Hospital Facility Management Referent (m/f/x) – Brussels – MSF Belgium

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 60 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.

Hospital Facility Management Referent (m/f/x) – Brussels – MSF Belgium

Are you an experienced technical manager of hospital facilities with a demonstrated history of working in complex medical set-ups? We are looking for a humanitarian professional with a facilities management background to work at an advisory level!

This position is located within the Hospital Management Support Unit of the Medical Department with a functional link to the Logistics Department.

CONTEXT

The Hospital Management Support Unit (HMSU) is a multidisciplinary, interdepartmental team, set up within the Medical Department of MSF OCB (Operational Center Brussels). This team includes the referents for Hospital Facilities Management, Human Resources Management, Nursing Management and Pharmacy Management. To manage hospitals in their proper context and in coherence with OCB strategic objectives, the HMSU has a transversal role with respect to the different Cells making up the Operational Department, and therefore depends on each of them for guidance on strategy and context to ensure informed guidance and recommendations from the unit.

The HMSU develops expertise in hospital management and in close collaboration with supporting departments, provides expertise support to the team managing the hospitals. For all specific hospital management issues this Unit is the direct interface between HQ and the field. Each member has responsibility for a specific domain, here Hospital Facilities Management (HFM), under the supervision of the unit’s team leader (hierarchical link) with a functional link to the Deputy LSU Coordinator (Logistic Support Unit) of the Logistics Department. Within the HSMU, the Logistics Department is represented by the Hospital Facilities Management Referent.

The HMSU underwent an internal evaluation at the end of 2020 and throughout 2021 went through a transition phase revising the team structure, location within OCB and its function. This included a consultation exercise following the evaluation to guide the transition inclusive of field and operations voices. The HMSU now has an action plan with objectives that are directly taken from the consultations, equally identified as priority issues by the experts of the HMSU. Six transversal objectives have been defined for 2022 accompanied by vertical objectives linked to the professional domains that make up the HMSU team. During 2022, the unit will work to develop longer term vision and to support the long-term investment and planning required for hospitals.

As Hospital Facility Management Referent (HFMR), you are responsible for ensuring continuity of service and providing an adequate environment for the medical teams and beneficiaries. You integrate people, place, process, and technology to meet the following requirements: effectiveness & functionality of the premises, safety of the occupants, safety of the equipment and efficiency. You encompass multiple technical domains as well as a strong management component to keep an overview of activities (maintenance, new works, monitoring, evaluation) and manage multidisciplinary teams. You provide support to HFM Directors/ Managers with a direct communication line to the field as an advisor. As HFMR, you are moreover the guarantor of the coherence and quality of HFM responses to the operational requirements of hospitals in OCB.

With the HMSU team, you foster transversal support to hospital management teams. Increase visibility to enable teams to profit from the unit’s expertise and join relevant steering committees and circles (functional working groups) to ensure HMSU perspectives are considered.

RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Participation in the development of health facilities expertise in OCB, and more particularly in management of hospital infrastructures, in close collaboration with members of the HMSU and the Log Department at HQ:

The HFMR participates in the development of a horizontal hospital management policy including structures, process, and culture.

• In the development, both at HQ and in the field, of HR with expertise in Health Facility Management, particularly by establishing training programmes, coaching and outside collaboration.
• Development and coordination of management and HFM support tools (protocols, guidelines, specialised software, data management, etc …) for managers in hospitals.

2. Supporting role vis-à-vis hospital in portfolio

The HFMR has a direct supporting role with the hospital’s management team, particularly the Hospital Facility Director/ Manager, for topics related to:

• Development of hospital maintenance strategy contextualized to the specific requirements of the hospital
• Planning of new works (adaptation of the infrastructures regarding new programs and/or reorientation of the programs)
• Inventory and risk management regarding infrastructures
• Organization and management of the different maintenance tools (preventive and corrective)
• Budget monitoring of the technical activities, the infrastructures and equipment of the hospitals
• HR settings and needs of the technical teams

The HFMR is moreover responsible, in collaboration with the cell Logs, for:

• Definition of materials and equipment needed as well as how it is used and the maintenance program
• Supporting the preparation of masterplans, in collaboration with the unit, relevant people in the hospital and other HQ supporting departments
• Providing direct support in setting-up infrastructures during the commissioning phase of new health facilities, right after the temporary reception of the structures
• Defining the fire safety program for the masterplan

For all these issues, the HFMR collaborates with, and is the interface of the hospitals and the key contacts in the Log Department.

For all issues having an impact on the context and/or the strategy, the HFMR listens to and supports the field teams, using their expertise to provide guidance. The HFMR offers support and recommendations to the Log Cell.

HFMR links to the Logistic Coordinator of the concerned mission to give recommendations on the strategy.

3. Participation in the setting up and development of a Pool of Hospital Facility Management profiles capable of having a specific responsibility in Hospital Team Management, in collaboration with the Pool Managers and Development advisors**.** The HFMR therefore:

• Participates in the recruitment of the Hospital Facility Managers profiles;
• Identifies training requirements for these profiles;
• Takes part in the organization of some specific related trainings.

4. Responsible for technical information and data management at Unit level:

• Ensures that a data management system is set up in hospitals and monitored.
• Ensures that facilities management information, data, and reports regarding hospitals in portfolio are compiled and distributed to the relevant bodies.
• Ensures that such information is analyzed and that any measures and actions to be adopted are followed up.

5. Participation in the development of external partnership arrangements, in collaboration with the various supporting departments, to reinforce OCB’s hospital management expertise**.**

6. Participation in evaluation of hospital management quality, in close collaboration with members of the HMSU and HQ supporting departments. The HFMR therefore participates in:

• Development of methodology, evaluation tools, and qualitative and quantitative indicators for hospital management.
• Field visits organized regularly to evaluate procedures and organisation at OCB hospitals.

OBJECTIVES OF HMSU for 2022

• Development of a hospital management mind map to serve as the base of a framework for hospital management
• Redesigning the Hospital Management Team Training (HMTT)
• Developing and implementing hospital management performance indicators, inclusive of hospital dashboards to support day to day monitoring and analysis over time
• Defining auxiliary service management in hospitals, including place and function
• Developing model organograms based on size and specificity of hospitals as a package to guide teams in designing and planning hospital management teams
• Reviewing the eight hospital committees drafted by the former HMU (Hospital Management Unit)

REQUIREMENTS

• Degree or diploma in Health Facilities Management or equivalent work experience
• Minimum 5 years of experience in technical management of hospital facilities and complex medical setups
• Experience with MSF or a comparable organization in developing countries is an asset
• Management skills: Analyzing, planning, organization, negotiation, and communication skills
• Skillful writing and reporting skills
• Behavioral flexibility: ability to work in a team, high level of maturity in interpersonal relationships, flexibility.
• Good oral and written communication in English and French. Other field languages such as Arabic, Spanish, or Portuguese are an asset
• An interest in international and humanitarian issues

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: As soon as possible
• Location: Brussels (Belgium)
• Regular field visits in all contexts and regular travels in Europe required
• 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
• 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: 24/07/2022