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DIRECTOR OPERATIONS & ADVOCACY

Amsterdam

  • Organization: MSF - Médecins Sans Frontières (Artsen Zonder Grenzen) - Netherlands
  • Location: Amsterdam
  • Grade: Senior level - Senior
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Operations and Administrations
    • Legal - Broad
    • Political Affairs
    • Communication and Public Information
    • Managerial positions
  • Closing Date: 2025-02-17

MSF is an international, independent medical humanitarian organization. We are a non-profit, self-governed worldwide movement of more than 63,000 people.  

We provide emergency medical assistance during armed conflict, natural disasters, outbreaks of deadly diseases and assist those who are excluded from healthcare. MSF delivers care based on need and when we see injustice, we speak out. We are an organization that remains impartial, knowledgeable, and effective, and this is what makes the difference between life and death.  

People are our priority. At Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)/ArtsenzonderGrenzen, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees.   We encourage diverse applicants including individuals of all gender identities, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, beliefs, social and marital status, people with different abilities and all other diversity characteristics and how they work together.  

With an immediate effect MSF-OCA is looking for an: 

 

Director of Operations

MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam (OCA)

(based in Amsterdam)

The Director of Operations holds the overall responsibility for the operational programmes of OCA including emergency response; access negotiations; humanitarian affairs; operational communications; safeguarding and security; and programme strategy, planning and reporting.  The Director of Operations leads the Operations Department and is a member of OCA’s Management Team and MSF’s international platform of Director of Operations (RIOD).

Job overview

  • You lead and manage the Operations Department and the operations in the countries in which OCA works, including emergency response and longer-term programming; global and local humanitarian affairs and representation; and operational communications, in order to drive and enable the execution of our programs.

  • You oversee the safety and security of MSF staff in the countries where we work and concentrate on strengthening OCA’s Critical Incident Management capacity.

  • You ensure continued commitment to temoignage as a key pillar of OCA’s humanitarian, medical action, representing our work publicly when required.  

  • You provide leadership towards the ethical dilemmas that country programme teams may encounter in their work.  

  • You champion and support OCA’s safeguarding work in country programmes.

  • You drive the innovation of processes, monitoring, accountability and learning.

  • You steer global operations working in tandem with the Medical Director on programme strategy, and assure the comprehensive nature and quality of operations policies, ensuring integrity in our working practices and effective risk management. 

  • You define the criteria and take the final decisions in allocating operational resources ensuring emergency responsiveness and diversity in the operational programmes, taking into consideration an evolving and complex international political landscape and the importance of MSF’s operational choices.

  • You work in collaboration with the DirOps in other OCs, collectively leading MSF’s global operations, respecting collaborative RIOD working practices and the sharing of lessons and dilemmas.  

  • You both steer and participate in relevant OCA and NL management platforms setting OCA’s overall strategic direction, and contribute to innovating and developing the OCA partnership, promoting the sharing of responsibility and an equitable contribution to OCA’s humanitarian, medical action.

  • You collaborate with OCA’s support functions, enabling implementation of strategic initiatives in country programmes whilst also prioritizing to ensure manageability.

  • You provide management information, and you represent the interests related to Operations towards OCA’s governance bodies and the wider MSF movement.  

 

Candidate profile

  • MSc in (an area related to) humanitarian practice / operational management

  • Extensive experience in a variety of MSF country programmes, preferably within MSF-OCA as well as strong experience in the area of safety and security

  • Broad knowledge of the humanitarian aid sector

  • 12+ years of experience in senior management of operational activities 

  • Strong communication and negotiation skills

  • Commitment to Diversity, Equity and Inclusion principles

  • English fluency is essential, French, Spanish, Arabic are assets

 

We offer   

 

A Dutch employment contract based on 40 hours per week. A gross monthly salary range between 7,628and 10,502 euros depending on relevant work experience, based on a fulltime appointment.

 

Other benefits include:  

 

  • 30 days off (based on a full - time employment) 

  • A premium free pension where MSF covers 100% of the monthly pension contribution 

  • 8% holiday allowance paid out with the salary in May 

  • Discounted daily lunch at the office 

  • Commuting allowance (terms and conditions apply) & work from home allowance 

  • An environment that fosters diversity, with colleagues from around the world representing various cultures and background 

  • Annual personal development budget 

  • L&D will support you with a variety of learning and development opportunities with internal and external trainings and courses 

 

    

Application    

 

If you recognize yourself in this profile, we welcome you to apply directly via our website and upload a letter of motivation + Curriculum Vitae (in English) as one combined document.

The closing date for applications is February 17th at 23:59h.

Please note the application deadline specified above may be subject to extension at MSF-Netherland’s discretion.  

Information  


If you are interested in this post and would like additional information about the recruitment procedure, the terms and conditions or the organization, please contact recruiter Masha Petrovic (masa.petrovic@amsterdam.msf.org).
  

          ***No agencies please***

We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.