Cell Manager at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

The main objective of the Ops department in OCP is to improve the quality of the operational response of MSF by formulating, supervising and insuring the efficient implementation of its medical humanitarian activities. The department is organized in 8 operational cells, transversal units and project units.

In the context of the creation of a new operational cell, located in Nairobi, in Kenya, we are currently looking for this department, based in Nairobi:

A Cell manager located in Nairobi in charge of South Sudan, Somaliland, Ethiopia (and a fourth coutrny to be defined)

General context of the cell:

In 2021, the Direction of Operations and the General Direction of Paris have decided to create a new cell, located in Nairobi, Kenya, in charge of the following portfolio : South Sudan, Somaliland, Ethiopia and of a fourth country to be defined (Kenya, Uganda, Sudan).

The creation of the cell will be effective by September, 2021, the 1st.

The Cell 9 Nairobi set-up will be declined as following : a cell manager, a deputy cell manager in charge of medecine, a logistics supervisor, a finance and an HR supervisor. Added to the usual responsabilities of the cell manager, the cell manager located in Nairobi will have to get involved on the best support model in collaobration with the other MSF entities based in Kenya and the coordinations he works with.

Your Main responsibilities are the following:

Under the hierarchical management of the Director of Operations, you are responsible for your team and the operations of your cell by:

Contributing to the definition of the strategy and the policies :

• Participating to the definition of the strategies and te operational policies of MSF OCP, participate to the Boards, the Group Committees.
• Elaborating the regional and thematic strategics.
• Establishing the relevance of the projects and to define their objectives.

Supervising the missions and thematics of your cell:

• Being responsible for the coherence and pertinence, the quality and the relevant implementation of the field projects
• Analyzing the contexts of the countries of intervention, and proposing the best operational set-ups.
• Defining and adjusting constantly both the organization and the adapted needs in order to implement the projects and the different steps of actions.
• Provide a support to your Heads of Missions.
• To support the head of missions in the complex political and technical files follow-up and the negotiation of a space for intervention.
• To be responsible for policies implementation and the tools implementation.
• To make sure that the information is correctly distributed between the Direction of operations, the other departments, the fields and the project teams.
• To be a privileged interlocutor towards the support departments managers.
• To suggest and propose public communications.

To manage your cell team and your mission teams:

• Recruiting,  managing, advising, supporting, motivating, federating your teams and developping your collaborators’ skills.
• To define the objectives and orientations individually and collectivally.
• To ensure that your team contributes to the transversal projects.

To share the skills:

• You participate to the definition and the implementation of the trainings in the HQ and the fields.
• You propose evaluations and capitalizations on your scope.

To manage and steer the operational and team budget:

• You elaborate and follow-up your budget.
• You look for institutional fundings, you ensure that the objectives are achieved and you make sure that the contracts signed with the yawners are fulfilled

To represent MSF and share its interests:

• You represent MSF on your scope of intervention.
• You ensure that the information is distributed correctly with all the internal and external actors on your scope.

To participate to the reflection on the support models to the fields, in collaboration with your coordination teams and the entities located in Nairobi

Professional skills

Experience:

• You have a significative operational experience of at least 2 years as Head of Mission or Medical coordinator with MSF.
• You have a strong management project experience and team management experience.
• The knowledge of the MSF French HQ is also an added value.

Languages:

• English C1,
• French is an added value.

Qualities

Knowledge :

• Project management, knowledge of MSF steering tools
• Being able to define medical and operational strategies adapted to various contexts
• Wide knowledge and experience in international public health
• Confirmed leadership and vision in steering programs

Position’s specificities

Status :

Position to take in Nairoi, Kenya, full tim job. Frequent trips to schedule.  In order to conciliate the needs of stability and mobility in the cell towards a general HQ/Field mobility, it is asked to the cell members to comit morally to a minimum 3 years commitment renewable for 3 years. After a 6 years period of time, the role will be reopened and the person in charge will be invited to represent him/herself after a discussion with the direction of operations

Salary conditions : Kenyan package

Position to take by September 1st, 2021

Contract type: Fixed-term contract

Contract duration: 36 months