Deputy Medical Operations 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.

Deputy Medical Operations Coordinator (f/x/m) – Brussels – MSF Belgium

CONTEXT

As a principle, a Deputy Medical Operations Coordinator position in Operational Centre Brussels (OCB) is not permanently tied to a fixed country portfolio, as portfolio allocation within the Operations Department may evolve according to operational priorities and organisational needs.

The Deputy Medical Operations Coordinator belongs to the Operations Department and is responsible, together with the Operations Coordinator, for the medical vision, strategy and operational coherence of the programmes under their cell portfolio. The role requires strong capacity to support complex medical-operational environments, including medical strategy, quality of care, security-sensitive programming, access constraints, advocacy, outbreak response and strategic decision-making in collaboration with country teams, cell members and headquarters departments.

This position is based in Brussels. The expected future portfolio of the Brussels-based cell will mainly include Central Africa contexts, including DRC, CAR and Burundi, as well as Sierra Leone.

The selected candidate will join during an internal portfolio transition period. During this period, the Brussels-based cell may temporarily manage a mixed portfolio, with some countries from the current West Africa/Sahel portfolio and some countries from the incoming Central Africa portfolio. The Deputy Medical Operations Coordinator will therefore be expected to support continuity of medical and operational support across a changing portfolio, while ensuring clear medical accountability and structured handover with the relevant cell and country teams.

As Deputy Medical Operations Coordinator, your main roles are to be:

Responsible for the medical strategy of the programmes in the cell portfolio, together with the Operations Coordinator

The Deputy to the Operations Coordinator

Guide and coach the Medical Coordinators in their responsibility to implement the projects through coaching and mentoring

Your responsibilities are not tied to any specific context or country and may evolve according to portfolio allocation.

As Deputy Medical Operations Coordinator, you manage the additional medical positions in the cell and organise/distribute the work between them, including the Medical Officer and the Epidemiology Advisor dedicated to the cell, according to the cell set-up.

You are hierarchically managed by the Operations Coordinator and functionally linked to the Deputy Medical Director in the Medical Department.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

Develop a strategic vision for each country under the lead of the Operations Coordinator (CO), together with theHead of Programmes (Country Coordinator)and Medical Coordinators (Medco’s)

Develop a medical vision for each country with the Medco's

Responsible for the strategic choices and objectives of the projects, according to the Ops processes.

Ensure the medical pertinence and adequacy of the projects with the Medco’s

Take co-decision with the CO to make operational decisions congruent with the needs, the medical identity (prospects) & the medical policies

Replace the CO in his/her absence

Choose the design teams and support teams as per the Operations (Ops) processes.

Validate the final design of activities and resources as per the Ops processes

Ensure the medical quality of the projects with the Medical Officer

Support the Medical coordinators in their responsibility to implement and monitor the progress of the projects (coaching/mentoring)

Ensure the cost-awareness regarding medical choices

Interact with experts on strategy, pertinence, and adequacy as per the Ops processes.

Balance the humanitarian drive in the Ops with the Medical approach

Match the medical & political vision (theory) with the operational reality in the field (adaptability, feasibility)

Contribute to the development of medical policies and strategies by sharing context-specific experiences and by checking their field adequacy

Ensure that all countries have a pertinent medical advocacy agenda

Promote the development of an Operational Research (OR) agenda together with Epidemiology Advisor, Medical Officer, and Medco's

Communicate medical matters (regarding the projects) to the Communication department (COM dept) & occasionally to the media (medical advocacy)

Take on the operational role in some of the circles (working group