Health Advocacy Advisor Médecins Sans Frontières - Amsterdam, Netherlands

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent medical humanitarian organisation that provides assistance to people worldwide, regardless of their background, religion or political convictions. Above all, we aim to save lives and to offer medical care to victims of disasters, wars and epidemics. Working together with local staff, we give direct support to the population. MSF also appeals to those in power, including governments and international organisations, and speaks out about the abuses we encounter in the course of our work. MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam (OCA) currently operates medical humanitarian interventions in 25 countries. On a yearly basis MSF-OCA deploys over 900 international staff and employs approximately 6100 national staff. At headquarters in Amsterdam, approximately 180 employees offer their support to the projects. OSCAR (Operational Support for Communications, Advocacy, and Reflection) is a working group which brings together relevant expertise from across the OCA in order to support operations in the areas of communications, advocacy and analysis of humanitarian affairs. OSCAR specialists are based in Amsterdam, London, and Berlin, and work collaboratively with MSF colleagues world-wide. MSF OCA is recruiting a Health Advocacy Advisor (100%) The position is based in Amsterdam with travel within Europe and to MSF projects in the field. MSF OCA is committed to stepping up advocacy on key medical priorities: Tuberculosis, neglected diseases, outbreak response and vaccinations, and psychiatry. In order to support these efforts, we are recruiting for a medically qualified advocate to work within OSCAR to achieve our advocacy goals. The Health Advocacy Advisor will bring medical and public health knowledge and advocacy skills to bear in supporting teams and management to develop and implement advocacy strategies on both local and international levels. The Health Advocacy Advisor is part of the OSCAR working group. S/he is hierarchically and functionally accountable to the Head of Advocacy and Communications. To effectively carry out her/his work, the Health Advocacy Advisor should be able to proactively liaise with colleagues based in different countries as part of the MSF network. S/he should provide coordination and leadership on selected medical advocacy themes; effectively integrating individual contributions from fellow specialists in the UK based Manson and Programmes Units, the Public Health Department in Amsterdam, MSF Operations in HQ and field teams in different countries, Operational Communications specialists within OSCAR, and MSF’s international Campaign for Access to Essential Medicines (CAME). Activities will include: · Working with colleagues to develop overall effective advocacy strategies on key medical priorities for OCA (Tuberculosis, neglected diseases, outbreak response & vaccinations, psychiatry), including local, regional, and global objectives. Ensuring coordination of individual contributions towards the overall goals agreed. · Proactively influencing the ambitions and thinking of MSF operations and specialists from the Public Health Department in relation to key advocacy themes and targets. · Advising and assisting the field on the process of gathering, analysis and synthesis of information and data to support advocacy goals. · Proactively preparing letters, position papers, briefing documents, public reports, articles, and contributing towards public communications materials to support advocacy and communications activities. · Work with Operational Communications specialists on identifying opportunities for public communications work that can support and/or reinforce the advocacy strategies. · Developing and maintaining external networks, to influence / change and bring relevant thinking into the organisation, and representing MSF in relevant fora. · Develop and conduct regular training for MSF field staff, aimed at promoting understanding of advocacy and humanitarian affairs. PROFILE · Medical, paramedical or public health qualification. · Proven understanding and interest in health politics & policy, health & human rights, and/or social medicine; · Demonstrated experience in developing and implementing advocacy strategies; · Relevant field experience in the types of countries where MSF is active (field experience with MSF desirable, but not an essential requirement); · Strong analytical and advisory skills and the ability to translate complex context analysis into clear conclusions and recommendations; · Able to travel to the field for periods of up to 6 weeks; · Proven excellence in written English (reports, position papers, etc.); · Excellent communication and training skills; · Affinity with the principles and objectives of MSF’s work; · Fluency in English; working knowledge of French (other languages also desirable); · Sense of humor, good team-player, flexible, ability to work independently, setting objectives and taking a proactive lead towards completion. WE ARE OFFERING · A contract for one year with a full-time appointment based on 5 days per week, with the option for renewal. · A gross salary of a minimum of € 2961and a maximum of € 4230 per month (scale 7) depending on relevant work experience, for a full-time appointment; · A challenging position within a stimulating, professional working environment in a leading medical humanitarian organisation with global reach. · Attractive secondary benefits (premium free pension, 30 holidays). FURTHER INFORMATION AND APPLICATION Additional information can be requested from Hernan del Valle (Head of Department Advocacy and Operational Communications), tel. +31 20 520 8761. If you are interested in this position and fit the profile, please send in your motivation and CVto officejobs@amsterdam.msf.org, for the attention of Ms. Amanda van Hoorn, mentioning `Health Advocacy Advisor’. The deadline for application is 16th of September Interviews are planned on Thursday 20 September and appointment with immediate effect.