Head of Mission

Head of Mission

Operations

In close collaboration with the Mission Coordination Team defining the operational strategy for the project. Being responsible for MSF’s operational response in the project and coordinating MSF’s programme execution and identifying the population’s health needs and the humanitarian issues at stake. Ensuring compliance to MSF’s charter, ethical standards and policies in order to realize organizational objectives and improve the target population’s health conditions and humanitarian situation.

• In close collaboration with the HOM, representing MSF and defending its interests before local authorities, local NGO’s, donors, military organizations and media to realize an active positioning and a positive public image. Raising awareness in the target population about the existence of MSF's programs.
• Monitoring and analyzing the political and humanitarian situation in the project area in order to identify the population’s health status and needs. Establishing and maintaining contacts with key stakeholders and carrying out exploratory missions in order to identify potential fields of intervention. Leading negotiations for access and defining risks and constraints in order to make project proposals, set project targets and to calculate material, human and financial resources needed. Bearing witness, documenting and raising awareness for the target populations needs/distress.
  
• Being accountable and supervising the execution of programs, including emergency response activities. Ensuring that the MSFs technical and ethical standards are followed and objectives are achieved. Coordinating activities with other MSF sections in the project region
• Being responsible for the proper application of HR policies and associated processes in the project (recruitment, briefing/debriefing, evaluation, staff learning and development and internal communication) in order to ensure both the sizing of the team and the amount of knowledge required for the project activities. Briefing the teams on context related issues. Ensuring the associative character of MSF is reflected in the briefing of all MSF staff, maximizing their commitment to MSF values and project’s goals
• Supervising the implementation of safety and health protocols in order to ensure safe working conditions for the project staff, ensuring, together with Medical Coordinator, an optimum psychological status of all project staff, looking for and suggesting solutions in case of mental health related issues
• Ensuring data collection and epidemiological surveillance system, in agreement with the MedCo, in order to define effective medical programs for the targeted population.
• Evaluating program performance and providing all the required reports to HOM on project planning, project monitoring and project evaluation in line with Mission reporting cycle
• Being accountable for the proper planning, sizing, and coordination of all financial and material resources needed in the project. Agreeing on the annual budget and ensuring a proper control of financial indicators and the project budget.
• Supervising the project material resources put at MSF’s disposition in order to ensure a correct use and its longevity. Supervising all orders (medical and logistical) and the Project’s purchases as well as the financial indicators, with the support of the capital referents, in order to ensure efficiency and early detect deviations and its causes.
• Defining and updating, in close collaboration with the Head of Mission, the Project’s security policy and strategic response to emergencies, reporting any concerning issue, in order to improve risk working conditions and to ensure staff’s full adherence to security rules and protocols. Ensuring the implementation of the Inter-operational directorate Security Agreement (ISA) in the project, both in spirit and letter, promoting a culture of pro-active information sharing and collaboration

• University degree or paramedical diploma desirable
• For OCBA: Desirable degree in Project Management or HR Management.

• Essential working experience of at least two years in relevant similar jobs in other NGO’s, or previous field experience with MSF in different contexts.
• Essential working experience in developing countries.