Nutrition Referent M/W

MSF is one of the largest independent medical humanitarian organizations in the world, with projects located in 65 countries worldwide. MSF’s work is based on the humanitarian principles of medical ethics; the goal of MSF is to provide emergency care to people who are affected by armed conflicts, epidemics and natural or man-made disasters. The French section is present in some thirty countries.

Mission:

The mission of the MSF OCP Medical Department is to implement/develop MSF’s social mission, through our leadership, expertise and advocacy in the medical field.

This mission is achieved through:

• Co-construction of medical-operational strategies,
• Providing relevant medical support adapted to each context,
• The permanent guarantee of improvement in quality of care and respect of medical ethics within our operations,
• Continued operational research and new medical approaches,
• Internal and external advocacy, based on the needs of the field, our experiences and research,
• Maintaining a link between MSF and the external medical world.

Based in Paris, the Nutrition Referent works under the hierarchical responsibility of the Medical Director. The Nutrition Referent works closely with other members of the medical department based in Paris, New York, Sydney, Dakar and Nairobi.

The response to malnutrition in emergency situations and in the framework of regular programmes is a major activity in MSF operations. In 2022 MSF OCP managed 21 nutritional therapeutic centres (inpatient and outpatient – CNTH/CNTA) where more than 100,000 children suffering from severe acute malnutrition were admitted, both in emergency and regular programme settings. Other patients with acute or chronic illnesses require specialised nutritional support.

Main responsibilities:

1. Support to operations in the prevention and management of acute child malnutrition

• With the operations teams, actively participate in the development, monitoring and adjustment of projects with nutrition/malnutrition activities (emergencies/regular programmes)
• Accompany managers at HQ and in the field in their decision-making regarding nutrition programmes and ensure their implementation, while taking into account the specific constraints of each context.
• Facilitate the implementation of nutrition strategies (prevention, care) adapted to the intervention contexts and in particular during epidemics, mass population movements, etc.
• Ensure that protocols, tools and procedures are made available to the teams to ensure quality care. Ensure that the medical teams know how to use the med/ops tools (mastery of the use of these tools), during briefings and field visits
• Alert operational managers and medical management in cases of procedures, strategies or protocols not being applied
• Respond to questions from the field, and coordinate responses with referents from other specialties if necessary (Paediatrics, Pharmacy, Mental Health, TB, HIV, etc.). Advise on the different types of nutritional products
• Provide (de-)briefings on your specialty to people at HQ & in the field
• Travel to the field to assist teams and evaluate projects,
• Actively contribute to discussions and implementation of new simplified approaches
• Participate in the annual review (yearly highlights) and contribute to the elaboration of strategies/guidelines for nutrition projects and/or activities.

1. Provide nutritional recommendations for specific inpatient cases (adults/children)

Based on your own expertise, you will develop and maintain a network of professionals, within and outside MSF, in order to be able to respond to the specific needs of certain categories of patients (e.g. diabetes/burns/surgery…)

1. Participate in Medical Department activities and the Malaria Nutrition and Immunisation Unit

• Provide expertise in the definition of medico-operational policies in the framework of the MSF OCP Strategic Plan and assist in their implementation
• Participate in the definition of the medical department action plan
• Participate in the definition of training and participate in training sessions
• Analyse data, in conjunction with the E Heath Unit, design indicators and regularly share the results of its analyses with the coordinators and heads of cells. Participate in the drafting of the annual analysis of MSF’s medical activities
• Write and participate in the drafting of guides, policies and articles
• Share information and skills, develop the ability to work collaboratively with other referents and MSF services, departments and satellites in order to improve collaboration within the medical department
• Promote the decentralisation of care at the community level with a focus on the paediatric package (nutrition, malaria and immunisation, community health worker activities), in collaboration with the other referents involved.

1. Monitoring of food security

• Monitor food security and nutrition through various existing channels
• Provide the field with simple tools for monitoring the nutritional situation of the population
• Alert on nutritional situations, help the units to define the most appropriate intervention strategies for the context

1. Monitoring of scientific specialty

• Maintain an R&D watch on technical developments in your specialty to develop innovative practices and standards
• Develop and propose new tools according to the evolution of medical standards: drugs, materials, strategies, techniques, procedures, protocols, guidelines (including budgetary data). Assist the teams in their implementation (including negotiations with the Ministry of Health and the local actors involved)
• Participate in the design and implementation of research activities in collaboration with Epicentre or other research actors
• Develop/maintain a network of medical, research and humanitarian actors in your field

1. Act as point of contact in your field of activity within the MSF movement and externally

• Share technical advances, methods and substantive issues with counterparts in other MSF operational sections (member of the MSF Intersectional Working Group on Nutrition).
• Represent MSF in your specialty outside the movement at the request of your management

Profile required

Education/Experience:

Medical or Nursing (Nurse) or Midwifery degree. Minimum 3 years’ experience in humanitarian fields, preferably with MSF.

Experience in implementing nutrition programmes in emergency situations is essential.

Languages: Fluent English and French, oral and written.

Skills and abilities:

• Ability to work in a team as well as independently.
• Organisational and communication skills, initiative, good argumentation. Anticipation and planning skills.
• Skills in scientific analysis and reporting

Terms of employment:

Full time permanent contract (CDI). This is a managerial position based in Paris with frequent travel to MSF field sites.

52.2 k€ gross per annum over 13 months.

22 days de RTT per year. Supplementary health insurance covered at 100% by Médecins Sans Frontières. Restaurant vouchers with a face value of €9 (60% covered by Médecins Sans Frontières). 50% of the cost of public transport tickets covered.

Starting Date: September/beginning October.