Emergency Manager (Interim)

The Emergency Support Department (ESD) is part of the operations department and plays a key role in responding to humanitarian emergencies. The ESD conducts exploratory assessments; initiates and manages large scale or complex interventions to support people in precarious situations. The ESD provides support to existing country programs and the wider organisation to promote and improve emergency preparedness and response capacity.  The ESD consists of a headquarter based Emergency Desk (E Desk) of managers and an Operational Support Team (OST) of advisors and officers, and an Emergency Team of approx. 24 field based medical and non medical profiles.

MSF-OCA ESD is looking for an:

 Emergency Manager (Interim)

Starting mid January 2026 for 3 month cover 

Based in Amsterdam (NL)

Position in the organisation

• Reports hierarchically to the Head of the ESD

• Works in close cooperation with the ESD Emergency Health Managers and rest of the department

• Hierarchically manages the Head of Missions and Emergency Coordinators in relevant countries, as well as 4-6 Emergency Team members

• Is an active member of the Operations Department and works closely with other members of the Department (eg, Operational Managers, Operations Advisors, Security Advisor, Director of Operations), as well as co-operating with various other OCA departments

Objectives of the position

You are responsible for the design, set-up and overall management of emergency responses and operations. You are responsible in part for contributing towards safeguarding and enhancement of OCA’s organisational emergency response capacity. You promote and initiate critical reflection and learning within and outside OCA organisation.

Overview 

• You monitor and identify potential emergency interventions through scanning and monitoring of the world, with focus on conflict, outbreaks, displacement, political unrest, natural disasters and marginal populations.  You propose next steps for action from the Emergency Desk through direct assessment/response or provide support to other desks to enable them to do the same.

• You have the responsibility to manage and lead specific emergency response programmes either within an existing country program or as a stand- alone intervention. You define intervention strategies, set priorities, guide activities, oversee implementation and make decisions on key aspects of the response.

• You are expected to take over management of partial or full country management during times of intense crisis at very short notice, when the Emergency Desk should manage.  You will lead an OST tailored for that specific response.

• You ensure that emergency response programmes address core humanitarian and medical needs, in line with the OCA strategic plan.

• You provide strategic guidance and support to the Heads of Mission. You initiate, lead and manage humanitarian-medical responses, ensure the manageability of the operations from a medical, security management, resource and humanitarian aspect. In doing so, you seek alignment across OC´s and manage the relationship with other departments to realise synergy. You ensure an information flow from the MT/Dir Ops/HoESD to the members of the desk/ teams, and you represent the desk/ team towards the HoESD and other departments, to ensure priorities are considered. You organise the desk/ teams and promote and initiate learning and reflection.

• You safeguard MSF’s different values, principles and policies. You ensure that security management is adapted effectively balancing risk and impact. You ensure that security incidents are managed, and you initiate the response to and advise on critical incidents. You may lead the response after consultation with the HoESD and (deputy) Director Operations. 

• You contribute to maintaining and building capacity in the organization to be emergency prepared and to execute timely and effective emergency responses in different settings.

• You line manage and support the development of Emergency Team members. 

• You contribute to the development of emergency capacity with OCA through facilitation of trainings, contribution to policies and guidelines for OCA. 

• You must be willing to work long, and irregular hours and you visit the countries of operations regularly, minimum once a year, including available for travel at short notice to countries of operations. You may spend up to 40% of your time in the countries of operation.

• You are ready to lead emergency interventions, to be the first (or early) deployed to act as Emergency Coordinator in new or complex contexts, at short notice for several weeks at a time.

Accountabilities

• Team performance, by fostering engagement and a safe working environment

• Scanning and assessments of emergencies 

• Support in the timely launch (and/or support) of emergency responses in accordance with the needs and complexity of situation

• Contribution to emergency strategy, tools and policies

• Advice and support to country leadership, Emergency Team members, extended OSTs, and other desks during emergency situations, and critical security situations

• Quality of emergency response including  defining humanitarian medical operations strategy (ranging from initial onset to medium/long term), security and critical incident management, advocacy and   communication strategies, safeguarding, duty of care and other policies, developed and implemented in collaboration with HoESD, other operations managers, the OST and other departments; and including compliance with values, principles and policies

• Contribution to wider development of MSF strategy through critical reflection and learning within and outside the organisation.

• Reports, including on progress of team and program  objectives

• Budgets, defined, monitored and realised

• Improvements to the organisation’s capability to respond to emergencies

Your profile

Required

• At least 6+ years' experience working in humanitarian operations, with at least 2 years' experience working for MSF in the position of Head of Mission, Emergency Coordinator or Medical Coordinator

• Field experience in emergency humanitarian aid (including conflict/trauma, nutrition, displacement, outbreak/mass vaccination response), plus management

• Broad knowledge of access negotiations, security management, policy formulation, logistical, financial and human resource management

• Good knowledge of the MSF organisation (preferably both headquarters as well as field) and of MSF policy and procedures

• Based in Amsterdam, working from the office. Remote working for occasional periods possible

Desirable

• Good level of French (and/or Arabic and/or Spanish) 

• Medical background or strong affinity with emergency public health; 

We offer

• A temporary 3-month contract

• Salary grade 18 with a gross monthly salary between 5,487e and 7,554e The exact salary will depend on relevant work experience

• Other benefits include:      

• 30 paid vacation days annually pro-rata

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

• 8% holiday allowance, paid out with the salary once a year in May pro-rata

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

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

• Discounted daily lunch at the office 

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

Application

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

The application deadline is 30th November 2025, at 23:59 CET.

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, please contact the Head of Emergency Support Department (Head of E Desk), Will Turner will.turner@amsterdam.msf.org.

If you would like additional information about the recruitment procedure, the terms and conditions or the organisation, please contact Masha Petrovic (Recruitment Specialist) masa.petrovic@amsterdam.msf.org