Qualifications

Education

• Degree in medical, public health, humanitarian affairs, anthropology, political science, international relations or operational management fields essential. A Masters degree in the same fields would be desirable.
  

Experience

Essential

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience.
  
• Significant senior operational management experience in MSF or another medical-humanitarian organisation.
  
• Previous experience as Head of Mission, Country Director, Operations Manager, Emergency Coordinator, Medical Coordinator or equivalent senior programme leadership role.
  
• Strong understanding of medical-humanitarian operations, emergency response, security management and principled humanitarian action.
  
• Proven capacity to develop operational strategies and translate them into effective implementation.
  
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and supporting senior field leaders.
  
• Strong financial, HR, security and operational planning literacy.
  
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex humanitarian, political, security, access and ethical dilemmas.
  
• Proven commitment to people-centred care, accountability, safeguarding and inclusive leadership.
  
• Excellent written and spoken English.
  

Lead operational strategy for the assigned portfolio

• Leads the development, implementation and review of country, regional and thematic strategies within the assigned portfolio.
  

Embed community leadership and people-centred care

• Ensures that community leadership and people-centred care are not treated as separate activities, but as core operational principles and priorities.
  

Ensure quality, relevance and accountability of operations

• Accountable for ensuring that operations within the portfolio are relevant, high-quality, ethical and accountable.
  

Support Heads of Programmes, Project Coordinators and country leadership teams

• Provides strategic supervision, guidance and support to senior field leadership.
  

Lead and manage the operational cell

• Leads a multidisciplinary operational cell and is responsible for its performance, coherence and working culture.
  

Strengthen emergency preparedness and response

• Ensures that emergency response remains central to MSF Ubuntu’s operational identity.
  

Oversee security, access and risk management

• Ensures that safety, security and access management are adapted to operational realities and grounded in MSF Ubuntu’s community acceptance-based approach.
  

Drive advocacy, analysis, representation and networking

• Ensures that advocacy and analysis are linked to operational priorities and community realities.
  

Integrate communications and public positioning into operations

• Ensures that communications and public positioning reflect MSF Ubuntu’s commitment to speaking out in solidarity with patients and communities.
  

Ensure financial stewardship and responsible resource management

• Oversees responsible planning, budgeting and resource use within the portfolio.
  

Promote interdependence and operational collaboration

• Responsible for putting interdependence into practice across the portfolio.
  

Promote learning, reflection and knowledge management

• Contributes to MSF Ubuntu as a humble, learning-oriented Operational Directorate.
  

Support environmental responsibility and climate-aware operations

• Ensures that operations consider the health and humanitarian consequences of the climate crisis, as well as MSF Ubuntu’s environmental commitments.