Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. The French section of MSF implements programs in thirty-three countries.

The main objective of the Ops department in OCP is to improve the quality of the operational response of MSF by formulating, supervising and insuring the efficient implementation of its medical humanitarian activities. The department is organized in 8 operational cells, transversal units and project units.

In the context of the creation of a new operational cell, located in Nairobi, in Kenya, we are currently looking for this department, based in Nairobi :

A deputy medical cell manager located in Nairobi in charge of South Sudan, Somaliland, Ethiopia (and a fourth coutrny to be defined)

General context of the cell :

In 2021, the Direction of Operations and the General Direction of Paris have decided to create a new cell, located in Nairobi, Kenya, in charge of the following portfolio : South Sudan, Somaliland, Ethiopia and of a fourth country to be defined (Kenya, Uganda, Sudan).

The creation of the cell will be effective by September, 2021, the 1st.

The Cell 9 Nairobi set-up will be declined as following : a cell manager, a deputy cell manager in charge of medecine, a logistics supervisor, a finance and an HR supervisor. Added to the usual responsabilities of the cell manager, the cell manager located in Nairobi will have to get involved on the best support model in collaobration with the other MSF entities based in Kenya and the coordinations he works with.

Objective :

Under the hierarchical management of the Cell manager, and the functional management of the Deputy medical Director, you assist the cell manager in the definition and the management of medical projects of the cell and its missions. You are responsible for the coherence of its medical component and its implementation. You are in charge of representing MSF and to handle MSF interests. As a member of the cell, you are involved in the definition and the developpment of the cell strategy.

Main responsabilities :

• You participate to the definition of the medical and operational strategies by :


• Participating to the elaboration of the medical and operational strategies in accordance with the orientations of the strategic plan for OCP,


• Checking the implementation of these strategies by going on field visits,


• Providing and support a medical analyzis of the medical context and of the regional or national health systems and the relevant potentiel operational orientations


• Ensuring the networking with the regional and international actors (internal and external) located in the region


• You ensure the links between the medical department, the cell and the field by :


• Developping and following-up the medical research programs of the cell,


• Participating to the promotion and the coordination of the medical communication of the countries followed by the cell,


• Being responsible for the coherence of the medical projects components taking into consideration the field constraints and the medical policies,


• Bringing your medical expertise in the definition and the allowance of the relevant means and their follow-up


• Ensuring the respect and the guarantee of the policies follow-up, processes, protocols and medical tools, and ensuring their implementation, the distribution of the health policy among the team,


• Being involved and coordinate the contribution of the medical referents specialized in all the projects steps, especially the conception of activities,


• Establishing and coordinating the information flows between the cell, the fields, and the medical department referents in order to provide the best support to the projects


• You bring a support to the cell projects. In this context, you are in charge of :


• Following-up and analyzing the medical activities by supporting the medical coordinators, writing down the priorities among the medical projects of the cell,


• Validating the indicators choices for the projects, ensuring that the medical datas (HIS and other medical datas) are brought by the field medical coordinators and that they are analyzed by the fields. Within this follow-up, you make sure that the right adjustements and the potential reorientations on medical or operational aspects happen in the right momentum.


• You are also responsible for the dimensioning and the follow-up of the resources provided to the medical activities by :


• Participating to the budget preparation and the budget reviews of the cell projects, by bringing an expertise on the dimensioning of the cell needs and the strategic furniture of medical intrants balanced with the medical activities of the cell,


• Validating the medical orders of the cell,


• Implementing and following-up the pharma and biomed processes,


• Participating to the recruitments of medical roles for the projects supporting the HR Cell


• Managing and coaching the medical coordinators. You participate to the orientation (roadmap) and the evaluation of the work in collaboration with the Head of Mission. You support them achieving the obejctives defined by the cell in the roadmap.


• Participation to the medical activities in the Medical department :


• Implementation of the medical priorities defined in the strategic plan of MSF OCP


• Definition of the medical policies of OCP


• Definition and implementation of the medical trainings on the fields, in the HQ, and in the regional centers,


• Identifiying the high potential medical profiles


• Distributing the institutional files


• Sharing the competences :


• Providing the information on the cell projects / taking into consideration the existing knowledge,


• Participating to the creation and the implementation of trainings on the fields, in France, or for international trainings


• Briefing and debriefing the medical team


• Briefing or debriefing the other staffs

Profile :

• Doctorate in Medicine or paramedical degree


• 2 years experience as Medco or HOM with MSF

Languages: French and English C1, French is an added value

Knowledge :

• Project management, knowledge of MSF steering tools


• Being able to define medical and operational strategies adapted to various contexts


• Wide knowledge and experience in international public health


• Confirmed leadership and vision in steering programs

Abilities :

Strategic and analyze aptitudes in terms of medical programs

Field experience, notably with MSF as : Coordinator (Medco or Hom)

• Experience in high political environments and to the humanitarian crisis


• Project management


• Ability to provide a synthesis of sensitive and complex documents and to distribute to others with efficiency


• Ability to communicate, debate, listen, negotiate and represent MSF


• Being able to work within a team, collaborative skills expected

Status :

Position to take in Nairobi, Kenya, full time job. Frequent trips to schedule. In order to conciliate the needs of stability and mobility in the cell towards a general HQ/Field mobility, it is asked to the cell members to commit morally to a minimum 3 years commitment renewable for 3 years. After a 6 years period of time, the role will be reopened and the person in charge will be invited to represent him/herself after a discussion with the direction of operations

Salary conditions: Kenyan package

Position to take by September 1st, 2021