Médecins Sans Frontières Medical Emergency Manager

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent, medical, emergency relief 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. The Dutch organisation ‘Artsen zonder Grenzen’ (MSF-Holland) is a member of the international organisation ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’. MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam (OCA) currently operates medical humanitarian interventions in 25 countries. On a yearly basis MSF-Holland deploys approximately 900 international staff and employs 6,100 national staff. At headquarters in Amsterdam, around 220 employees offer their support to the projects.

The Emergency Support Department (ESD) is part of Operations and plays a key role in responding to humanitarian emergencies. Furthermore, it provides support to existing missions/projects in promoting and guarding emergency response capacity, enabling continued functioning of existing projects in long-term emergency and/or security compromised settings.

The ESD consists of a headquarter based Emergency Desk of four people, The head of the Edesk (non-medical) and three Emergency Managers, one non-medical and two medical. Managed by the Edesk is the OCA Emergency Team for deployment in the field (approx. 12 positions).

The Public Health Department (PHD) of  OCA supports the overall purpose of MSF, providing medical and public health leadership for the organisation. The department is responsible for providing strategic direction and integrated advice on medical and public health issues to the field and headquarters (operational managers).

MSF OCA has an immediate vacancy at the headquarters in Amsterdam for the position of

Medical Emergency Manager (100%)

Organisational position

• Hierarchically Reports to the Head of the Emergency Support Department;
• Functional support from the Health Advisors Coordinator (part of the PHD);
• Functionally co-operates with the Operational Managers, Health Advisors, Medco’s, Heads of Missions / Emergency Coordinators;
• Hierarchically manages field teams in projects that fall under the responsibility of the ESD, as delegated by the Head of the Emergency Support Department.              

Objective of the position

• Contributes to the guarding, promotion and enhancement of emergency relief expertise,

capacity and response within MSF-Holland;

• In conjunction with the other Emergency Managers, provides (medical) technical support and strategical leadership to Emergency Coordinators/Managers & emergency interventions, operationally under or supported by the ESD. This requires a close working relationship with the Public Health Department, to ensure continuity and quality of medical leadership within the organisation;
• Contributes to the operational policy (development, research, introduction, implementation and continuous improvement of our emergency humanitarian action) of the ESD and PHD;
• Contributes to policy design and formulation in relation to strategic and tactical issues (overall operations and organisational capacity).

Key tasks

In conjunction with the other (Medical) Emergency Managers.

• Providing medical leadership to countries in ESD portfolio, following the direction provided by the MSF-OCA Strategic Plan 20011-2014, annual plans and current MSF medical policies;
• Providing expert advice and support to the ESD portfolio in developing medical and health policies and translating them into effective operational strategies, including related advocacy issues;
• Provides functional support to (medical) emergency team members in the field;
• Has delegated responsibility for the realization of medical humanitarian operations in the assigned emergency interventions in line with MSF’s agreed mid-term policy. This can include line management of the emergency interventions on a day to day basis as delegated by the Head of the ESD;
• Coordinating the support from internal/external specialist advisors for specific countries;
• Detects and identifies potential emergency intervention needs through scanning and monitoring of      high risk / unstable situations, chronic crises, conflicts, etc.;

• Participates in the identification, planning and execution of exploratory missions;
• Participates in the definition, initiation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of emergency programmes;
• Initiates rapid response to emergencies, from HQ and /or through field missions;
• Ensuring that MSF-OCA field practice meets internationally agreed medical ethics, standards and laws (quality of medicines, treatment protocols, transport of biological and pharmaceutical materials), given contextual constraints;
• Monitoring the quality, outcomes and achievements of programmes;
• Responsible for regular (internal and external) updates and reports on emergency interventions;
• Visits the emergency projects to manage/support, advise and evaluate these projects;
• Chairs the emergency operational support teams (ost), and ensures adequate performance of staff in these ost’s;
• Assists the Head of ESD in administrative matters of a practical and policy-related nature;
• Assists the Head of ESD in day to day HR support to individual Eteam members. Represents MSF-OCA (emergency operations) in various internal and external forums;
• Cooperates with the MSF emergency network to promote coherent action and reactivity;
• Facilitates internal training modules, preparatory/ management courses. 

Required

• Knowledge of the MSF organisation – preferably both field and HQ, and of MSF policies and procedures.
• Medical Doctor (licensed) or Registered Nurse with broad knowledge and experience in the field of international health, strong epidemiology and infectious diseases background and preferably up to date clinical skills. Experience in emergency aid in complex political and humanitarian contexts, with ideally at least 2 ½ years experience within MSF, including a minimum of one acute emergency context.  Suitably qualified persons with similar experience with other emergency NGOs may be considered, if at least one MSF mission.
• Proven ability to provide strong leadership and vision in project management. 
• Proven strategic and analytical skills in medical programming, with an academic level of thinking and working.
• Ability to provide emergency support to the field at short notice (i.e. 48hrs) for up to 4 weeks at a time.  Up to 40% of time may be spent in the field.
• Flexible attitude, stress resistant.
• Willingness to at times work irregular and long hours in the spirit of MSF. Available to work 5 days per week in office – this job does not allow for part –time work, and needs to be Amsterdam based.
• Fluency in spoken and written English.
• Capable of coaching and managing people and programs through “long distance communication” like telephone, email etc.
• Problem solving attitude and “Can-do” mentality.

Preferred

• Experience with MSF as a medical coordinator or in a line management role (HoM or PC).
• Master in Public Health.
• French and/or Arabic language skills.

We offer

• A contract for one year with a renewal option.
• A salary in grade 8 with a gross monthly salary between €3,403 and €4,860 depending on relevant professional experience and based upon a 40-hour working week.
• Other benefits include 30 holidays and a premium free pension.

More information?

For more information about this position please contact Silvia de Weerdt or Vincent Hoedt at the Emergency Desk, on phone +31 (0) 20 520 8060/ 8754

Application

If you are interested, please submit your written application and curriculum vitae in English to officejobs@amsterdam.msf.org for the attention of Amanda van Hoorn (Personnel Officer). Please mention `Emergency Manager’ in the subject line. The application deadline is February 3^rd 2013.