Working as project finance and human resources manager in the field

Portrait d'une responsable RH/finances - MSF Suisse

Your application will be processed by a specific MSF office according to your country of residence. If you are already employed by MSF Switzerland, choose "OCG Field employee" or "OCG HQ employee".

Please notice that some offices do NOT recruit specific profiles. If that might be the case for your profile, please apply via MSF Switzerland.

Our HR/Finance Managers analyse and monitor HR and financial operational needs in order to have the required resources in the project. You will take care of the day-to-day running of the project, from payroll to managing the international staff compound. You will manage all local staff from start to end of contract, overseeing compliance with internal regulations and local employment legislation. You will guarantee the effectiveness of all finance and internal control systems.

1
Job description

Find out more about the position.

2
Testimonials

Read about experiences from the field.

3
Questions

Have questions? Find answers to your questions.

4
Apply

Make sure you’ve read everything before applying.

1. Job description

This is an exciting and diverse role in support of the medical activity, involving some or all of the following.

Responsibilities:

  • Plan, supervise and perform HR processes such as recruitment, training, briefings, evaluation and development of staff
  • Advise on project set-up, update HR tools and assist with staff management in order to forecast HR needs
  • Ensure that hiring and contract amendment and termination formalities for project staff are carried out in accordance with local labour laws and MSF principles
  • Supervise/perform payroll procedures for the project’s national employees, ensuring accuracy (leave, overtime, salary advances, etc.) and timeliness of payments
  • Ensure that remuneration based on the national salary structure is accurate and fair
  • Train, supervise and manage the administrative team, which may be comprised of HR and finance assistants, cleaners, cooks and bookkeepers
  • Implement circuits and workflows for cash management in order to anticipate expenses at the project level and optimise cash needs and security
  • Implement and supervise transactional procedures and systems in order to ensure transparent accounting practices and reporting on donor budgets
  • Manage logistical and administrative aspects of the arrival, accommodation, moving and departure of all project staff

Depending on our activities and needs, your responsibilities may be adapted and evolve according to the specific projects.

You will not face these challenges alone; other MSF team members (both international and locally hired staff) will provide technical support, including comprehensive guidelines and protocols.

Requirements:

  • Minimum of two years’ relevant work experience in finance and human resource
  • IT skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
  • Fluency in English and/or French; any other languages are an asset (Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian)
  • Available for a minimum of six months
  • Commitment to MSF’s work and values
  • Strong team player
  • Willingness to work in all kinds of contexts worldwide, including unstable areas
  • Adaptable and able to work in a multicultural team
  • Flexible and able to cope with high levels of stress
  • Self-driven with a solution-oriented approach
  • Ability to train others
  • People-oriented and diplomatic approach

Assets:

  • Degree in finance, business, management or human resources, or a Bioforce diploma, Swiss federal vocational diploma (CFC) or specialised certificate
  • Experience working with MSF or another NGO
  • Experience working in developing countrie
  • People management experience

We encourage applications from people of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, backgrounds, religions, beliefs, abilities and all other characteristics of diversity.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference and criminal record checks.

3. Questions

What to expect

Malawi, 28.06.2017

We need you to be able to quickly adapt to different cultures...

Read more

What MSF offers

Malawi, 05.02.2015

MSF is an organisation driven by strong values...

Read more

How to apply

République démocratique du Congo, 21.08.2016

Find out more about our recruitment criteria and the next...

Read more

It is rare that MSF advertises job openings for specific countries or projects.

Instead, in order to be able to respond to medical emergencies, MSF recruits applicants into different professional reserve lists, (also referred to as “pools”) throughout the year. Candidates within the pool will be matched to a specific position in a specific country based on their skill set, competencies, technical experience and background.

When applying to join our pool, you can indicate any geographic preferences you may have. However, in accordance with the MSF Charter, providing assistance to populations in distress must take priority over geographical preferences. As a candidate, you must be flexible and willing to work wherever your skills are most needed. Therefore, it is not always possible to fulfil specific country requests. MSF expects candidates to be flexible about where they work so that we can meet the needs of the field. However, if you have special skills, speak additional languages or have restrictions, those will be taken into consideration for each placement.

The standard duration of a first posting is six months. Medical specialists such as anaesthetists, gynaecologists and surgeons are placed in projects from six weeks to three months. This is not the case for general practitioners, paramedical or non-medical profiles.

For subsequent postings, depending on the needs of the country, the duration may be shorter for emergencies (several weeks to three months) or longer (perhaps six to 12 months) in more stable contexts. Coordinator positions are opened for a longer period, from one to two years.

We are mainly looking for candidates who are prepared to make a long-term commitment and work with MSF over several years. We therefore ask you to engage with MSF for more than one mission, or at least 12 months. This will probably include one or more breaks, as it is important to rest between assignments. You are invited to discuss the timing of your break with your career manager when you return from the first posting.

For all non-medical profiles, a minimum of two years’ relevant work experience is required (excluding internships and voluntary work). For doctors, a minimum of three years is required (excluding internships and voluntary work). Surgeons need 2 years post-specialisation experience and specialists do not need post-specialisation experience. For all medical profiles, a minimum of three years’ experience is required (excluding internships and voluntary work). Previous work experience is essential as we expect a high level of autonomy from our staff in the field. Detailed criteria for each profile can be found under What’s your profile?.

All questions

Next information sessions

Come discuss with our team and learn about our criteria to go on a mission. All information sessions

4. Apply online

Your application will be processed by a specific MSF office according to your country of residence. If you are already employed by MSF Switzerland, choose "OCG Field employee" or "OCG HQ employee".

Please notice that some offices do NOT recruit specific profiles. If that might be the case for your profile, please apply via MSF Switzerland.

This application form is only for field missions. If you wish to apply for HQ positions, please consult our current jobs postings.

As Candidates, MSF cares about protecting your data. By applying to a position, you accept that MSF will use your personal data. For more information, please read our Human Resources Privacy notice.