Context
Médecins Sans Frontières is an independent, international medical and humanitarian organization that provides care to people in need, people affected by natural or man-made disasters, and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and without regard to race, religion, creed or political affiliation (MSF Charter).
In line with the Paris Agreement and international commitments for the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, in 2022 the MSF movement adopted an emissions reduction target of -50% by 2030 and signed the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations. Guided by the MSF Climate and Environmental Roadmap the Operational Centre Geneva (OCG) developed jointly in partnership with the Climate Action Accelerator (CAA), sets out OCG’s environmental strategic direction until 2030 in terms of what needs to be done to meet its ambitious goal.
Four other MSF Operational Centres (OCs) have developed their roadmaps, and they are all aligned on the fact that one of the priorities is to mitigate the impact related to the purchase of goods, accounting for 27% of OCG’s emissions3. The purchases of medical goods and equipment amount to 14% of the total OCG carbon footprint, making this category one of the most emissive. Moreover, disposable items are most of the medical waste produced by OCG. These products generally require a large consumption of energy and resources over their entire life cycle (raw material extraction, manufacturing, processing, transport, use and disposal). Environmental consequences are especially relevant in many mission contexts with limited options for disposal and no options for recycling, where the most common end-of-life is incineration.
Currently, more than 1000 disposable medical products are used by OCG. However, we do not know which of these items are the most problematic in terms of environmental impact and to what extent reducing their use or switching to alternative products with a lower impact would be feasible. We already have a basic understanding of which single-use products are used the most in the context of our operations. The main challenge is to identify what changes could be implemented without compromising on performance, safety, and quality of care.
Mission
The “rethinking single-use” project aims to mitigate the environmental impact of the usage of single-use items and their packaging in the context of OCG medical operations by orienting procurement towards more sustainable alternative products and improving rational use when no viable alternative is available. The mitigation measures include item delisting from the catalogue, listing of new alternative products to the catalogue, development of technical specifications to reduce the environmental impact of the product and rational use improvement.
The Sustainable Medical Product Specialist will play a crucial role in the implementation of the first phase of the project “Rethinking Single-Use Medical Items”. They will bring specialized knowledge in medical products and devices to identify sustainable alternatives and drive the procurement shift towards more environmentally friendly options. The Sustainable Medical Product Specialist will work closely with internal and external stakeholders to prioritize key single-use products, conduct market research, propose product specifications, and interact with procurement team and suppliers to optimize packaging and product composition.
Responsibilities
- Liaise with Environmental Specialist on the definition of criteria to assess the environmental impact of single-use items. Provide expert knowledge on technical aspects related to the product composition, materials, etc.
- Conduct research to identify environmentally-friendly alternative products, collect relevant data from manufacturers, and engage with procurement team to explore packaging reduction and product modification possibilities with suppliers.
- Propose specifications guiding sustainable procurement decisions, collaborate with procurement to integrate them into the process, and incentivize the use of innovative products with lower environmental impact without compromising quality and safety.
- Maintain records of market research, product specifications, relevant interactions with stakeholders. Collaborate with the project team to compile project deliverables.
Description of main tasks
Market Research and Review of Sustainable Alternatives
- Conduct market research to identify existing alternative products with lower environmental impact
- Collect technical data sheets, certifications, and other relevant information from companies and manufacturers of alternative products
- Liaise with procurement team to engage with suppliers to explore the possibility of reducing packaging or modifying product composition to minimize environmental impact.
Standard Product Specifications and Procurement Shift
- Propose Standard Product Specifications to guide procurement decisions towards more sustainable options (mandatory/optional specifications).
- Collaborate with procurement teams to integrate into the procurement process technical specifications leading to lower environmental impact and incentivize the development of innovative products with a lower environmental impact.
- Provide technical expertise and guidance to ensure the procurement of sustainable medical products without compromising quality and safety.
Reporting and Documentation
- Document and maintain records of market research, product specifications, and supplier interactions.
- Collaborate with the project team to compile project deliverables
Your Profile
Education & Experience
- University degree or equivalent in Pharmaceutical Sciences, Biomedical Engineering, medical product development or a related field
- Experience in working on medical products design/specifications, pharma industry or production
- Previous experience working in humanitarian or development context
- Experience in projects related to environmental sustainability in healthcare is considered an asset
Skills/ Technical competencies
- Commitment to MSF’s Principles (Level 1): Demonstrates knowledge of and accepts MSF’s principles.
- Analytical Thinking (Level 3): Identifies complex relationships. Strong research and analytical skills, with the ability to critically review and evaluate salient information (e.g., product specifications, technical data, certifications etc.) and prepare written reports through the application of relevant methodologies.
- Networking and Building Relationships (Level 3): Creates network opportunities. Strong communication and presentation skills to effectively engage with stakeholders at various levels, both internal and external
- Results and Quality Orientation (Level 2): Works towards objectives, preserving established standards
Languages
- English and French are the working languages at MSF Switzerland headquarters. For the position advertised, fluency in English is required. Fluency in French is considered a strong asset.
Personal requirements
- Excellent ability to work in a multicultural environment successfully and to demonstrate commitment and support for diversity, gender-responsive, inclusive, and non-discriminatory behaviour and attitudes.
Terms of Employment
- Full-time position 100% (40h/week)
- Fixed-term position, 7 months
- Ideal start date: September 1st, 2023
- Working place: Preference for the position to be based within one of the 5 OCs European HQ (Amsterdam, Barcelona, Brussels, Geneva or Paris). Other locations may be considered. There is a requirement to be available within European working hours
- Gross annual salary: according to the salary grid of the MSF Hosting office
- The outcome depends on local legal limitations (residency, work permit, etc.) and on the agreement with the MSF Hosting office
How to apply
Candidates submit their application following the requirements: CV 2 p. max. – letter of motivation 1p. max. – in French or English.
Deadline for application is August 6th, 2023.
We reserve the right to close the position early if we consider the number and quality of applications received to be sufficient.
CLICK HERE TO APPLY
The applications will be treated confidentially.
Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.
Only applications submitted on our recruitment platforms will be considered.
Please note that we do not wish to use the services of recruitment or placement agencies.
At MSF, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our staff members. We strive to create workplaces where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas and experiences work together for the social mission of MSF to create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.
We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, background, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.
MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference checks.
