Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 60 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.
Medical Management Support officer (m/f/x) – Brussels – MSF Belgium
CONTEXT
The medical department of MSF OCB (Operational Center Brussels) plays a strategic role by defining the modalities of implementation of MSF’s medical strategy so that both coherence and quality can be safeguarded. Strategical support is given along the phases of the project cycle. It has a normative role and a technical support function with regards to implementation and follow-up of the projects. The medical department ensures knowledge transfer to the medical workforce and stimulates research and innovation by challenging current medical practices and scanning of new approaches.
The medical department is composed of medical referents of different medical disciplines and organized in a network of units, in Brussels, in Cape Town – the Southern African Medical Unit (SAMU), in Luxembourg – the Luxembourg Operational Research unit (LuxOR), in Beirut – the Middle East Medical Unit (MEMU), in Rio – the Brazilian Medical Unit (BRAMU) and more recently in Abidjan, the Abidjan Medical Unit (AMU).
Since 2019, MSF started a Point-of-Care Ultrasound (POCUS) program with the objective to improve clinical care of patients and MSF clinician capacity through the expansion, scale-up and integration of POCUS into MSF operations, especially engaging clinicians at the national staff level. To realize these ambitions, multiple levels of intersectional POCUS advisors and regional managers work together to support POCUS across MSF.
As Medical Management Support, you will be in charge of:
- The effective and efficient internal organization of the medical department and its collaboration with WACA (West and Central Africa Operational Directorate). You collaborate with all the medical units, other departments to foster engagement and organizational alignment to deliver on change and improvement initiatives.
- The development of a strategy for implementation of ultrasound training within OCB in coordination with the POCUS core team and referents. You organize the training implementations of POCUS between the core team in OCB and the operations (HQ and project staff).
You are accountable to the Medical Director and work closely with and for the Medical Technical and Medical Operational manager of the department. You work in close collaboration with the assistant of the department and the IKM (Information and Knowledge management) team.
For the POCUS part of the job, you report functionally to the POCUS Project Coordinator. You are part of the Core POCUS Team, which includes the intersectional POCUS advisors in other OCs, Diagnostic Imaging advisor, and the POCUS Regional Managers.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Managerial and organizational role within the medical department
- Deliver key internal processes to improve the clarity and efficiency of the medical department (e.g. the validation process for medical guidance documents). This involves proactively seeking input from relevant stakeholders, including organizing and facilitating workshops to support that all perspectives are considered. Ensure outputs are effectively communicated, supported and monitored for potential improvements.
- Responsible for the organization of “discussion/ input sessions” with different groups in the medical department regarding organizational or thematic issues that are generated from within and beyond the medical department.
- Manage department communication including meeting schedules, agendas, and minutes and actions for key meetings. Tracks and ensures completion of assigned tasks identified in meetings.
- Support recruitment processes as necessary.
- Proactively support improving the internal organization and functioning of the medical department including setting up new thematic circles, maintaining oversight of thematic circles, ensuring feedback processes are undertaken and supporting department retreats and the annual coordination week.
Communication and organizational role in link with out-of-Brussels units and other departments
- Organize the communication flows and processes between the medical department and WACA, collaborating with both entities.
- Take an active role in supporting the establishment of the Abidjan Medical Unit, providing assistance to the direction and involved medical referents to ensure a successful setup.
- Assume responsibility for coordinating and scheduling work and agendas within the medical department, ensuring readiness for operational planning meetings such as Roundtables, Annual and Multiple Year Review of Operations (preAROs, AROs, and MYRO’s), and new project intentions).
- Actively engage with other departments to establish strong collaborations to effectively manage identified files.
- Establish and maintain effective communication channels with medical units located outside of Brussels, supporting collaboration and alignment with identified priorities.
POCUS support advisor role
- Represent the POCUS program within OCB and in turn, represent OCB within the international POCUS team, and ensure the POCUS program annual plan objectives are linked with the objectives of OCB
- Develop a strategy to address ultrasound training needs and POCUS implementation at different levels:
- To assist in long-term planning for OCB Medical and Operational departments for POCUS implementation, including assisting with annual plans and budgets for those projects which want to implement POCUS.
- Perform Needs Assessments at cell, project coordination, and field site level with relevant medical and operational stakeholders
- Assist in administrative aspects of POCUS implementations.
- Follow-up with a POCUS technical advisor for the technical curriculum development and to further develop the training plan for a particular site
- provide POCUS Pool Manager with Terms of Reference for POCUS trainer profiles needed based on outcomes of needs assessments after validation from relevant POCUS technical advisors
- Organize and follow-up on training requirements (materials, training roster, supply and overall conditions) prior to POCUS trainings with the missions (coordination, field team)
- coordinate the necessary briefings predeparture of the POCUS trainers
- Facilitate meetings with field medical leadership (MAM, PMR, MedCo) and trainer following the trainings to establish recommendations and agreement on the longitudinal learning plan
- Work in collaboration with Learning and Development Unit to update schedule of trainings, and report back on staff trained
- To develop and support use of quality assurance systems (e.g. Telemedicine, annual POCUS M&E survey) for ultrasound
- Report regularly on the progress and activities of POCUS
REQUIREMENTS
Education & Experience
- Medical, Nursing, Midwifery Degree or Graduate with relevant degree
- Formal qualification on project management is an asset
- Minimum 1 year of experience in the field with MSF in medical or paramedical position
- Experience as Medical Activity Manager, Project Medical referent and/or Project coordinator is an asset
Competencies
- Excellent and proven organizational, project management and information, knowledge management skills with the ability to prioritize and manage multiple tasks
- Knowledge of medical activities organization within MSF
- Ability to assimilate quickly in a diverse team based across multiple locations
- Diplomatic ability
- Proven capacity to lead meetings and ability to work effectively in a team
Languages
- Excellent oral and written communication in English and French
CONDITIONS
- Expected starting date: As soon as possible
- Location*: Brussels (Belgium)
- Mobility: exceptional travel
- Contract type: Fixed term contract – 100% or 80% – Possible for 50% of homeworking per week
- Contract duration: 12 months
- Belgian contract; Salary according to MSF-OCB HQ grid
- Meal Vouchers – Hospital Insurance (DKV) – Pension Plan – 100% reimbursement for public transportation costs
- Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
- Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments
* Due to administrative constraints, given the duration of the contract, candidates must already have the permanent right and/or a valid work permit to work in the mentioned location
Deadline for applications: 27/09/2023
How to apply
Please, send your CV and cover letter to [email protected] and mention “Medical Management Support” in the subject of your email.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
Position only open to candidates with previous experience with MSF (“Médecins Sans Frontières”)!
No MSF experience? Check out all our job offers at the office: https://www.msf-azg.be/en/at-the-office
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