Médecins Sans Frontières, an international humanitarian medical association created in 1971, provides medical assistance to populations whose lives are threatened: mainly in the event of armed conflicts, but also epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters or even exclusion of care.
The France mission is looking for a: Intercultural Mediator – Based in Dunkirk.
CONTEXT
MSF’s Mission France provides assistance to migrants in situations of great social, medical and/or psychological vulnerability on French territory and carries out advocacy actions to facilitate their access to common law.
Since December 2017, Mission France has been providing assistance to migrants.
It provides medical, psychological, legal and social care for people excluded from health care and advocates for access to care for vulnerable foreign people, particularly women living in the Dunkirk camps.
Mission France currently has three projects:
- In Ile-de-France. The project has been open since December 2017. Oriented from the outset on the medical, psychological, social and legal care of unaccompanied minors in appeal (day care and accommodation), it has undergone significant development by specializing in the public of young girls in appeal for recognition of minority. Added to this is a mobile clinic activity led by a team of volunteers
- In Calais and on the Northern Coast. Open in summer 2023. Day care for unaccompanied minors offering respite and activities; mobile clinics for the general public (adults, families, minors), including mental health activities. Seasonal activities complement the activities with, from spring to autumn, a coastal marauding activity for exiled people who have survived shipwrecks and in winter an activity to shelter the most vulnerable people.
- In Dunkirk. The project aims to meet the growing needs of exiled women, girls and families living in extremely precarious conditions on the Dunkirk coastline. In close partnership with the Refugee Women’s Center, it focuses on medical care in women’s health (gynecology, pregnancy monitoring, sexual and reproductive health), mental health care, a shelter system emergency for single women, strengthening the detection and treatment of sexual violence, as well as a documentation and advocacy component on violence and the absence of essential services in the territory.
The communication and advocacy aspect is central to this mission which operates in a country with the means to welcome with dignity but which voluntarily neglects migrant populations.
Mission
Support communication and interaction between beneficiaries (migrants and refugees) and the multidisciplinary team, addressing the consequences of language barriers, socio-cultural differences and discrimination, following MSF protocols and procedures, in order to improve access to quality health care and other relevant services and to provide a better understanding of local socio-cultural determinants.
Responsibilities
Facilitate the relationship between patients and healthcare providers involved in medical, somatic and mental health care consultations as well as between patients and care by the socio-legal team:
- Provide quality interpreting between the multidisciplinary team and patients in their mother tongue, taking into account the intercultural aspect, sensitivity and clarity of communication between the parties.
Help the multidisciplinary team and patients address the negative consequences of sociocultural differences and identify and report barriers that hinder equity and equality in access to services. - Support and follow patients towards referral structures (health and social care establishments) if necessary.
- Support therapeutic/social intervention by sharing with the multidisciplinary team relevant aspects of the patient’s cultural context, acting as a cultural intermediary.
- Participate in multidisciplinary meetings.
- In collaboration with other members of the project team, provide information to patients on the functioning of the healthcare system and other support services (shelter, food, transport, legal support) provided by MSF and other actors, with the aim of promoting patient accountability and autonomy.
Contribute to understanding the context and collecting data on medical and socio-legal issues, paying particular attention to vulnerabilities, in order to provide reliable information for operational decision-making:
- Ensure quality linguistic and intercultural translation when collecting testimonies for advocacy and communication purposes.
- Provide support for the implementation of assessments or surveys, where appropriate.
- Report all important information expressed by patients and communities, ensuring confidentiality at all times.
- Provide support for media analysis and content creation for communication purposes.
Responsibilities specific to the France mission
Under the responsibility of the Dunkirk Project Coordinator and in collaboration with a multidisciplinary team, the intercultural mediator:
- Participates in the reflection and adaptation of outbound activities implemented by MSF on the northern coast, as well as more specifically sexual and reproductive health activities on the Dunkirk region.
- Supports the various professionals (caregivers, psychologists, social workers) as a linguistic and intercultural intermediary to ensure live interpreting during consultations, external activities, mobile clinics, discussion groups, awareness raising, training, marauding, outward and other activities where applicable and allows employees to offer quality care and/or psychosocial support that meets the association’s standards.
- Raises awareness among the rest of the team of cultural codes that could be a barrier to access to services.
- Support in activities for the identification of needs expressed during activities.
- Participate in women’s health education and the promotion of sexual and reproductive health services
- Test, disseminate and lead health awareness and education materials and activities among communities.
- Provides support for the development of linguistic and communication tools to support activities for supported people, in collaboration with the multidisciplinary team.
- Participate in the development of awareness and community mobilization plans.
- Contribute to the identification of appropriate target groups and communication channels.
- Facilitate awareness sessions, educational talks and community campaigns.
- Ensure the promotion of good health practices within communities.
- Measure the level of understanding and adoption of key messages.
- Document the feedback, difficulties and good practices observed.
- Participates in the training of partner teams and/or people supported as part of activities on the northern coast and in particular on the Dunkirk
- Contributes to the collection of testimonies and is part of the MSF approach in terms of communication and advocacy concerning humanitarian issues
- Participates in the collection and capitalization of individual data monitoring the medico-psycho-social situations of the people met.
- Participates in multidisciplinary meetings.• Participates in communication and adequate coordination with other organizations and institutions deployed or consulted.
- Supports other activities of the Calais and Littoral Nord projects in the event of a prolonged absence of needs in Dunkirk.
How to apply
Profile sought
Education:
- Essential secondary education, desirable degree in social sciences, social communication or teaching.
- Training in intercultural mediation or interpreting is an asset.
- Knowledge of social protection, child protection, reception and care systems for unaccompanied minors desirable.
- Knowledge of migratory dynamics and the affected population desirable.
Experience:
- Experience in translation and/or cultural mediation desired
- Desirable experience working with people in precarious situations, adolescents or young adults
Knowledge and skills:
- Driving license B strongly desired
- Teamwork & Cooperation
- Flexibility
- Stress management and ability to work in difficult environments
- Sense of service
- Understanding of the issues related to the care of survivors of gender-based and sexual violence and human trafficking
- Adherence to MSF principles
- Mastery of IT tools (Word, Excel, etc.)
Languages:
- Fluency in French and English.
- Mandatory knowledge of one of the following languages: Tigrinya, Amharic or Somali.
- Knowledge of Arabic is an asset: Arabic, Farsi, Kurdish-Sorani, German.
Terms of employment
Status: 3-month full-time fixed-term contract 39 hours/week. Position based in Dunkirk with possible travel to the north coast (Dunkirk). No teleworking.
Remuneration:
- 2,767.75€ gross monthly over 13 months.
- 22 days of RTT per year. Supplementary health insurance 100% covered by Médecins Sans Frontières.
- Restaurant vouchers with a face value of 12.00€ (60% covered by MSF).
- 50% coverage for the public transport ticket or cycling miles.
Position to be filled: as soon as possible
Due to administrative constraints linked to the duration of the contract, candidates must already have a work authorization in France (citizen of the European Union) or a residence permit allowing them to work on French soil.
To apply:
Please send your application: CV + cover letter + Diplomas by email until October 14, 2026 inclusive with the following reference in subject: MEDIATOR.ICE DUNKERQUE_LITTORAL NORD_NAME_FIRST NAME has [email protected]
Only candidates(s) whose applications have been selected will be contacted(es).
Deadline for submitting applications: October 14, 2026
