General Director at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

PURPOSE OF THE POSITION

MSF OCBA GD is responsible for carrying out the necessary activities to develop and achieve the goals of MSF OCBA as delegated by the General Assembly, the MSF Spain Board of Directors and the Agora (OCBA Board of Directors). Is therefore responsible to the highest level for the management, the operations, institutional representation, and coordination with and as part of the MSF International movement. 

The GD acts as a champion to guarantee an optimal development of the operational partnership at all levels and coordinates the actions undertaken with the rest of the directors of the MSF OCBA departments (Management Team - MT), thus bestowing coherence and alignment upon the organization. The MT is accountable to the GD, who may delegate some of its tasks to its members. 

The GD is responsible for operationalizing the MSF OCBA Strategic Plan, proposing mid-term strategies to ensure that MSF OCBA evolves according to population needs and external and internal challenges. 

The GD contributes to ensure MSF International movement is aligned around operational needs and to guarantee that the frameworks agreed by the General Assembly, the MSF Spain Board of Directors and the Agora are duly complied with. 

The GD is accountable to the MSF Spain Board of Directors and the Agora; and has direct and permanent relation with the President. Together, they are the main representatives of MSF OCBA, bearing in mind the ultimate responsibility in all matters impacting the social mission of MSF as mandated by the General Assembly. 

Currently MSF OCBA GD is also the GD of MSF Spain. As such, the person selected is responsible for all activities in Spain and is accountable to the MSF Spain Board of Directors for it.

As the MSF movement evolves, there may be some critical changes in the architecture and governance of MSF OCBA over the next 5 years. The role as MSF Spain General Director during the course of the mandate may be substantially altered. 

 KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AS MSF OCBA GD

•  Ensures MSF OCBA does the best possible medical humanitarian operations for people affected by emergencies, conflict, and severe violence. 
• Ensures a strategic vision around operations that is inspiring and achieves commitment, collective alignment, and internal and external mobilization.
• Ensures the centrality of the operations in all political, strategic, and managerial discussions and decisions in MSF OCBA and at movement level.  
• Ensures all the work of MSF OCBA at all levels is conducted with humanity, care and empathy towards patients and communities, amongst the staff and with our supporters. 
• Ensures the capacity of the whole organization is at the service of the first liners, there where the medical and humanitarian act happens, making it the center of gravity of the organization. 
• Promotes proximity, indignation and the pursuit of the highest possible impact and quality as the objectives of every employee and in every internal and external interaction.
• Ensures the best possible duty of care towards the employees in a multidisciplinary manner from a security, wellbeing (physical and mental health) and behavior perspective. 
• Ensures a gender lens in all the actions of the organization and promotes a gender balance in all teams and platforms. 
• Leads the design and execute the Strategic and Executive Plan, together with the MT and within the framework given by the MSF Spain Board of Directors and the Agora. 
• Leads and oversees the Annual Plans and the associated Budget and Resource Plans and assures sound review and reporting on the relevance, impact, compliance, achievements, shortcomings and propose adjustments as necessary. 
• Leads and coach the MT and other management platforms. 
• Leads and coordinate the MSF OCBA Executive network to maximize the network potential to improve the operations.
• Leads and coordinate the MSF OCBA Executive network of partners (GD Forum) to maximize the network collaborations. 
• Leads and coach the other positions directly reporting to the GD: General Directorate at large.
• Challenges and offers guidance to the Director of Operations as the cornerstone and main responsible for the operations, analyzing the evolution of the operational portfolio and contributing to the definition of overall operational choices.
• Decides on the overall risk taking of the organization fed by diverse inputs and taking into consideration: risk, impact, and capacity.  
• Ensures the best possible decision making as a member of the decision-making authority (DMA) for security purposes. 
• Develops and oversees the implementation of a coherent and appropriate operational structure, functions and processes within the entire organization thus ensuring an efficient, effective, and human working atmosphere. 
• Oversees and bears legal responsibility for all legal and financial agreements, including contracts and dismissals of staff.
• Endorses and protects a management culture based on the promotion of diversity, inclusiveness, and openness, taking care of people, patients, communities and staff against abuse and discrimination. 
• Promotes and ensure a transparent, effective, and participative internal communication. 
• Represents MSF OCBA in the MSF International executive governance platforms (Core ExCom and Full ExCom), participating in developing and designing collective projects and strategies serving to strengthen the overall operational capacity of the movement. 
• As a member of the leadership of the movement ensures the centrality of the operations in the discussions and contributes in a propositional manner to dilemmas, challenges, and the definition of future evolutions of the organization. 
• Represents MSF OCBA and networks with national and international governmental, public, and private institutions, organizations, and fora in an inspiring, powerful, and consistent way with our identity and values. 
• Guarantees the coherence of the image, reputation and positioning of MSF OCBA, in close coordination with the President and the relevant international platforms. 
• Encourages and actively contributes to the reflection and critical analysis about medical and humanitarian contexts, stakes, practices and the role and identity of MSF OCBA.
• Promotes and transmits serenity, confidence, and strength when things are hard (and they will be). 
• Reports to the MSF Spain Board of Directors and Agora about all relevant issues, challenges, and developments in the operations, in the operational partnership and the MSF International Movement. 

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES AS MSF SPAIN GD

• Leads the section to provide the best possible support to the MSF operations.
• Sustains MSF Spain economic income in a 'difficult' and mature environment.
• Maintains a broad and mobilized social base.
• Keeps MSF as a reference (high brand awareness and reputation to contribute to maximizing the support that society can provide).
• Ensures the section consolidates its ability to deploy international mobile staff.
• Ensures the scale up of meaningful influence and engagement by boosting MSF space on the public agenda (raise media, institutional, political, and social influence) to improve visibility. Investing to build strategic, equitable long-term partnerships, both externally and within the MSF movement. 
• Ensures MSF Spain is a safe, equal and well-talented organization that focuses on the health and wellbeing of its employees.  
• Furthers focus on DEI with a special focus on our commitments to gender policies, anti-racism, diversity, and inclusion. 
• Ensures MSF Spain is an effective, digitally responsive and sustainable organization by the reduction of 50% of our footprint in 2030.

REPORTING LINES

• MSF OCBA GD reports to the President and the Agora; as MSF Spain General Director, the selected person reports to the MSF Spain Board of Directors. 
• Staff reporting to MSF OCBA GD:
  • MSF OCBA MT integrating the Directors of Operations, Medical, Logistics & Supply, Finances, Human Resources, Communications & Public Awareness and Fundraising Departments. 
  • Currently two Deputy General Directors.
  • The Internal Communication responsible and Executive Senior Assistant. 
  • The MSF Spain Coordinator.
  • The DEI Lead.
• Other key working relationships: MSF OCBA GD is member of the Core ExCom and Full ExCom which reports to the International Board. The GD chairs the GD Forum (composed by GD of partners of the agora).

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

• 10 years’ experience in the humanitarian field of work preferably MSF.
• Minimum 3 years’ experience in relevant management positions. 
• Minimum 5 years of experience of humanitarian projects at field level. 
• Fluent English is essential; Spanish is highly valued. 
• French and Arabic are desirable.
• Security management background as well as other risks management is an asset.  
• Training and experience in complex organizational management, including in human resources, assets and financial management is highly valued.
• Relevant operational MSF experience is a strong asset.

SKILLS & VALUES

• Full adherence and commitment to the principles, values, and goals of MSF.  
• Strong adherence to the medical and associative nature of MSF. 
• Strong leadership and decision-making capacity. 
• Strategic vision, analytical thinking, appetite and openness for innovation and risk taking. 
• Strong people-management skills. 
• Orientation to results.
• Ability to deal with complex environments and to lead teams under pressure.
• Excellent diplomacy, public relations skills, negotiation, and networking abilities are essential attributes. 
• Ability to effectively organize and communicate in multicultural environments and teams.
• Good stress management. 
• Coherent in it their attitudes and actions.