Strategic Officer to the International Medical Secretariat

I. MSF INTERNATIONAL

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters. MSF offers assistance to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

MSF International is the legal entity that binds MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together. Based in Geneva, MSF International provides coordination, information and support to the MSF Movement, as well as implements international projects and initiatives as requested. MSF International also provides administrative support to the MSF Access Campaign.

II. POSITION BACKGROUND

The International Medical Secretariat provides senior executive medical leadership to the MSF movement via MSF’s International Office. Its role is to enhance and strengthen MSF’s work by ensuring that priorities and innovations in MSF’s medical practice are defined, promoted and moved forward by each Operational Directorate via appropriate processes, as part of an international agenda.

The International Medical Secretary (IMS) is the head of the International Medical Secretariat. The IMS actively promotes strong links and communication across the main medical operational platforms, with this leadership ensuring momentum and progress. The IMS also represents the movement externally, communicating MSF’s views on agreed medical operational priorities, policies and positions.

The Strategic Officer works closely with the IMS to develop the content and materials required to deliver on MSF’s medical vision, responsibilities and strategic objectives. The Strategic Officer reports directly to the IMS.

III. OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION

The Strategic Officer works closely with the IMS in the development and follow-up of medical dossiers or key medical issues responding to the evolving MSF field needs and practices. With insight and fresh perspective, s/he will play a crucial role in building a collaborative and supportive work environment for the IMS, to ensure solid medical leadership and strategic vision and progress of the movement’s medical priorities.

S/he will be the IMS’s support of choice in terms of sustained, in-depth study or contextual analysis, information cross-checking and development of delegated files and their possible correlations with other subjects.

IV. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Strategic Planning and Coordination of the Medical Operational Platform and Projects

MedOp Meetings: Coordination to optimise the Medical Operational (MedOp) platform’s role and responsibilities. This includes: drafting the multi-year and annual plans, drafting and disseminating agendas, preparing the session structure, content and background documents with the IMS and relevant stakeholders, minuting the MedOp meetings, documenting and ensuring the follow-up of decisions to achieve expected outcomes and action points.

MedOp Projects: The Strategic Officer undertakes the following tasks for the delivery of Medical Operational-related topics:

• Autonomously researches, analysis, investigates and evaluates issues and trends to inform decision-making and the development of strategic plans;
• Prepares and presents findings in the form of reports, presentations, briefing papers, identifying risks, opportunities for improvement, strategic planning and project development;
• Plan, coordinate, evaluate and report on assigned projects and activities to provide advice on the progress against plans, goals and expectations;
• Responding to challenges which may impede effective delivery against strategic objectives, including identifying mechanisms to mitigate these risks;
• Balancing competing demands and stakeholder requirements to ensure key deliverables are met within the required timeframes and budgets;
• Assesses information submitted to the IMS, briefs the IMS, and makes other recommendations as needed;
• Follows up on decisions of international platforms, identifies potential subjects of interest and analysis;
• Establishes a continuous and constructive dialogue with the IMS as well as other departments and groups within the Movement to elicit new ideas or to test and consolidate opinions.

The Strategic Officer proactively manages information and communication on MedOp meetings and projects, and manages, organizes and structures information on other topics upon request.

Mutual Accountability Process

The Strategic Officer actively contributes to the Mutual Accountability Process, a MSF movement-wide, qualitative/quantitative monitoring and evaluation process with a humanitarian, operational, medical lens.

The process needs to be consolidated and monitored in order to make sure that transparency, reciprocal trust and good practices of information sharing are preserved. The Strategy Officer ’s role can include:

• Coordination of the Mutual Accountability Process;
• Coordination of the Operations Reflection Day;
• Coordination of the development of the Mutual Accountability Report in close cooperation with the IMS.

Support MSF External Representation

The Strategic Officer will proactively help prepare the IMS in her/his external representative role with the aim to communicate and advocate MSF’s views on agreed medical operational priorities, policies and positions.

The Strategic Officer ’s responsibilities can include:

• Coordination with other MSF offices and colleagues for the development of talking points, briefings, speeches, articles, presentations, etc. to support external engagement;
• Anticipation of forthcoming external engagements (conferences, high-level meetings etc.) and internal processes (platform meetings, programmes of work etc.), planning ahead to ensure the IMS is well briefed and prepared for all tasks.

The Strategic Officer leads and/or participates in other dossiers as requested by the IMS.

Job requirements

Qualifications and work experience

• Graduate degree in public health, social sciences, humanitarian studies, international law or other related field;
• Public Health governance knowledge;
• Minimum 5 years experience working in the humanitarian/global health sector;
• Field experience with MSF is a significant asset.

Specific requirements

• Genuine commitment to the humanitarian principles and the social mission of MSF;
• Strong team player, empathic and practiced listener;
• Strong strategic, analytical and critical thinking capacity;
• Able to cope with pressure and handle changing priorities;
• Autonomous, self-organized, possessing a spirit of initiative and foresight;
• Capable to organize and structure complex information, analyse it and report the findings in accurate and cogent form;
• Attention to detail;
• Strong writing and editing skills;
• Oral and written fluency in English. Other languages are a plus, particularly French;
• Strong computer literacy, including experience utilising Office 360 and SharePoint.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted

At MSF, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, ethnicities, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.