural disasters, while guaranteeing the quality of interventions. As such, we are responsible anywhere, anytime for monitoring, identification, and implementation of operations in any crisis situation that may arise.

The E-pool includes 3 Emergency Coordinators (EMCOs) based in Brussels; each Coordinator may be required to manage 1 or 2 or more specific emergencies simultaneously depending on the volume and complexity of the response. One of the 3 Coordinators leads the overall E-pool. The EMCOs (whether medical and non-medical profile) work closely with the medical coordinator of the E-pool to develop, review, implement, and monitor the medical strategy. Emergency Coordinators are seconded by a team of specialists in Supply chain, logistics, pharmacist, administration, human resources, and finance.

The E-pool includes 25 to 30 emergency responders (Emergency Mobile Coordinators and implementers) coordinating emergencies in the MSF countries of intervention. An ad hoc task force may be created inside the E-pool for specific and acute emergency operations.

As Emergency Coordinator, you are in charge of an emergency response and you monitor various aspects of the intervention (operations strategy, as well as logistics and supply strategy, and HR and finance strategy) with the support of the other E-pool members and OCB departments. You report to the Coordinator of the Emergency Pool.

You will spend annually 3 to 4 visits (of 2 to 4 weeks) in the MSF countries of intervention. The objectives of these visits could be to start an emergency, support the operations, do an exploratory mission (explo), fill a strategic gap, coach a field EMCO, evaluate the intervention, meet authorities, etc.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct management of an emergency (first line coordinator)

• At the beginning of the emergency
  • Quickly assess the situation through different information sources and available data
  • Decide in a short time and in accordance with the people concerned (Director of Operations, Coordinator of the Epool, Medical coordinator of the Epool, Cell, Field) the type of intervention to implement (evaluation, explo/actions, immediate response)
  • Discuss the best medical strategy and activities with the Medical Emergency Coordinator
  • Organize a Project Committee with the different information on which to base the decision to intervene and its mode of management
  • Establish the strategy and mobilize the resources (HR, supply, finance …)
  • Assess the safety in contexts of conflict and tensions
  • Determine supply routes
  • Allocate the roles of support
  • Ensure that the various departments are mobilized to respond appropriately to the identified needs
  • Inform /coordinate with the Emergency Desks of the other MSF Sections
  • Brief the teams
  • Organize short ad hoc training for the International Mobile Staff (IMS) leaving to emergency projects when the situation requires it
  • Estimate budget needs for first months and present to DO for approval
  • Prepare budget and narrative for donors when requested
• During the emergency
  • Monitor the situation and refocus, readjust the strategy and the resources (HR, supply, finance) in light of such developments
  • Keep regular contact with the field and give feedbacks to the team on ongoing operations, mirror effect
  • Evaluate the needs of for advocacy with the direct support of the Analysis Department
  • Keep the communication department informed
  • Keep the relevant Director of Operations informed, as well as the departments and the other emergency desks on the evolution of the activities
  • Assure, in collaboration with the medical coordinator and epidemiologist, appropriate and timely medical data collection and analysis
  • Produce and share daily or weekly update
  • In insecure contexts, closely monitor the security and take appropriate measures in close coordination with Security Focal Point and Security MIOs
  • Brief and debrief the IMS
  • Assess the possibility of launching an evaluation of the response as early as possible during the course of the emergency response
• After the emergency
  • Archive the documents
  • Prepare activity and financial reports
  • After Action Review (AAR): assess the response and draw the lessons learned on medical and logistics strategy, supply, ….
  • Organize meetings to share the different conclusions of the lessons learned
  • Organize an evaluation if necessary

Launch emergency response in the countries of interventions, make field assessment at the onset of an emergency / epidemic / etc. and perform gap fil as EMCO in ongoing E-response

Outside of the direct management of an emergency

• Give support and provide advice to the different cells for emergency response
• Support / interact with the local Emergency Pools as Pool d’Urgence Congo (PUC) & Latin America Emergency Hub (LATAM E-hub) (training, field visits, technical support, expertise exchange, detachments to & from, etc.)
• Provide help for the field teams in setting up any local emergency team
• Participate in various trainings on demand as the “Population en situation précaire” (PSP), “Project Coordination Course” (PCC), and regional trainings
• Participate in project committees when there is an “emergency” component
• Attend meetings of the Operations Department (Project Committees, review of multi-year/annual plans, budgets and goals, ad hoc meetings …)
• Scan medical issues “at risk” such as malnutrition, diseases prone to outbreaks – cholera, dengue, Ebola, malaria – and other humanitarian crises: displaced population – refugees, medical-humanitarian access, etc. in different countries or regions
• Strategize with other departments to improve intervention, based on recommendations of AAR & evaluations
• Develop vulnerability risk charts (security, political, economic, social, climate, environmental, health) per region/country with the collaboration of missions & cells in order to feed Emergency Preparedness Research Evaluation & Practice (EPREP) plans and trigger timely action
• Put in place the appropriate indicators and analyze them regularly
• Follow the context (other actors, etc.)

Cross-disciplinary tasks as Emergency Coordinator

• Together with the Emergency Log/supply and pharmacy responsible, develop different supply options according to the Emergency Scenarios and potential constraints (shutdown of airlines, disturbance of the supply chain, etc.)
• Together with the HR responsible, adapt current emergency trainings and develop new ones
• Work with the Risk Management Unit to update the security tools, training and policies
• Work with the Knowledge Management Unit of the Log Department and other experts on Information Management with the objective for all Emergency Responders in the field to have immediate access to the best information at all times

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Minimum of 3 years of MSF international experience in low- or middle-income countries is mandatory
• In the last 5 years, having participated in at least two major emergency interventions, including one in a position of coordination is mandatory
• Minimum of a 12-month mission in a coordination position with MSF
• Clinical medical / paramedical experience is a major asset

Competencies

• Strategic vision
• Leadership (able to set priorities, make choices and assume decisions)
• Very good management capabilities
• Diplomacy and negotiation skills
• Excellent communication skills in both written and oral
• Acute sense of human contact and interpersonal dynamics
• Ability to work under pressure with good self-awareness and management of personal well-being
• Sensitive and protective of the well-being of the team
• Pro-active in building a network culture of mutual support and prevention of professional exhaustion
• Flexibility and autonomy
• Knowledge of international humanitarian law is an asset

Languages

• Excellent written and spoken communication in English and French
• Spanish, Portuguese, or Arabic is an asset

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: As soon as possible
• Location: Brussels (Belgium)
• Contract type: Open-ended contract – Full-time
• Salary according to MSF-OCB HQ grid
• Meal Vouchers – Hospital Insurance (DKV) – Pension Plan – 100% reimbursement for public transportation costs – 1 day Telework per week
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

Deadline for applications: 14th of January 2024