HEAD OF OPERATIONAL CELL 1 – MIDDLE EAST (BASED IN AMMAN)

GENERAL CONTEXT

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organisation, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association. Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.

The MSF movement is built around six operational directorates. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by field teams and the mission coordination teams, together with the organisational units based in Barcelona and decentralised in Nairobi, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by five Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE AND JOB ENVIROMENT

The Head of Operational Cell 1 – Middle East is responsible for the development and definition of the operational vision and global strategies of the missions under his/her responsibility (currently Yemen, Syria, Palestine and Turkey), oversees the different interventions in the missions in the field and ensures that quality standards are duly maintained and MSF’s humanitarian and deontological principles are articulated and respected in our humanitarian action in the interventions within his/her portfolio. S/he also ensures that the main lines of the Strategic Plan are reflected in a tangible manner in all of the interventions and in our broader humanitarian action and presence. MSF OCBA works in operating environments characterised by violence and conflict and has a very strong emergency mind-set.

S/he is hierarchically under the Operational Director.

The OCBA Operational Cell 1 is based in Amman and it is composed of the Head of the Cell (RECO), one Deputy RECO, one Health Advisor (TESACO), one Logistics Advisor (TELOCO), one Operational Finance (FINOCO), one Human Resources Advisor (REHUCO), and one Communications Advisor (CA). The Cell team is hierarchically under the RECO, with the exception of the FINOCO and CA that are hierarchically under the Head of Operational Finance Service and the Head of the Operational Communications Unit respectively.

The Middle East Unit (MEU) is also based in Amman; it is a decentralised structure within OCBA with the objective to support operations in the region, closely linked to Cell 1.

MAIN RESPONSABILITIES AND TASKS

1. Participate in the organisational strategy

• Contribute to the reflection on positioning and the role of MSF OCBA regarding humanitarian crises and related dilemmas, protection issues and operational strategies within the portfolio and beyond. A significant part of this role is the promotion of quality analysis; provide sparring to produce well-grounded reflections on humanitarian issues and others that affect crises.
• Provide operational input for the definition of other departmental strategies, taking into account their contributions where pertinent when defining operational plans to strengthen transversal planning and boost integration.
• Identify and report situations in which the implementation of MSF OCBA policies and procedures is not viable or may hinder the achievement of operational objectives, propose adaptations and exceptions to these in the appropriate forum, and apply the exceptions when necessary as long as they are justified.
• Adhere to the priorities articulated by the Department of Operations and the Directorate General, ensuring adequate coherence between the operational line and the interventions s/he manages.
• Hold himself/herself accountable for the quality of interventions in his/her portfolio and is transparent regarding his/her responsibilities at an operational and managerial level.

2. Contribute to the definition of the operational strategy

• Contribute to the definition of the OCBA operational vision by articulating the operational realities in his/her portfolio.
• Contribute to periodic reviews of the operational objectives as well as those framed in the MSF OBCA Strategic Plan and annual operational orientations, based on evaluation of the implementation of the operational plan and the analysis of evolution of humanitarian challenges in the assigned portfolio.
• Contributes to the definition of security policies and ensure compliance to them.

3. Define the strategic vision of missions within the portfolio

• Oversee a continuous critical review and analysis of the context and humanitarian situation within the assigned portfolio, ensuring that operational response is adapted to population needs.
• Ensure that MSF’s role on humanitarian action and “témoignage” is effectively executed by identifying related medical-humanitarian dilemmas, defining lobbying, advocacy and communication strategies, and allocating extra resources accordingly for missions within the assigned portfolio.
• Analyse and evaluate the implementation of lobbing, advocacy and communication strategies within the assigned portfolio.
• Lead the design of strategies for missions, projects and emergency interventions in the assigned portfolio, guaranteeing their pertinence and coherence with MSF OCBA operational plans and priorities.

4. Emergency Preparedness and Response

• Ensure the effective emergency preparedness and response of the missions.
• Instill an emergency mindset in the staff under his / her management.
• Ensure an effective and efficient alert detection system is in place and define in-depth emergency scenarios to ensure preparedness.
• Critically review emergency responses to extract lessons learned and ensure adequate dissemination of these within the assigned portfolio.

5. Contribute to the planning and organisation of the Operations Department

• Contribute to the planning of the Department of Operations and to the achievement its transversal objectives.
• Ensure coherence between MSF OCBA annual planning, operational orientations and annual plans of the missions in the assigned portfolio.

6. Managerial Responsibilities

• First and foremost, ensure that the people managing interventions in his/her portfolio are adequately supported by the relevant support functions in mission capitals, in the operational cell and by MSF OCBA more broadly.
• Supervise and provide support in the implementation of Country Policy Papers (CPP) and mission Annual Plans within the portfolio, ensuring the relevance / impact of operations, according to quality standards and to MSF’s humanitarian and deontological principles, with the primary objective to meet population needs.
• Ensure that missions comply with OCBA policies as agreed with other Departments. Coordinate and work with other departments to identify issues or problems that are/could impede a good quality intervention that responds to population needs.
• Ensure adequate security management through supervision of the portfolio’s missions, projects and interventions in line with the security policy, rules and guidelines of MSF OCBA.
• Review and define the annual planning and budget of missions within the assigned portfolio and propose strategic changes within the portfolio in coordination with the Operational Director.
• Analyse the mission budgets, propose and implement corrective measures if necessary.
• Lead, support, and coach the cell team and the Heads of Missions (HoMs) in their functioning and decision-making process, to ensure that objectives are achieved.
• Ensure that all behavioural issues are followed up (at both mission and cell levels). Ensure that issues requiring conflict resolution are addressed.

7. Promote effective knowledge management and ensure optimal internal communication flow

• Ensure adequate information and work flow between cell and services, other cells, and field, for issues that affect the assigned portfolio.
• Promote knowledge management, ensuring that the relevant policies are implemented at his/her level of responsibility.
• Collaborate with the Learning Unit in the definition of the contents of MSF OCBA training courses, facilitating them when needed, to adapt them to the organisation’s needs.

8. Represent MSF OCBA

• Represent MSF OCBA externally, liaise and coordinate with relevant actors (such as international organisations, NGOs, institutions, donor agencies, diaspora, civil society) and the media, for the missions of the assigned portfolio, on humanitarian crises, inter-agency operational coordination, and for fundraising.
• Manage internal communication channels and represent MSF OCBA at MSF international level for the missions of the assigned portfolio (international desk platform).

SELECTION CRITERIA

Education and experience

• Minimum of 3 years of operational experience with MSF or another humanitarian organisation in contexts similar to those in portfolio.
• Proven capacity to articulate, manage and lead operational and reflection dossiers on humanitarian issues.
• Proven lived experience of the realities of the population we work with in the Middle East.
• Proven experience introducing a gender approach and lens into programming is an important asset.
• Academic and/or operational background on conflicts and emergencies is considered an asset.
• Medical or paramedical background is considered an asset.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is essential.
• Fluency in written and spoken Arabic or French is considered a plus.

Competencies

• Commitment to MSF’s Principles
• Cross-cultural Awareness
• Strategic Vision
• Results and Quality Orientation
• Security Awareness and Management
• Capacity to Negotiate
• Networking and Building Relationships
• Teamwork and Cooperation
• Leadership
• People Management and Development

CONDITIONS

• Position based in Amman (Jordan).
• Full-time job.
• International travel up to 30%.
• Minimum commitment with the position of 3 years.
• Mandated position 3 + 3 years.
• Annual gross salary: HQ-6 (divided in 12 monthly payments) + secondary benefits based on MSF OCBA Reward Policy. Subjected to local conditions.
• Starting date: mid-July 2022.