MEDECINS SANS FRONTIERES UK

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) provides life-saving emergency relief and longer-term medical care to some of the most vulnerable and excluded communities around the world. As an independent medical humanitarian organisation, we deliver care based only on need, regardless of ethnic origin, gender, religion or political affiliation.

MSF relies on donations from private individuals and organisations for the majority of its income. This private funding gives MSF the freedom to respond where needs are greatest and to speak out publicly, free from any political interference.

MSF has around 63,000 local and international staff working in over 70 countries, in some of the most challenging places in the world. Our medical humanitarian projects are supported by offices in 44 countries, including the UK and Ireland. These teams recruit staff, organise fundraising, and raise awareness on the humanitarian crises our colleagues are witnessing, as well as running different and diverse support activities. MSF offices are spread across Europe, North and South America, Asia, Africa and Australasia.

At MSF UK/IE, we support MSF's operations by building relationships with our supporters, increasing awareness of our work, raising funds, providing specialist medical expertise, ensuring MSF staff have access to relevant higher education programmes, catalysing change on medical humanitarian issues, and recruiting field staff. MSF UK/IE personnel are dynamic, hard-working, enthusiastic and committed to MSF's values and aims. In addition MSF continues to build upon its presence in Ireland to become a widely recognised, accepted and respected humanitarian organisation among Irish audiences, and within the Irish humanitarian and political sector.

The Director of MU is responsible for the strategic direction and operational running of the function including:

• Providing leadership and management, bringing medical expertise and experience of working in humanitarian health programming to the benefit of the communities we serve, MSF UK/IE, and its MSF and external partners.

• Optimising the MU’s functionality as a hub for academic and professional medical and research networks, bringing expertise and technical support to the MSF movement, and developing a positive working culture and effective communication to successfully build collaborative partnerships across the MSF movement and externally.

• Collaborating towards the strong leadership of MSF UK as a member of its senior executive team, the Committee of Directors (CoDir).

• The Director of MU is also Deputy Medical Director, OCA and together with the Medical Director, OCA and Deputy Medical Director, OCA, (based in Amsterdam) drives OCA’s strategic plan and medical strategy; ensuring close collaboration with OCA Operations to improve the medical services offered to our patients.

Hours: Full-time, 37.5 hours per week

Duration: Permanent

Location: London. Hybrid, ideally three days and a minimum of two days per week in the office

Salary: £89,748.07

Please download the job description and person specification below for full details of the role.

Knowledge, Skills & Experience

• Substantial medical programme leadership and management in a humanitarian setting within MSF or equivalent.
• Degree in Medicine with extensive experience in clinical practice.
• Commitment to the aims and values of MSF and a demonstrable understanding of, and commitment, to humanitarian issues.
• Ability to provide strong strategic judgement in response to challenging operational decisions and crises and build the trust of key colleagues.
• Experience and ability to operate comfortably in a complex international structure where influence is based on relationships, and a highly collaborative style of interaction.
• Demonstrated experience in medical research and programme evaluation.
• Evidence of driving through strategy and change in a complex, matrix led organisation.
• Evidence of building, leading and managing an effective team.
• Advanced interpersonal and negotiation skills, with an ability to manage and build relationships with internal and external stakeholders.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Ability to speak other languages such as French and/or Arabic (Desirable)
• Willingness to travel to internationally to other MSF offices and countries of operations, exceptionally for extended periods.
• Experience in the practical use of personal IT equipment and Microsoft Office 365 suite. The ability to effectively collaborate and communicate within a hybrid working environment utilising Teams, SharePoint, One Drive and Yammer.
  

How to Apply:

Please apply on our website by submitting a copy of your CV together with a letter of motivation (please upload as one document) by the closing date.

Incomplete applications will not be considered.

Recruitment timetable:

• Closing date for applications: 26 June 2024 9am (BST)
• First round interviews: 1-3 July (TBC) 2024 (in-person at MSF offices in London)

Right to work

Candidates must have the right to work in the UK. Employment sponsorship may be provided for the successful candidate. Please click here to check whether you have the right to work in the UK. If you would like to discuss your right to work status further, please contact [email protected].

Accessibility

We are committed to removing barriers for people with specific accessibility needs. If you need an adjustment to the recruitment process to be considered for the role, please let us know by contacting [email protected]

Examples of adjustments we can make:

• offering you an alternative if you are unable to use our online application system
• providing necessary information, such as the job description or assessment materials, in an alternate format
• allowing you to have someone with you during an interview for example, a Sign Language interpreter.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion

We are a welcoming, diverse, and inclusive organisation. MSF UK thrives when everyone feels comfortable bringing their best self to work. We celebrate difference, whilst striving to create an environment where colleagues feel respected and valued for their unique potential. We are committed to our values on equity, diversity, and inclusion. Please read our Equality & Diversity policy for more information.

MSF UK is an equal opportunities employer. We are committed to diversity and creating an inclusive environment for all employees. We encourage applications from all sections of our diverse community.

Safeguarding

MSF UK/IE is dedicated to safeguarding everyone who comes into contact with the organisation, for whatever reason and however brief. All posts are subject to safer recruitment process which include robust reference requests, scrutiny of employment history and where applicable criminal record and barring checks.

Our safeguarding commitment is underpinned by policies and procedures which encourage and promote safe working practice across the organisation. On joining MSF UK/IE you will be required to attend safeguarding training to ensure responsibility for and maintaining safe working practice and to safeguard our teams, beneficiaries, and communities.

For questions, issues or further information, please contact [email protected].

We look forward to receiving your application!