Médecins Sans Frontières
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) OCG Office – Amman, Jordan, is looking for a:
Laboratory Advisor – Based in Amman
◉ Applying for MSF:
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent, neutral, impartial humanitarian organisation that provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. MSF assistance to people is based solely on their needs, irrespective of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation.
MSF is committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports its employees’ diverse voices. Individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, beliefs, ability status, and other diversity characteristics are encouraged to apply.
◉ Context:
The Operations Department at MSF’s Operational Centre of Geneva (OCG) is in charge of steering and implementing field programs, which includes providing direct medico-operational support to the field during implementation and ensuring that fundamentals are met in all projects. The Medical Department, at MSF’s Operational Centre of Geneva (OCG), on the other side, is in charge of developing technical and/or strategic solutions to complex medical challenges encountered in the field or to opted medical ambitions. The Medical Department also plays a critical role in knowledge transmission to field medical staff through adapted trainings and quick access to key reference documents, tools, as well as recruitment strategies.
Collaboration between the two departments is regarded as a cornerstone for the organization’s efforts to improve the overall quality of its projects and the level of care provided to patients it serves.
The Middle East Support Office (MESO) is the HQ office of OCG in Amman, Jordan. Its purpose is to support MSF programs in the face of the growing contextual complexity for humanitarian intervention and new challenges faced in the Middle East and beyond. In 2023, the OCG Middle East Support Office consolidates medical support to OCG operations through a Medical Unit based in Amman that is attached to the OCG Medical Department in Geneva. The Amman based Medical Unit comprises of various positions such as Mental Health and Laboratory Advisors with a global scope, and several flying positions (Mental Health, Sexual and Reproductive Health, and Project Medical Referent) to boost implementation capacity in OCG missions.
◉ Objectives of the position & scope of responsibilities:
The Laboratory Advisor reports hierarchically and functionally to MESO Medical Unit Team Leader based in Amman. The Lab advisor actively contributes to the achievement of OCG laboratory & microbiology objectives/ambitions by overseeing the technical and quality aspects of laboratory interventions, providing timely technical guidance and strategic/ programmatic advice, and leading the review, development, and adjustment of the different Laboratory tools tailored to the different context. And to this aim:
1. Support the different RMPs regarding complex technical issues linked to Laboratory with strategic and programmatic advice:
- Answers questions and provides feedback on proposals, reports, and relevant documents needing specific technical input in Lab field (PoA e.g.).
- Involvement in project definition regarding technical medical issues in the Lab field.
- Participation in assessments and surveys whenever the Laboratory Advisor’s technical input is needed.
- Development of proposals for medico-operational strategies on critical challenges encountered in the Lab & microbiology field in different contexts.
- Follows up data and reports on laboratory activities provided by the field and the cell and conducts critical review and analysis of those data and reports.
- Frequent technical field visits to project sites and exceptional hands-on support, if needed. (e.g., in case of an emergency)
2. Provide direct and timely support to the field team by responding to complex and technical issues requiring expertise or/and development:
- Support the field team by answering direct clinical questions, if identified as the best medical expert in the provided list of technical expertise.
- Develop solutions (e.g., protocols, simplified algorithms, training modules, minimum standards, innovative tools, guidelines checklists and kits as appropriate) that are timely, relevant, contextual, concerted, consolidated and consistent.
- Translate medical operational requests in projects: provide analysis and advice to improve the requirements, term of references, objectives, deliverables, planning, implementation phases, contributors (HQ, regional, partnerships), definition, project committee and risks definition.
- Lead or animate thematic forums/collaborative platforms and medical seminars contribute to transversal projects in the portfolio mission.
- Whenever developing tools field-proof them to be more consistent to OCG missions field reality.
- Write medical report on all achievements for his/her projects and domain of expertise.
3. Strengthen the skills and competencies of MSF staff in the field missions through capacity building in Laboratory:
- Facilitate on-line access for the field to all fundamental documents (knowledge management)
- Contribution to definition, design, validation, implementation and/or evaluation of specific training(s) for different missions in collaboration with the L&D Unit.
- Support to the definition of job profiles and competencies.
- Briefing and debriefing of coordinators/kay managers for supported mission countries (as appropriate).
4. Develop the expertise related to Laboratory and integrate external knowledge into MSF practices:
- Develop good synergies and collaborations through the coordination and animation of partnerships, the maintenance of networks, internal (Working Groups, other OCs Lab advisors, etc.) or external to MSF, including experts, medical societies, research and scientific institutes and universities.
- Identify new cutting-edge topics in the medical humanitarian context particularly in Lab field, to update OCG’s health and medical ambitions.
- Overview and analyze his/her own domain through capitalization of medical experiences.
- Selection, compilation, and classification of relevant documentation as part of the OCG’s Knowledge Management.
- Ensure technical surveillance and adapt external knowledge to MSF contexts.
- Enable and contribute to high-level advocacy to enhance OCG chosen agendas in the missions.
5. Support the implementation of innovation and operational research projects:
- Properly identify MSF added value compared with existing resources and expertise, to initiate development and research projects.
- Participate in the project’s objectives and protocols. Define, analyze, capitalize, document, develop the internal appropriation, publish, and disseminate OCG medical experience.
- Promote medical policies and the different strategies related to it.
- Exchange, provide and receive technical support and advice to and from the different departments or field experts to complement their area of domain.
- Participate in design, writing, and review of publications submitted by field teams.
◉ Requirements:
● Education:
- Biologist or medical laboratory technician
- Basic degree or specialization in microbiology mandatory
● Experience:
- Field experience with MSF or another medical humanitarian organization
- Work experience in microbiology laboratory is mandatory, if in humanitarian context an asset
- Knowledge of recent developments in the field of diagnostic techniques adapted for field projects
- Experience with field research in resource poor settings is an asset
- Difficult, complex, or remote field experience response is an asset
● Professional competences:
- Understanding of medical humanitarian work with regards to the medical-technical aspects and its political scope
- Ability to analyze laboratory issues with medical and structural consequences
● Languages:
- Fluent in English and French (oral and written)
- Other languages (Arabic, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, others) an asset
● Personal abilities and qualities:
- Versatile
- Reactive
- Flexible
- Good analytical and synthesis skills
- Problem solving and action oriented
- Strong interpersonal skills, team spirit, networking and communication skills
- Ability to train and transfer his/her knowledge and competencies
- Ability to travel
◉ Contract:
- Full-time position 100%
- Open-ended Jordanian contract, commitment to 3-years term, renewable once and maximum 6 years assignment (mandated position)
- Position based in Amman with regular visits to the field (40% of the time in the field)
- Ideal start date: ASAP
- Gross monthly salary: JOD 3’630 – (+ seniority in MSF) according to the internal regulations and salary grid of MSF in Amman
- Relocation package for staff recruited from abroad
How to apply
◉ Application:
If you recognize yourself in this profile, we welcome you to send your resume (CV, 2 pages max) and a cover letter (1 page max) in English to: [email protected]
The closing date for applications is Monday 3rd of April 2023. The applications will be treated confidentially. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Notice:
- No monetary transactions, neither demands of favors in kind, nor other types of favoritism will be tolerated in the recruitment process. MSF reserves the right to refuse hiring of a candidate having benefitted from such acts. All illicit demands of these types may be pursued through the judicial system.
- The protection of your personal data is important to MSF. By submitting your application, you consent to MSF using your data only for the recruitment process to have all the information and documents necessary to proceed with the recruitment, validation of your application and selection of the most suitable candidate. Your data will be treated confidentially. Only the people part of the recruitment process has access to your data. MSF does not sell your data under any circumstances. If you have any questions or requests, you can contact [email protected]