Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare. We work in over 60 countries, offering assistance to people based on need, irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.
CONTEXT
The OCB Medical Department
The medical department’s strategy aims that OCB operational projects can combine serving the most vulnerable populations, meeting the health needs of the targeted population whilst delivering high impact medical and humanitarian interventions. The new framework of the med department and operations has 5 Medical priorities: Child health, Epidemics, HIV/TB, Trauma and Victims of Violence and Women’s health.
The medical department plays a strategic role by defining the modalities of implementation of MSF’s medical strategy so that both coherence and quality can be safeguarded. Strategical support is given along the phases of the project cycle. The medical department has a normative role and a technical support function with regards to implementation and follow-up of the projects. The medical department ensures knowledge transfer to the medical workforce and stimulates research and innovation by challenging current medical practices and scanning of new approaches.
The medical department is composed of medical staff working in operational cells in a matrix set-up with the operation’s department and medical referents of different medical disciplines: Infectious diseases; HIV/Aids and HepC; Sexual and Reproductive Health; Emergency and Intensive Care, Anaesthesia, Surgery, Paediatrics, Nutrition; Pharmacy and Biomedical expertise; Mental Health; Nursing care and IPC; Health Promotion; Environmental health; Operational Research; Health information and medical data; MSF Academy for Healthcare.
To enhance multidisciplinary and interdepartmental work, the department is organized in “thematic circles”, which can be given a short- or long-term assignment. Each referent has a role in multiple circles. Main circles existing currently are the migration health circle, the primary health care circle, the outbreak control circle, the PMR circle, the knowledge management circle, etc. Most of the medical referents participate also in International Medical Working Groups on MSF movement level.
The medical department is a network of units, in Brussels – the Brussels Medical Unit (BRUMED), in Cape Town – the Southern African Medical Unit (SAMU), in Luxembourg – the Luxembourg Operational Research unit (LuxOR), in Beirut – the Middle East Medical Unit (MEMU). In the coming years, OCB has a willingness to encourage more people to work outside Brussels to develop towards a more networked OC of Operational Hubs and Centres of medical expertise or regional medical support that will be located closer to operations and to the existing regional expertise that can benefit MSF globally. The different coordinators for the units and senior advisors are part of the medical management circle lead by the medical director.
This position is one of 2 medical management positions in Brussels: The Technical Medical Manager line manages a large number of medical referents in Brussels.
And the other position: The Medical Operational Manager caries the functional management responsibility of the medical staff (Medical Officer and Deputy Coordinator of Operations) working in operational cells and regional support teams.
RESPONSIBILITIES
Strategic management
The medical technical and the medical operational manager, are part of a core-management team under the leadership of the medical director, with close collaboration to ensure coherence within the team, who will respond to the following responsibilities
