OPERATIONS MANAGER OF CELL 3 (BASED IN BARCELONA)

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, Bogota, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by 5 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE AND JOB ENVIRONMENT

The Operations Manager is responsible for MSF OCBA missions, overseeing the different phases in the cycle of missions and projects in the field (opening, follow-up, orientation and closing) and ensures that quality standards are duly maintained and MSF’s humanitarian and deontological principles respected in the projects within his/her portfolio, within the framework of Strategic Plan, Operational Policy and operations annual orientations plan, in order to perform relevant, high-impact operations.

S/he is hierarchically under the Operational Director. S/he is integrated into the Cell 3. S/he leads the Operational Cell for the support of missions in its portfolio. An Operational Cell is a matrix-like “team set-up” integrating members of the different services or departments of MSF OCBA as the basis for direct support and guidance to the missions within the Cell’s portfolio. Cell 3 is made up of one Operational Manager (RECO), one Operational Support position, one Health Advisor (TESACO), one Logistics Advisor (TELOCO), one Financial Controller (FINOCO) and one Human Resources Advisor (REHUCO). The Operational Cell 3 manages currently MSF-OCBA operations in DRC and Central African Republic, as well as operations in Thailand and India, with a special focus on Myanmar crisis.

MAIN RESPONSABILITIES AND TASKS

1. Participate in the organisational strategy

• Ensures the reflection on positioning and the role of MSF OCBA regarding humanitarian crises and related dilemmas, protection issues and operational strategies within portfolio and contribute to this reflection beyond it, through organising, promoting and participating in debates, analysis and reflection exercises.
• Provide operational input to contribute to the definition of the strategies of the rest of the Departments and consider their contributions when defining Operations’ plans to strengthen transversal planning and boost integration. Participate in the Operations Coordination Team.
• Identify and report situations in which the implementation of 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.
• Hold services accountable for the quality of their support, proactive monitoring/analyses of policy implementation/adaptation, and timeliness in raising issues with the operational line and be accountable for the implementation of strategies and policies of MSF OCBA.
• Participate in the accountability transversal processes at his/her level of responsibility.

2. Contribute to the definition of the operational strategy

• Contribute to the definition of OCBA operational vision.
• Contribute to reviewing the MSF OBCA’s Operational Policy and operational annual orientations, based on evaluation of the implementation of this policy and the analysis of evolution of humanitarian challenges in the assigned portfolio.
• Contribute to the definition of security policies.
• Responsible to define positioning in each mission in its portfolio.

3. Define the strategy of missions within portfolio, conducting context analyses

• Lead the reflection on positioning and the role of MSF OCBA in relation with the Operational Policy with regard to humanitarian crises for the CPP of missions within portfolio.
• Ensure constant critical review and analysis of context and humanitarian situation of assigned portfolio in order to guarantee that operational response is adapted to meet population’s needs.
• Ensure the maximisation of the transformation potential of interventions throughout the isolation of causes and/or responsibility when identifying a (critical) situation that can be improved with direct action.
• Define missions, projects and interventions in portfolio, guaranteeing their pertinence compliance with the Operational Policy.
• Ensure the promotion and participation in the proposal, planning and follow-up of exploratory missions and all phases of the project cycle (design of project proposal, monitoring and evaluation, project re-orientation, expansion or closure).
• Ensure the effective emergency preparedness and response of MERTs or the projects/mission.

4. Planning and budgeting of missions and contribute to the planning and organisation of the Operations Department

• Contribute to the review and organisation of the Department of Operations of MSF OCBA.
• Contribute to the planning of the Department of Operations.
• Review and define the annual planning and budget of missions within the portfolio and define strategic changes within the portfolio in coordination with the Ops direction.
• Carry out budget analysis of missions and ensure corrective measures if necessary.
• Ensure coherence between OCBA annual planning, operational orientations and assigned portfolio’s annual plan.

5. Supervise, analyse and support implementation

• Ensure the implementation of the annual operational plan in the projects within the portfolio, according to quality standards and to MSF’s humanitarian and deontological principles, with the primary objective to meet population’s needs.
• Ensure that missions comply with OCBA policies as agreed with the rest of services or raise the issue when not possible.
• Ensure that MSF role on humanitarian action and advocacy is effectively executed by identifying related medical-humanitarian dilemmas, defining lobbying, advocacy messaging and communication strategies, and allocating extra resources accordingly, for missions within portfolio.
• Ensure support and supervision for all aspects of management of the missions, projects, exploratory missions and interventions in the assigned portfolio, based on the annual operational orientations.
• Support technically implementation of strategies in relation to context analysis & data gathering, acceptance & positioning, advocacy and communication (inc. supervising the work of HAOs in the field).
• Ensure adequate security management through supervision for portfolio’s missions, projects and interventions in line with the security policy, rules and guidelines of MSF OCBA.
• Analyse the fulfilment of operational objectives and carry out analyses to improve operational response in the assigned portfolio.
• Ensure that the results of relevance/impact project evaluations feed overall analyses, in order to maintain the relevance of the projects at all times.
• Ensure the analysis and evaluation of the implementation of lobbing, advocacy and communication strategies within portfolio.
• Consult support services for sparring and as content providers when needed.

6. Lead, support, and coach the cell team in their functioning and decision-making process, to ensure that objectives be achieved

• Ensure that cell team members and HoMs assume their respective responsibilities and the timely implementation of their respective tasks related to operations and direct supervision.
• Participate in the selection process of the cell team (taking the final decision on selection of candidates) and carry out their follow-up and evaluation, in order to ensure their adjustment, coverage of their training needs and future development.
• Define the job profiles of cell members, for technical approval from HR.

7. Promote knowledge management

• Ensure that knowledge management policies are implemented at his/her level of responsibility.
• Collaborate with the Training Unit in the definition of the contents of MSF-OCBA courses, facilitating them when needed, to adapt them to the Organisation’s needs.

8. Manage internal communication channels and represent MSF OCBA

• Ensure adequate information and work flow between cell and services, other cells, and field, for issues that affect assigned portfolio.
• Represent MSF OCBA towards external actors (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.
• Represent MSF OCBA at MSF international level for the missions of the assigned portfolio (International desk platform).

9. Others

• Validate unplanned field positions, to be approved by the Directions of Operations.
• Ensure all behaviour issues and conflict resolution are followed up (mission and HQ).

SELECTION CRITERIA

• Degree from University or Higher Institute (in medicine, nursing, bio-medical sciences, social sciences, political sciences, economy, judicial sciences…).
• Minimum of 3 years’ experience with MSF in coordination positions.
• Previous work experience and understanding of Sub-Saharan Africa.
• Highly knowledgeable of and interested in the international humanitarian context.
• Fluent in French and English.
• Availability to travel frequently and on short notice.
• Flexibility with working hours.

CONDITIONS

• Position based in Barcelona at the Médecins Sans Frontières OCBA Headquarters with travel to the projects 25-30% of the time.
• Full-time position.
• Minimum commitment with the position of 3 years.
• Annual Gross Salary: level HQ-6 – 54,429.06€ (divided in 12 monthly payments) + secondary benefits based on MSF OCBA Reward Policy.
• Starting date: January 2023.