REFERENT MEDICAL POLYVALENT (RMP) Cell 1 – (Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia)

We are looking for passionate candidates ready to contribute to our humanitarian mission.

Below, you will find the job details and the qualifications we are looking for.

Inclusivity and Diversity at MSF

Do your qualifications and experience not exactly match all requirements of the job?

At MSF OCG, we are committed to an inclusive culture that supports and amplifies the diverse voices of our staff members. We strive to create workplaces where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas and experiences work together to advance MSF's social mission and create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.
 

We understand that some people may hesitate to apply for employment if they don't meet all listed job requirements. Research shows that this is especially true for women. If you believe your profile is a good match for this position, we invite you to apply even if you don’t fulfil every listed qualification.
We encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, background, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.
MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will undergo reference checks.

Context & mission

Médecins Sans Frontières is an independent, international medical and humanitarian organization that provides care to people in need, people affected by natural or man-made disasters, and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and without regard to race, religion, creed or political affiliation (MSF Charter).

The MSF movement is built around 5 operational centers supported by 24 sections and offices worldwide. MSF Operational Center Geneva (MSF OCG) is one of these centres.

OCG has established a matrix organisation to support its field operations. Operational cells act as the direct interface with the field, providing supervision and operational support, while specialised departments contribute technical expertise. Each cell is a multidisciplinary team coordinated by a Programme Manager (PM/RP – Responsable de Programmes) and composed of a Deputy Programme Manager (DPM/ARP), a medical profile (RMP), and representatives from logistics, finance, human resources, communications and supply. This position is part of Cell 1, which supports field operations in Sudan, South Sudan and Ethiopia.

Within this structure, the RMP reports hierarchically to the Programme Manager and works in close collaboration with the Medical Department, under the technical supervision of the Deputy Medical Director (DMD). The RMP acts as a key link between Operations and the Medical Department, ensuring coherent and relevant medical support to field operations, while providing strategic and technical guidance to Medical Coordinators.

Scope of Responsibilities

• Define strategic medico-operational priorities to respond to specific medico-humanitarian situations, whether in emergencies or protracted crises.
• Support the implementation of current projects across different countries by acting as a technical referent for Medical Coordinators in the field and advising the A/RP in the cell.
• Bring in technical expertise from the Medical Department to enable integrated work between the Operations and Medical Departments. This is achieved by creating collaborative platforms focusing on specific medico-operational challenges, the selection of standards and the improvement of practices.
• Plan medical resources and ensure their coherence with medico-operational objectives. This requires a collaborative approach with other departments (HR, Finance, Logistics, Supply). While this work takes place regularly during programme implementation, it represents a greater share of the workload during annual planning and mid-year reviews, when resources are planned and reviewed.
• Filter and prioritize field requests for support, considering the needs identified in projects and their capacity to absorb additional support at any given time.
• Evaluate and adjust medico-humanitarian projects by monitoring medical and project indicators, debriefing field teams, conducting field visits and monitoring the broader medical situation in countries of operation. Based on this, and jointly with in-country medical teams, propose project adjustments to operational colleagues in the field or at headquarters.

Responsibilities, Tasks and Duties

Towards the coordination and the cell:

• Ensures the medical pertinence and adequacy of the projects with the MedCo.
• Matches medical and institutional ambitions with operational reality and needs in the field (adaptability, feasibility).
• Contributes to the development of medical policies and strategies by sharing context-specific experiences and by checking their field adequacy.
• Supports country programmes in the development of a medical advocacy and/or operational research agenda.
• Contributes, through their health and medical experience, to the definition of objectives and intervention strategies adapted to the project's context, particularly through direct support to coordination (Medical Coordinator):
• Shares their health and medical experience to determine the intervention strategies.
• Advises the Medical Coordinator in terms of needs assessments and analysis of medical data gathered during assessments.
• Checks the coherence between medical resources and medico-operational objectives.
• Validates job profiles and skills and approves matching according to the matching process rules.
• Supervises the Medical Coordinator in terms of adequate monitoring of field pharmacy management (and kit management), the proper implementation of national staff health policies and compliance with medical supply rules.
• Participates in the process of approving a project through the consolidation of project documents (PoA, project committee, definition of objectives and indicators, adequate means and resources, logical framework and realistic timeframes).
• Follows up on the monitoring of medical activities and provides medical follow-up for projects through systematic analysis, feedback on sitreps, quarterly and annual reports and regular project visits.
• Supervises field analysis of the epidemiological context of the countries under their charge.
• Participates in the capitalisation of field experiences and technical support needs, identifying obstacles to good medical practices in the projects, and promotes or puts forward proposals for innovative technical tools in order to facilitate medical work-

Responding to Medico-Operational Needs:

• Ensures that medical fundamentals are met and that medical support is contextualized within the framework of good practices and the implementation of minimum standards.
• Contributes, through the process of consolidation and prioritization of medical support needs, to the yearly PoA objectives and activities and the programming of additional support and expertise priorities. Matches them to the capacities of the Medical Department, depending on the specificity and required investment.
• Provides direct technical support and guidance to the Medical Coordinator regarding all aspects of their function, through advice, coaching and transfer of knowledge and skills.
• Ensures medical solutions (protocols, minimum standards, best practices, guidelines, innovative tools, etc.) are properly implemented in the field.
• Is responsible for the adaptation of tools and means to the needs, making sure they provide a benefit for operations.
• Creates space for matching medical recommendations to operational reality, monitors the integration of medical policies depending on the context and guides the Medical Coordinator in developing the resulting strategies.

Towards the Collaborative Platforms and the Medical Department:

• Identifies the needs in terms of expertise to be developed by the Medical Department and contributes to the improvement of medical practices.
• Participates in and/or facilitates thematic forums/collaborative platforms and medical seminars, including with the Medical Department during PoA development, and for deeper moments of medical reflection such as an annual results review.
• Encourages and proposes the development of operational research projects: informs and updates Medical Coordinators, identifies operational research needs, integrates them into operational objectives, ensures follow-up and participates in the drafting of scientific articles linked to results obtained in the field.
• Undertakes advocacy initiatives, provides medical documentation on populations in distress and liaises with the Access to Essential Medicines Campaign.
• Participates in the annual exercise to rationalize and prioritize project support needs in collaboration with L&D and DMed.
• In line with the OCG Collaborative Teamwork Framework 2026, the role is expected to evolve towards a stronger focus on mentoring and supporting field teams. Responsibilities may be adapted accordingly as the framework is progressively implemented.

Your profile

Education

• Medical doctor or nurse.

• Medical or paramedical degree.

• A diploma in Tropical Medicine, Public/International Health or Epidemiology is an asset.

Experience

•  3 – 5 years professional experience in developing countries.

• A diversity of MSF experience, possibly as a Medical Coordinator or similar medical managerial position in another health organization.

• Knowledge of recent developments in the field of humanitarian relief, international public health and tropical medicine.

• Experience with field research in resource poor settings is an asset.

• Proven affinity with advocacy.

Languages

• Fluency in English is required.

• French and/or Arabic are an advantage.

Professional competencies

• Understanding of the medical, technical and political dimensions of humanitarian medical work.

• Understanding of advocacy and public communication and their contribution to MSF projects.

• Ability to analyse medical and structural issues.

• Programme management, project design and monitoring skills.

Personal Abilities/Qualities

• Team management and cooperation skills.

• Strategic thinking.

• Problem-solving skills and a service-oriented approach.

• Results- and quality-oriented mindset.

• Strong planning and organisational skills, including the ability to address complex organisational challenges.

• Strong analytical and synthesis skills.

• Excellent interpersonal, teamwork, networking, communication and information-sharing skills.

• Willingness and ability to travel.

Terms of employment

• Full-time position 100% (40h/week)

• Fixed-term contract: 3 years, renewable once.

• Working place: Geneva (with regular field visits)

• Ideal start date: beginning of January 2027

• Gross annual salary (for 100%): from CHF 110’652.- to CHF 129’348.- (salary commensurate with equivalent experience and internal salary grid)

• Paid vacation: 25 days per year, prorate temporis, plus any Swiss public holidays falling within the contract period.

• Pension plan: pension contribution covered 3/4 by MSF, 1/4 by staff member.

• Relocation support available for eligible candidates.

How to apply

Candidates are invited to submit their application exclusively through our recruitment platform, following these guidelines:

• CV (maximum 2 pages)
• Cover letter (maximum 1 page)
• Documents must be submitted in either English or French.

The application deadline is :

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier if we receive a sufficient number of quality applications.

All applications will be treated confidentially.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please note that we do not wish to use the services of recruitment or placement agencies.