Director Projects, Resources and Organisation

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’.

With MSF Germany and UK, MSF-Holland created the “Operations Centre Amsterdam” (MSF OCA) in 2006. This ongoing partnership of MSF sections aims to share responsibility for achievement of our common vision - providing medical humanitarian assistance in all major crises, with particular emphasis on situations characterised by violence, abuse and deliberate neglect. MSF OCA has a common strategic plan for operations, has developed a model of decentralised support to field operations and is progressively addressing ways of building on each section’s strengths to bring added value to our humanitarian operations.

MSF OCA operates medical humanitarian interventions in 25 countries. On a yearly basis MSF OCA deploys over 1100 international and over 7000 national staff. At headquarters in Amsterdam, approximately 220 employees offer their support to the projects. Other operational support staffs are working from the MSF sections in Berlin and London. 

The Management Team of the MSF OCA consists of the General Directors of The Netherlands, Germany, UK, a Medical Director, an Operations Director and a Director Projects, Resources and Organisation.

As per 1st January 2014 the Operations Centre Amsterdam has a vacancy for a

Director Projects, Resources and Organisation

OCA is committed to providing the highest quality of support to its field operations. We recognize that visionary leadership and continuous innovation are required to run unique and ground breaking medical humanitarian projects in difficult and diverse contexts. The Director Projects, Resources and Organisation (Director PRO) is responsible for developing a vision and strategy for a cost effective and delivering business organisation and for steering strategic internal and international inter-departmental projects. He/she will provide strategic leadership to the OCA support departments and maximizes cooperation and interaction between departments and between OCA sections to ensure maximum benefit to operations and the organisation. The director ensures that the resource budget is spent to the highest standards of donor accountability; maximum benefit of beneficiaries and in line with the strategic plan of OCA. As a member of the OCA MT the director has collective responsibility for developing and delivering the strategic ambitions of OCA.

Director PRO

The Director reports to the Chair of the OCA Management team, is a member of the OCA MT and MSF-Holland MT and manages directly the Amsterdam based Heads of the Departments Finance, HRM, ICT and Logistics. Indirectly the Director manages approximately 100 staff of the Amsterdam based departments Finance, ICT, HRM and Logistics.

The OCA sections in the UK and Germany each have their own HRM and Finance department and their own ICT staff. These departments fall under the hierarchical responsibility of the General Directors of these offices.

Main objectives of the position

         To provide leadership to, and steering of, the business organisation and performance of OCA (excluding Communications and Fundraising for home societies).

         To provide leadership and overall steering of OCA support departments (Finance, ICT, HRM and Logistics) and promotes interaction, cooperation and exchange between these departments in all OCA sections and offices.

         To provide leadership to, and steering of, strategic MSF-Holland, OCA and International inter-departmental or inter-sectional projects.

Candidate profile

We are looking for an experienced leader with at least five years of relevant experience in an international work environment; who has broad experience with strategic organizational design, development and performance, including planning, budgeting, finance, risk, information systems, logistics and human resources.

The candidate has a proven track record of exceeding goals and resolving organisational problems, and an ability to take decisions and to deliver project results within budget and in time, and problem solving capacities.

In order to be successful in this position the candidate needs to think strategically, anticipate future consequences and trends, and incorporate them into the organisational plan. Furthermore it is essential to have the capacity for managing and leading people; team building; ability to connect staff both on an individual level and in large groups; flexibility to connect to various groups of people, capacity to enforce accountability.

The candidate takes charge of a situation, overcomes resistance and takes unpopular stands when necessary.

We have a preference for a candidate with experience within MSF or similar organisation and the candidate should be fluent in English.

Additional

Position is based in Amsterdam. Berlin or London could be considered.

The candidate is available to do regular international trips and occasional field visits. The candidate must be willing to accept a salary package below market standards. A thorough induction program will be set up before starting in the position in case the candidate is without MSF experience. This will include substantial time in the field.

We offer

•           Fulltime position in a challenging international environment.

•           A contract for three years with a renewal option of maximum three years subject to satisfactory performance.

•           A salary with a gross monthly salary between € 5,832 and € 8,329 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

If you are interested in this position and would like additional information, you  can contact Manon Frenken, Head of HRM on phone +31-20-5208969 or Arjan Hehenkamp, General Director on phone +31-20-5208727.

Application

If you are interested in this position and believe that you meet the requirements of the profile, please submit your letter of application and curriculum vitae in English to: Artsen zonder Grenzen, attn. Ms. Amanda van Hoorn, to officejobs@amsterdam.msf.org.

Please mention ‘Director Projects, Resources and Organisation’ in the subject line.

The application deadline is 31 October 2013.

An assessment could be part of the selection procedure.

Please mention in your e-mail where you came across this vacancy.