Emergency Coordinator

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 70 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.

CONTEXT

The Operations Department of MSF OCB (Operational Centre Brussels) consists of 6 managerial and technical teams called Cells each in charge of a portfolio of countries and 1 Emergency Unit (E-Pool) for the management of intense emergency interventions. These teams directly supervise and support the interventions implementation.

The main responsibility of the E-Pool is to intervene with medical activities, directly and quickly in crisis situations like conflicts, epidemics, and natural disasters, while guaranteeing the quality of interventions. As such, we are responsible anywhere, anytime for monitoring, identification, and implementation of operations in any crisis situation that may arise.

The E-Pool includes 2 Emergency Coordinators (EMCOs) based in Brussels. Each Coordinator may be required to manage 1 or 2 or more specific emergencies simultaneously depending on the volume and complexity of the response.

The EMCOs (whether medical and non-medical profile) work closely with the medical coordinator of the E-Pool to develop, review, implement, and monitor the medical strategy. EMCOs are seconded by a team of specialists in supply chain, logistics, pharmacy, administration, human resources, and finance.

The E-Pool includes 25 to 30 emergency responders (Emergency Mobile Coordinators and implementors) coordinating emergencies in the MSF countries of intervention. An ad hoc task force may be created inside the E-Pool for specific and acute emergency operations.

As Emergency Coordinator, you are in charge of an emergency response and you monitor various aspects of the intervention (operations strategy, as well as logistics and supply strategy, and HR and finance strategy) with the support of the other E-Pool members and OCB departments. You report to the Coordinator of the Emergency Pool.

You will travel to MSF countries of intervention 3 to 4 times per year, with each visit lasting 2 to 4 weeks. The objectives may include starting an emergency intervention, supporting operations, conducting exploratory visits, filling a strategic gap, coaching an EMCO in a country of operation, evaluating an intervention, meeting with authorities, etc.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Direct management of an emergency (first line coordinator)

At the beginning of the emergency

Assess the situation through different information sources and available data

Contribute to the decision about the type of intervention

Discuss the best medical strategy and activities with the Medical Emergency Coordinator

Organise a Project Committee with the different information on which to base the decision to intervene and its mode of management

Establish the strategy and mobilise the resources (HR, supply, finance ...)

Assess the safety and security in contexts of conflict and tension

Determine supply routes

Ensure that the various departments are mobilised to respond appropriately to the identified needs

Coordinate emergency-related activities with the Emergency Desks of the other MSF Operational Centres

Organise short ad hoc training for Mobile Staff leaving to emergency projects when the situation requires it

Estimate budget needs for first months and present to Directors of Operations for approval

Prepare budget and narrative for donors when requested

During the emergency

Monitor the situation and refocus, readjust the strategy and the resources (HR, supply, finance)

ensures effective collaboration with other OCs / HRT (eDesk or regular cells) via InterDesk or bilateral channels

Keep regular contact with the programme and give feedbacks to the team on ongoing operations, mirror effect

Evaluate needs of for advocacy & positioning with direct support of the Analysis and Communication Departments

Keep the relevant Directors of Operations informed, as well as the departments and other emergency desks on the evolution of the activities

Assure, in collaboration with the medical coordinator and epidemiologist, appropriate and timely medical data collection and analysis

Produce and share daily or weekly update

In insecure contexts, monitor the security and take appropriate measures in close coordination with Security Focal Point and Security Mobile Implementation Officers in insecure contexts

Assess the possibility of launching an evaluation of the response as early as possible during the course of the emergency response

After the emergency

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