Humanitarian Representation Team (HRT) Officer - Nairobi at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF)

 POSITION BACKGROUND

• Nairobi continues consolidating its role as a regional humanitarian, diplomatic, and analytical hub. Recent crises have led to an increased use of Nairobi as a base for regional coordination, surge capacity, and high‑level engagement. This has coincided with broader humanitarian reform and efficiency discussions within the UN system, including ongoing reset and reform initiatives, and with shifts in humanitarian funding priorities. Together, these dynamics have contributed to a growing concentration of key decision‑makers, donors, diplomats, analysts, and regional actors operating from, or regularly transiting through, Nairobi.
• The HRT EA has maintained regular engagement with many of these actors. However, given the high likelihood that conflicts and humanitarian needs across the region will continue and evolve over the coming years, dedicated capacity is required to strengthen regional representation and strategic networking. This position will support coherent engagement across multiple country contexts while ensuring strong linkages between regional dynamics and country‑level priorities.
• Key interlocutors include regional and member state representations, major humanitarian donors, diplomatic missions and special envoys for Sudan and the Horn of Africa, UN agencies, INGOs, think tanks and research institutions, regional bodies such as IGAD, and diaspora and civil society actors.
• Particular attention is paid to the Sudan conflict. Since April 2023, the outbreak of large‑scale conflict in Sudan has significantly increased MSF’s humanitarian engagement needs across East Africa and the Horn of Africa region. As well, protracted crises in Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Somalia, and neighboring contexts are increasingly interconnected, with political, security, and humanitarian developments reverberating across borders, in addition to their specificities and particularities.
• This role will support the HRT EA and the HRT AU directly, with a potential for ad-hoc support to other representatives as required, focusing on opportunities to improve connections, reporting and visibility in the wider MSF movement. This position will contribute to that work, through better information sharing, compiling data and highlighting engagement opportunities to the HRT EA and AU. This position will be hierarchically and functionally accountable to the HRT EA. With close relationship and coordination of the HRT AU.

PLACE IN THE ORGANISATION

• The HRT Officer is part of the Humanitarian Representation Team of MSF International. He/she reports to the HRT East Africa Representative and works closely with key staff in Nairobi and across the HRT.
• The HRT works to enhance MSF’s ability to understand, inform, and where possible, influence the actions and decisions of external stakeholders for the purposes of protecting MSF’s operational space, advocating for needs-based humanitarian action and, when requested, conveying MSF’s témoignage. The HRT supports MSF operations through linkages and actions to and from a wide array of external networks that include governments, multilateral institutions and agencies, humanitarian and civil society organisations, medical associations, think tanks, research centres, and other influential interlocutors. The HRT is comprised of a full-time secretariat covering multilateral bodies (UN, EU-NATO, AU), permanent UNSC members (US, UK, China, Russia), and other key regions (East Africa, West Africa, Gulf, Levant, Türkiye, South-East Asia). The HRT Secretariat’s work is supported by a global network including more than 20 representatives linked to MSF entity offices worldwide.
• There are three HRT Secretariat positions currently based in Nairobi: The East & Central Africa Representative (HRT EA), the African Union Representative (HRT AU, based between Nairobi and Addis), and the International Operations and Humanitarian Representation Coordinator (IOHRC), who is the head of the HRT.

OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION

The purpose of the position of the HRT Officer is to enhance, support and facilitate the HRT EA and HRT AU’s representation and negotiation work.

This includes:

• Support internal coordination and analysis at various relevant internal platforms (such as Interdesk and others) as defined by the HRT EA and HRT AU.
• Interdesk Meetings: – Prepares agenda (with close follow up of action points), attend the weekly Interdesk meeting, prepare minutes, shared with Desks and upload information in relevant internal sites and platforms (once approval is granted).
• Analysis & Reflection to Desks and wider HRT –
• Internal – Support the facilitation intersectional discussions for the contexts in the region, along with HRT EA.
• External – Provide monitoring, analysis, and reporting on key stakeholders, and potential engagement opportunities aligned with MSF operational priorities, for the Nairobi-based engagement.
• Ensure systematised sharing of information among Interdesk and HRT (e.g., meeting minutes, engagement reports, significant news etc.).
• Discussions/information sharing involving operational decisions, developments, strategy, security, etc. will maintain the standard HOM/EmCo to desk line and involve HRT only if/when requested. The HRT to desk line is linked to engagement and representation strategy, planning, outcomes, minutes, frameworks, etc.
• Comms & Advocacy - Closely collaborate with individual sections’ advocacy teams and intersectional comms based in Nairobi. Give insight/opinion if and when requested by HRT EA/Desks
• Tools - Improve and maintain tools for intersectional coordination, manage the engagement and networking portion of the intersectional SharePoint platform, ensure operational information and analysis are shared and updated. This includes engagement tracking, contact lists, proper archiving of minutes, for all the engagements at Nairobi and others as determined by the HRT EA and HRT AU.

Support intersectional engagement, networking, and representation in Nairobi:

• Support the development and implementation of intersectional MSF engagement, networking, and representation plans and strategies, as well as the intersectional engagement framework.
• Propose and organise external meetings, including senior-level visits, and consolidate talking points and/or briefing notes.
• When delegated by HRT EA, represent MSF in external meetings, and ensure regular and consistent engagement with key interlocutors, following up on action points.
• Per the above, raise operational concerns to various external interlocutors and advocate/lobby to improve access, security, humanitarian operational space, and other priorities as determined by desks.
• Supports networking - Increase contacts and connections within all networks, particularly within civil societies, governmental circles, and other spheres of influence of regional countries based in Nairobi.
• Contribute to the identification and understanding of influential interlocutors, particularly based in Nairobi and keep updated the intersectional actors' mapping and intersectional contact lists.
• Monitoring, analysing and reporting on key humanitarian issues and trends; provide regular updates on humanitarian aid system dynamics (NGO/Donor planning, Red Cross movement activities and positioning) to increase the leverage and the impact of MSF advocacy in line with operational plans, regular activities and medical-humanitarian advocacy objectives
• Prepares agenda, engagement plan and arrange meetings for desks or any other high-level visitor in NBO.
• Facilitate the coordination, alignment and information sharing within MSF Eastern Africa in support of HRT EA and AU.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

• Interdesk minutes, prepared, shared and uploaded (once approved by Desks).
• Weekly overview of engagement opportunities in Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and at HRT Secretariat and Network levels for priority contexts set by HRT EA and HRT AU, to be sent to desks and other relevant colleagues.
• Regular updates to notes, contact logbook and engagement tracker based on interactions with external stakeholders.
• Notes from ad hoc calls, attendance at relevant events or conferences, and other internal or external engagements as instructed by HRT EA.
• Talking Points for engagements for HRT (EA and wider HRT), in close coordination with relevant colleagues.

Job requirements

• Degree in International Relations, International Development, Humanitarian Studies, or related field.
• Minimum five years’ experience in humanitarian affairs or similar positions at international or national levels.
• MSF experience is highly desired, humanitarian experience is required
• Strong command of monitoring, analysis, and reporting methods for political and humanitarian contexts
• High proficiency both in written and spoken communication.
• Ability to work and collaborate with diverse multicultural teams.
• Strong understanding and commitment to humanitarian principles and MSF’s charter.
• Strong understanding of the East African humanitarian context, as well as transversal and cross-cutting global health and humanitarian themes.
• Capacity to work independently and be proactive in opportunity identification and problem solving.
• Language proficiency: English is required. Arabic is a strong asset.
• Mobility requirements: Some travel to mission and project locations should be anticipated.