MedOps Cell Manager

Médecins sans frontières (MSF) or Doctors Without Borders, is an international humanitarian-aid non-governmental organization (NGO) and Nobel Peace Prize laureate, best known for its projects in war-torn regions and developing countries facing endemic diseases.

Rationale/Objective for Position

The MedOps Cell Manager is responsible for translating MSF Ubuntu’s operational vision into high-quality, principled, accountable and community-centred medical-humanitarian operations.

Reporting to the MSF Ubuntu Director of Operations, the MedOps Cell Manager leads the strategic direction, operational oversight and performance of an assigned portfolio of countries, projects or thematic operational priorities. The role ensures that MSF Ubuntu’s operations are grounded in the lived realities of patients and communities, responsive to urgent humanitarian needs, and aligned with MSF’s social mission to save lives, alleviate suffering and protect human dignity.

The MedOps Cell Manager will play a central role in building MSF Ubuntu as a new Operational Directorate with a distinct operational identity: rooted locally and acting globally; driven by people-centred care; committed to community leadership; shaped by interdependence with communities, partners and the wider MSF movement; and focused on leaving positive outcomes beyond the duration of MSF’s direct intervention.

This position will be hierarchically and functionally accountable to Director of Operations, MSF Ubuntu.

The MedOps Cell Manager is a senior operational leader within MSF Ubuntu’s Operations Department and works under the authority of the Director of Operations.

• Heads of Programmes, Project Coordinators and country coordination teams.
• Medical, logistics, supply, HR, finance, advocacy, communications, security, analysis and community engagement functions.
• MSF Ubuntu leadership circles and operational decision-making platforms.
• Local communities, patient groups, civil society actors, academia, local institutions and other relevant actors.
• Other MSF Operational Directorates, regional hubs and international platforms.

The role works closely with:

Tasks & Responsibilities

Main Responsibilities

• ​ ​Leads the development, implementation and review of country, regional and thematic strategies within the assigned portfolio.

Lead operational strategy for the assigned portfolio

• ​ ​Ensures that community leadership and people-centred care are not treated as separate activities, but as core operational principles and priorities.

Embed community leadership and people-centred care

• ​ ​Accountable for ensuring that operations within the portfolio are relevant, high-quality, ethical and accountable.

Ensure quality, relevance and accountability of operations

• ​ ​Provides strategic supervision, guidance and support to senior field leadership.

Support Heads of Programmes, Project Coordinators and country leadership teams

• ​ ​Leads a multidisciplinary operational cell and is responsible for its performance, coherence and working culture.

Lead and manage the operational cell

• ​ ​Ensures that emergency response remains central to MSF Ubuntu’s operational identity.

Strengthen emergency preparedness and response

• ​ ​Ensures that safety, security and access management are adapted to operational realities and grounded in MSF Ubuntu’s community acceptance-based approach.

Oversee security, access and risk management

• ​ ​Ensures that advocacy and analysis are linked to operational priorities and community realities.

Drive advocacy, analysis, representation and networking

• ​ ​Ensures that communications and public positioning reflect MSF Ubuntu’s commitment to speaking out in solidarity with patients and communities.

Integrate communications and public positioning into operations

• ​ ​Oversees responsible planning, budgeting and resource use within the portfolio.

Ensure financial stewardship and responsible resource management

• ​ ​Responsible for putting interdependence into practice across the portfolio.

Promote interdependence and operational collaboration

• ​ ​Contributes to MSF Ubuntu as a humble, learning-oriented Operational Directorate.

Promote learning, reflection and knowledge management

• ​ ​Ensures that operations consider the health and humanitarian consequences of the climate crisis, as well as MSF Ubuntu’s environmental commitments.

Support environmental responsibility and climate-aware operations

Decision-Making Authority for Programmes

• Approve or recommend country strategies, multi-year plans and major operational adjustments.
• Recommend opening, scaling, adapting, suspending, handing over or closing interventions.
• Validate operational priorities, staffing proposals, budgetary decisions and resource allocations within agreed thresholds.
• Provide arbitration on operational dilemmas, security thresholds and interdepartmental priorities.
• Be ready to act as interim in leading crisis management processes within the portfolio, in coordination with the Director of Operations, if required.
• Represent MSF Ubuntu internally and externally on assigned operational matters.
• Escalate matters requiring Director of Operations, General Director, Council or critical incident decision-making authority.

Within delegated authority from the Director of Operations, the MedOps Cell Manager may:

Qualifications

• Degree in medical, public health, humanitarian affairs, anthropology, political science, international relations or operational management fields essential.  A Masters degree in the same fields would be desirable.

Education

Experience

• Minimum 7 years of professional experience.
• Significant senior operational management experience in MSF or another medical-humanitarian organisation.
• Previous experience as Head of Mission, Country Director, Operations Manager, Emergency Coordinator, Medical Coordinator or equivalent senior programme leadership role.
• Strong understanding of medical-humanitarian operations, emergency response, security management and principled humanitarian action.
• Proven capacity to develop operational strategies and translate them into effective implementation.
• Experience managing multidisciplinary teams and supporting senior field leaders.
• Strong financial, HR, security and operational planning literacy.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex humanitarian, political, security, access and ethical dilemmas.
• Proven commitment to people-centred care, accountability, safeguarding and inclusive leadership.
• Excellent written and spoken English.

Essential

• Experience in community engagement, community-led programming or accountability to affected populations.
• Medical, public health, humanitarian affairs, anthropology, political science, international relations or operational management background.
• French, Swahili, Arabic or other languages relevant to MSF Ubuntu’s operational ambitions.
• Experience with advocacy, analysis, access negotiation, public positioning or community-led advocacy.
• Experience contributing to the start-up, transformation or progressive growth of an operational entity.
• Experience working in interdependent or multi-partner organisational models.

Desirable

• Commitment to MSF’s principles and social mission.
• Strategic vision and operational judgement.
• People-centred and community-informed decision-making.
• Leadership, people management and team development.
• Security awareness and risk management.
• Analytical capacity and critical thinking.
• Quality and results orientation.
• Capacity to negotiate, influence and build trust.
• Cross-cultural awareness and humility.
• Collaboration and interdependence.
• Accountability, integrity and transparency.
• Commitment to equity, diversity, inclusion and safeguarding.
• Ability to work under pressure and manage ambiguity.
• Learning mindset and openness to constructive challenge.
• Willingness to bear witness.