How to apply

Democratic Republic of Congo, 21.08.2016
Democratic Republic of Congo, 21.08.2016
© Dieter Telemans

Find out more about our recruitment criteria and the next steps when you apply:

1) General requirements for all profiles

  • Commitment to the values of the MSF Charter
  • Commitment for at least two missions 
  • Available for a minimum of six months (six to eight weeks for medical specialists)
  • Solid professional experience (excluding internships)
  • Willingness to work in all kinds of contexts worldwide, including unstable areas
  • Proven English and/or French language skills; Arabic, Russian, Spanish or Portuguese are strong assets
  • IT skills (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
  • Good health
  • 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
  • Strong team player

Please check the additional specific requirements for each role here: All profiles

2) Application steps

Watch our video to learn about the recruitment process or read about some of the next steps here:

Step 1 : get informed

Before applying online, it is necessary to either participate to one of our face to face information sessions in Switzerland (if you live in the region), or via one of our webinars. Alternatively, you can also follow our online version. Please take the time to read carefully the following rubrics: "What is your profile", "What to expect" et "What MSF offers". 

Step 2 : apply

MSF has several offices that recruit for the movement. Find out which MSF office you can apply to by selecting your country of residence via the Apply online link.

Only complete applications will be considered. Please send your detailed CV in French or English, together with a cover letter explaining your motivations and availability. You will also find an Application Form to fill in online.

Step 3 : pre-interview

We study all applications and do our best to answer everybody within one month. If you answer all our recruitment criteria and we have current operational needs corresponding to your profile, we will organise a first selective telephone interview. With the knowledge you have gained through our information session or webinar, as well as from our website (Information session, What is your profile, What to expect, What MSF offers) you will be prepared at best.

Step 4 : the interview

We will invite you for an interview at our offices in Geneva. Depending on your country of residence, interviews can also be arranged by Skype (video).

Step 5 : joining the pool

You will then join our pool of available staff. We will contact you for potential job postings that match your profile and skills, as well as your availability.

Step 6 : preparing for the field

Before going into the field, you will attend an induction to learn more about MSF. This will take place in Geneva, Vienna or Dakar and is fully paid for by MSF.

Step 7 : departure

Once a position matching your profile and skills is available, your career manager will contact you with a specific assignment offer and comprehensive information about the role. You will then be given full briefings about the post and context before you set off for the field.

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Democratic Republic of Congo, 21.08.2016
© Dieter Telemans

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.

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