Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent, medical, emergency relief organisation that provides assistance to people worldwide, regardless of their background, religion or political convictions. Above all, we aim to save lives and to offer medical care to victims of disasters, wars and epidemics. Working together with local staff, we give direct support to the population. MSF also appeals to those in power, including governments and international organisations, and speaks out about the abuses we encounter in the course of our work.
MSF coordinates operations through collaborations between global offices. ‘ArtsenzonderGrenzen Nederland’ (MSF-Holland) has a partnership with offices in the UK and Germany. This partnership, known as ‘MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam’ (MSF-OCA), operates medical humanitarian interventions in about 25 countries. Annually, MSF-OCA deploys approximately 1,100 international staff and employs 7,000 national staff.
The office of MSF-Holland located in Amsterdam hosts more than 250 employees, offering direct support to MSF-OCA operations.
In the Logistics department, the Field Support Unit (FSU) gives support to the logistics staff in the field, which includes the support to construction activities.
Effective immediately, the logistics department is looking for a:
Field Construction Specialist - 70% in the field (flying)
(Temporary role for 12 months, with possibility of extension dependent on budget)
To accommodate the increase in field construction activities in our country programs, MSF OCA is recruiting a Field Construction Specialist that will strengthen the capacity of the Field Support Unit (FSU) to support complex constructions.
The main objective of the position is to assist the country coordination teams in it their role of “contracting owner” /” maître d’ouvrage” / ”opdrachtgever” during the initial phases of the assigned construction projects, translating the medical/operational needs into architectural plans and associated projects plans to achieve them.
As the initial processes of complex constructions require an important presence in the field, the field construction specialist will spend about 70% of his/her time in the country programs.
The position reports hierarchically to the Head of Technical Logistics and functionally to the HQ construction advisor based in the Head Quarters.
Main responsibilities
The field construction specialist will assist the country coordination and the desk in its role of “contracting owner” to achieve the completion of the initial phases of the projects, these being:
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Definition of needs (Needs assessment; Operational/medical programming; General information on the existing situation (mission context/objectives, medical activity); Future medical activity (relational diagram, functional program description (space, necessary equipment and installations)); Description of desired quality level (on activities, hygiene, human resources and the budget)
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Feasibility study / Site assessment (Technical analysis (diagnosis, context, available resources, etc.); Assessment of the site (dimensions, topography, environmental constraints, water source, drainage, etc.)
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Drawing of plans (Basic plans; Technical description (surface area chart, flowchart, general layout, pre-budget, project timeline (planning))
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Final budget estimate (Final plans + detailed budget estimation + project timeline; Calls for tender, evaluation of contractors and bids; Works contract (according to the chosen construction site set-up)
As the construction work will be handled by construction managers (field position), the field construction specialist will hand over the projects to these appointed staff.
As some level of support may be required in these final phases of the project, under the request of the “contracting owner”, the involvement of the specialist could also be required then (e.g. participation during delivery of the construction works and final acceptance)
Candidate profile
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Qualified Architect (preferred) or Building/Civil Engineer
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At least 5 years of experience in the definition and managing of construction projects (required)
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Experience in architectural design (required)
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Experience in design of Health Structures (desirable)
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Previous overseas work experience in humanitarian assistance with MSF
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Ability to work independently with minimum and/or without supervision
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Flexibility with regards to the ever-changing content of the job and the circumstances in an MSF mission.
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Excellent communicator and stakeholder engager
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Good level of English is required. French and/or Arabis is a strong asset
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Ready to spend more than 70% of his/her time in the field
We offer
This position is budget-dependent, with an initial temporary contract of 12 months and the possibility of extension based on available funding. The contract is for a full-time appointment (40 hours per week) with an initial duration of one year.
The salary for this role will vary based on the candidate’s country of residence and applicable local labor laws, with compensation and benefits adjusted accordingly. The position is classified at level 13 in the IRFFG scaling grid.
We offer a dynamic and challenging role in an international environment.
Our Learning & Development (L&D) program provides a range of opportunities to support your growth, including language courses, leadership training, and technical courses.
Application
We welcome you to apply directly von this page and upload a letter of motivation + Curriculum Vitae (in English) as one combined document (only applications with motivation will be included in the procedure).
The deadline for application is on 02 March at 23h59 CEST.
Information
For more information about the recruitment procedure, please contact Irene Tellekamp (Recruitment Specialist) at irenetellekamp@amsterdam.msf.org
For more information about the position, please contact Francis Coteur (Head of Technical Logistics) at francis.coteur@amsterdam.msf.org