Working as project coordinator in the field

Coordinatrice de projet MSF en Grèce.

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.

Your role is to manage the operations, staff and security of the MSF project.

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

Responsibilities:

  • Represent MSF within the scope of the project, in close consultation with the Head of Mission
  • Develop institutional contacts with national partners at the project level (civil society, civil and military authorities, local NGOs, Ministry of Health representatives, etc.) as well as with media in order to obtain all information and agreements necessary to integrate MSF programmes into the local context and improve the target population’s awareness of them
  • Monitor the political and humanitarian situation in the project region to ensure that MSF's charter, policies and image are respected with regard to national staff, populations, authorities and partners
  • Together with the project team, evaluate needs by identifying the health status of the target population, by analysing the context (environment, actors involved, negotiations for access, etc.) and associated risks and constraints in order to define project priorities and goals, and calculate what material, human and financial resources are needed
  • Define medical operational strategies and oversee the entire project management (logistics, paramedical, medical, HR, finance, advocacy and communication activities)
  • Implement security guidelines and ensure staff and project security
  • Propose and carry out exploratory missions and mission closures
  • Oversee correct application of HR policies and associated processes (recruitment, training, briefing/debriefing, evaluations, potential, detection, staff development and internal communication)
  • Ensure that the team works together at the various stages of project cycle management

Requirements:

  • At least two years working in MSF missions in various types of contexts, or equivalent experience as a Field Coordinator with another NGO 
  • 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 manage stress
  • Self-driven with a solution-oriented approach
  • Ability to train others
  • Experience working in developing countries
  • People management experience

Assets:

  • Experience of various types of missions (including emergencies)
  • Higher education degree (social sciences, international relations or another relevant field)


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.

2. Testimonials

External ressources

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...

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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.

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