Deputy head of the emergency cell in charge of medicine At Doctors Without Borders

Médecins Sans Frontières, an international humanitarian medical association created in 1971, provides medical assistance to populations struggling with crises threatening their survival, mainly in the event of armed conflict, but also epidemics, natural disasters or exclusion from care. The French section of MSF is present in around thirty countries.

The main objective of the Operations Department of the Paris Operational Center (OCP) is to improve the quality of MSF’s operational response by formulating, supervising and guaranteeing the effective implementation of its humanitarian medical activities.

As part of a replacement, we are looking for a Deputy responsible for the emergency unit in charge of medicine.

Context and objectives of the emergency unit:

The effectiveness of MSF in implementing relief in emergency situations largely depends on the emergency cell, although part of the emergency operations is managed by the regular cells. Since 2020, 18 or 19 interventions have been carried out each year by the emergency unit, almost half (46%) of which respond to epidemics and a quarter (25%) to deal with situations of conflict or violence. These interventions are characterized by their operational volume and their complexity; they require rapid implementation and continuous adjustments.

For interventions related to conflicts, the challenges for MSF are to improve the ability to anticipate conflict dynamics in order to respond in time to emergencies and gain access to war-wounded; to continue to improve medical and surgical care.

Regarding epidemics, MSF continues to develop new operational models against known epidemics such as measles, cholera, meningitis and to respond to unusual epidemics such as Ebola or yellow fever. In the same vein, MSF continues to develop new operational avenues in its responses to nutritional emergencies.

Regarding MSF OCP’s response to natural disasters, the level of responsiveness must be maintained as well as the development of emergency response systems and mechanisms for accessing victims.

The Emergency Cell has other responsibilities within the Operations Department . The composition and organization of the cell must enable it to fulfill its particular role within MSF OCP in terms of:

• Adapted and personalized collaboration and support for regular cells (emergency preparedness, sharing of analysis and experience, training and mobilization of human resources);
• Innovation and promotion of new intervention strategies;
• Development of skills specific to emergencies, secondment, training and career support offered to employees with potential*.*

One of the challenges for the next few years for the emergency unit will be to maintain the attention paid to the pace of emergency management in order to maintain good responsiveness: maintain the momentum of exploratory missions; organize a dynamic watch on potentially emergency situations; network with local and international actors; quickly mobilize teams and supplies; continue the animation and the support to the teams.

The other challenge is the collaboration with the regular cells, around the work of the E-prep in the major countries of intervention (Haiti, Yemen, CAR, DRC, Sudan/South Sudan, Nigeria); monitoring the implementation, management and capitalization of emergencies coordinated by the so-called regular cells and also with work on the modes of collaboration between the two cells during an intervention by the emergency cell (start-up phase and end of intervention).

Several background files have also been identified, on which each member of the cell will work throughout the year and in collaboration with the other cells, the support departments and more particularly the medical department.

Finally, the cell will continue to guarantee team cohesion, both within the cell and with the members of the Emergency Pool (PUR).

Assignment :

As Deputy Head of Emergency Cell in charge of medicine (ARC Med) you are part of the operations department. You report hierarchically to the Emergency Manager and functionally to the Deputy Medical Director. You work closely with Epicenter and particularly with the cell’s epidemiologist. You support the RC by actively participating in all aspects of medico-operational management of the countries of the cell and in the coordination of the team’s resources. You are the guarantor of the consistency of the medical component and the quality of its implementation.

You are stakeholders in all emergency response strategies and have a central role in public communication.

You can assume part of the Cell Manager’s responsibilities in case of absence.

Main responsibilities:

As a cell member, you will:

• Participate in the development of cell strategies;
• Be involved in cross-functional projects
• Identify people with potential and participate in the construction of their career path as well as in the animation of the PUR.

Contribute to the definition of the medico-operational strategies of the countries of the unit:

• Participate in the development of regional and/or thematic strategies.
• Establish the merits of the interventions and define the objectives.
• Analyze the health context of the different countries and propose the most appropriate operations (opening, adaptation or closing of missions) according to the constraints of the context (security, politics, etc.).
• Be responsible for the consistency of the medical component of projects, taking into account field constraints and making the medical department a stakeholder in the definition of medio-operational strategies.
• Provide medical expertise in order to define and constantly adjust the organization and the means necessary for the deployment of missions and the stages of implementation of actions.
• Ensure compliance with medical orders & supply procedures. (You have final responsibility for medical validation).
• Ensure that inventory management procedures are well implemented in the field.
• Propose and participate in the definition and updating of the emergency stock and the development of new kits. (You are responsible for their evolution).
• Develop and monitor the cell’s medical research projects.
• Participate in the promotion and coordination of medical communication in the countries of the cell.
• Be the main interlocutor for external actors (WHO, GOARN, GAVI, ICG, etc.): monitor and analyze their global health policies, in particular their emergency response plans. Participate in the definition and development of medico-operational advocacy strategies, particularly in connection with the CAME (Access campaign).

Coordinate the activities of the cell, by delegation of the Cell Manager and according to the sharing of responsibilities:

• Be the privileged interlocutor of the Medical Coordinators (CoMeds). Likewise, you are the interlocutor of the emergency coordinators when they are under the direct supervision of the unit (explorations – assessments – operational deployment during a major emergency) by soliciting their initiatives as a priority.
• Advise and provide support to the various coordinators (heads of mission, project coordinator and the cell team) on policies, protocols and medical tools by soliciting their initiatives as a priority.
• Ensure that briefings and debriefings of expatriates on medical and coordinator positions are carried out (including briefings on MSF tools and those specific to the emergency unit).
• Ensure compliance and monitoring of medical policies, processes, protocols and tools.
• Ensure the implementation and dissemination of the team health policy.
• Ensure compliance with procedures related to medical errors and related to legal aspects of the medical field (certificates, consent, etc.).
• Ensure compliance with the strategic medical-operational plan, particularly those related to the emergency unit.
• Mobilize and alert for arbitration taking into account the orientations of the Medical Department and field constraints.

Coordinate and liaise between the field, the cell and the medical department:

• Ensure the organization of work and the dissemination of information with the referents of the medical department according to the problems and specific questions of the projects.
• Ensure that the solutions adopted are properly implemented in the field.

Be responsible for monitoring and analyzing the medical activities carried out in the countries of the unit:

• Validate the choice of medical indicators for the projects.
• Ensure the feedback from the field of medical data via HIS and their analysis.
• Evaluate the results of activities, ensure their reorientation and guarantee adjustments if necessary.
• Participate in the development, management of the schedule of activities and the annual budget and its revised.

Functionally manage the CoMeds of the unit’s projects :

• Supervise, advise and support CoMeds.
• Participate in the orientation and evaluation of their work in collaboration with the head of mission.

Transmission of skills:

• Participate in the definition and implementation of training in the field, in France or during international sessions.
• Participate in the definition and production of tools specific to emergency teams (KIT – PUR).
• Participate in the definition, the realization and promote the appropriation of E-prep strategies and tools by the missions by establishing the different scenarios together.
• Propose evaluations and capitalizations on the unit’s projects.

Required profile :

Experience :

• You are a Doctor of Medicine.
• You have significant field experience as a Medical Coordinator within MSF, at least 3 years including 3 missions in an emergency context. Experience at MSF headquarters is an essential asset (cell, medical department).
• A degree in Public Health is an asset.

Skills :

• You have a good command of project management as well as team management techniques.
• You have a good knowledge of MSF management and steering tools.

Qualifications required :

• Ability to define medico-operational strategies adapted to various contexts.
• Availability, adaptability, responsiveness, linked to the constraints of emergency interventions.
• Ability to adapt and work in a team.
• Appetite for communication in public or in the media.
• Ability to compose and support a team (PUR medical)
• Ability to negotiate.
• Quality of anticipation, planning and representation.
• Quality of analysis and synthesis.
• Interest in medico-operational research and medical advocacy.
• Availability for regular field visits for both openings and exploratory missions.

Languages: Fluent in French and English, a 3rd language is an asset.

Status: CDI, Executive position, full time. Based in Paris, with frequent field trips to be expected.

Salary conditions: 60.3 K€ gross per year over 13 months.

22 RTT days per year. Restaurant vouchers with a face value of €11 (60% covered by MSF). Mutual fund 100% covered by MSF. Support for 50% of the public transport season ticket.

Position to be filled: As soon as possible.

How to apply

Our wish is to promote inclusion and diversity. We also want to improve the representation of people with disabilities in our workforce.

Please submit your application (cover letter and CV) online at:

CLICK HERE TO APPLY

Until July 9, 2023 included

Only candidates whose files have been selected will be contacted . _ _