MOBILE SUPPORT TECHNICIAN CONSTRUCTION AND SHELTER

GENERAL CONTEXT

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, 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 five operational directorates supported by MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by field teams and the mission coordination teams; together with the organizational units based in Barcelona, Athens and decentralized in Nairobi, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by 5 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations.

CONTEXT AND GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE POST

To provide 1st and 2nd line (remote or in person) technical support to MSF missions in Construction and Shelter areas and to contribute to capacity building of field staff through the application and transfer of technical know-how according to MSF protocols, standards and procedures in order to enable the development of the missions in perfect working conditions and optimize the impact of the medical projects.

RESPONSIBILITIES AND MAIN TASKS

In collaboration with the Logistics Coordinator and under the supervision of the HQ technical advisor or referent work with mission staff to promote relevant technical awareness and to improve technical delivery in Construction and Shelter area, providing support and advice area in accordance with Terms of Reference agreed with the mission, normally comprising the following responsibilities:

• Carrying out a functional evaluation of the set-up in the specific technical area, assessing the applicable technical installations, systems, structures, equipment and HR set-up, the compliance with procedures, policies and guidelines, within the framework of MSF standards in order to identify the main areas for improvement.
• Assessing and validating local suppliers and local (sub-) contractors for quality of materials, systems, installations, parts, etc. to ensure compliance with MSF quality standards.
• Developing and initiating the implementation of the improvement plan based on the recommendations arising from the functional evaluation.
• Assisting the logistics team with the design and installation of new (complex) systems and/or with the implementation of (new) protocols, tools etc.
• Monitoring and supervising established and on-going work, systems and installations in the field of expertise and provide technical advice and solutions when necessary.
• Assisting the logistics team in their HR tasks such as recruitment & selection of technical staff, briefing and debriefing of focal persons and logisticians.
• Identifying training needs and contributing to the definition of training content for the area of expertise. Facilitating team training and provide on-the-job training on technical basics related to area of specialisation according to MSF standards to enable effective implementation of relevant methodologies, systems and tools and ensure best practice is delivered.
• Upon request of the hierarchical manager and in coordination with the relevant technical referents in HQ, develop new policies, tools, protocols and SOPs related to his/her area of expertise (with a local, regional or even global approach).

Contributing to the continuous learning and development of the department by:

• Drafting reports and action plans following field visits to capture experiences and lessons learnt”.
• Contributing to the research and development of field tools, practices, guidelines and policies based on insights gained in the job.
• Developing and maintaining knowledge of practices and approaches within the area of expertise, and to share this knowledge with others to enhance operational effectiveness.

Providing direct field intervention: Upon request, participate in emergency operations.

• Implementation of the OCBA Construction and Rehabilitation Procedures.
• Supporting the mission on the Assessment and Feasibility phases for new construction projects.
• Supporting the mission on initial design phases, for construction/rehabilitation projects under HQ supervision.
• Feasibility study on the Implementation of our Accessibility and Inclusion guidelines.
• Looking for traditional or local resources for insulating buildings.
• Audit and recommendation to missions.
• Training and coaching.
• Validation of products and local suppliers and contractors

SELECTION CRITERIA

Education and experience:

• Degree in Civil Engineering or Architectural degree.
• 2 years’ experience in field construction within MSF or in a low resource setting.
• Experience providing training to adult learners.
• English and French.

Knowledge:

• AutoCAD software, Microsoft package, Project Management, Revit (desirable).

Competencies:

• Commitment to MSF Principles.
• Good communicator.
• Problem solving.
• Productivity.
• Adaptability.

CONDITIONS

• Homebased with frequent field visits (more than 60% of the time).
• Contract duration: Up to end of 2022 with possible extension. Type of contract according to the local modality.
• Full-time job.
• Annual gross salary: IRP2 level 5 (divided in monthly payments) + secondary benefits based on MSF OCBA Reward Policy. Subjected to local conditions.
• Practical working conditions are as per MSF-OCBA guidelines.
• Starting date: immediately.