Doctors Without Borders, an international humanitarian medical association created in 1971, provides medical assistance to populations whose lives are threatened: mainly in cases of armed conflict, but also epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters or exclusion from care.
The Protection Unit Migration Manager provides technical support, coordination and development of protection approaches in migration-related projects, supporting field teams and other missions, while capitalizing on practices and strengthening the organization’s internal skills, tools and expertise.
The main objective of the Operations Department at the Paris Operational Center (OCP) is to improve the quality of MSF’s operational response by formulating, supervising, and ensuring the effective implementation of its humanitarian medical activities. The Department comprises eight operational cells, cross-functional units, and project teams.
As part of the establishment of its new “Migration” unit, OCP is recruiting a Program Manager in charge of protection (field-based).
OCP is developing a Migration Unit. This Unit will consist of a Headquarters Unit and a Cross-Functional Coordination Unit (Field-Based). Within the Cross-Functional Coordination Unit, the various Managers will be responsible for coordinating activities within their area of expertise for several missions undertaken in a common field (migration) .
Purpose of the migration unit
Following discussions within the operations department regarding the specific needs of humanitarian projects working with migrant populations, OCP decided to establish an operational unit dedicated to the European migration route. This unit aims to directly manage the programs in its portfolio (currently in France and Libya), to support and encourage projects for displaced populations led by other OCP operational units, and, where appropriate, to support initiatives within the movement – similar to what is being done with MSF WACA projects in Senegal and Mauritania.
The cross-cutting issues in these countries relate to the nature of operations requiring the development of expertise that is not very present at MSF (protection, legal, social), to the legal and administrative complexity of the countries, and finally to the burdensome nature of interventions towards populations that are particularly complex to help.
Specifically, the migration unit aims to
- To develop knowledge and expertise in the field of Migration within MSF OCP,
- Develop and ensure systematic multidisciplinary work in defining strategies and implementing operations and relief efforts.
- Ensuring the integration of our projects into the landscape of aid and reception, including participation in coordination, the establishment of support, collaborations and partnerships.
- Develop/build an operating method adapted to the organizational model of this unit by defining roles and responsibilities between field teams and headquarters staff. The objective is to build an operating method adapted to the care of migrants, enabling the missions to assume responsibility for the operational implementation of projects autonomously, within the strategic framework.
In Libya and France, there are two main pillars of intervention:
1) Develop multidisciplinary approaches focused on migrants in difficult situations (homeless, detained, victims of trafficking and torture, mobile and excluded), who have needs that must be covered holistically: medical, protection, social and legal.
2) To contribute to the improvement of practices, or where appropriate to a change in policy, through communication and advocacy actions, particularly for France concerning unaccompanied minors and in Libya in terms of access to protection and humanitarian evacuations.
In France we have three projects
- In the Île-de-France region. Medical, psychological, social, and legal support for young women seeking recognition of their minority status (day care and accommodation); Mobile clinic with a team of volunteers.
- In Calais. Day care for unaccompanied minors offering respite and activities; mobile clinics for the general public (adults, families, minors), including mental health activities.
- In Marseille. Medical, psychological, social and legal support for young boys seeking recognition of their minority status (inter-association day care and accommodation whose closure is planned), support for squats.
In Libya, our operations have been suspended since the end of March, by order of a Libyan security agency. We terminated the contracts of our Libyan staff on June 7 and are working to restart our activities. As of March 27, our projects consisted of:
- Two fixed bases, in Tripoli – shelter and follow-up for hospitalized patients – and Zuwara – day care center
- A presence at the landing sites of migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean
- Medical and guidance work in detention centers, depending on the workspace.
- The “out of Libya” project aims to evacuate migrants from Libya to Italy and other third countries.
- Support for the national tuberculosis control program
Intentions to work in other contexts and situations are currently under consideration.
Purpose of the position:
Doctors Without Borders’ interventions in migration contexts towards Europe require a protection component in addition to medical activities (including mental health). The nature of the vulnerability of migrants and the complexity of finding sufficient mechanisms in the countries of intervention to address their protection needs (particularly against violence, including institutional violence) justify an additional response component, which must be integrated into a multidisciplinary approach, also including a strong link with advocacy. MSF has not yet developed clear policies and frameworks for protection, including in the context of migration. However, numerous operational and policy documents have been produced, and MSF has nonetheless already acquired experience and knowledge in implementing protection activities. Capitalizing on this experience and the associated tools is a process that is just beginning. Consequently, within the Migration Unit, MSF needs a person in charge of protection.
Assignment
The main mission of this position is divided into four complementary parts:
- Provide technical support in protection to project teams managed by the Migration Unit, for the identification of protection vulnerabilities, the proposal of response activities to limit the consequences of violence, the monitoring of project implementation, the training of field staff and coordination with other project activities (medical, mental health, logistics, etc.)
- When necessary, provide technical support to so-called protection activities for other MSF missions developing activities in a migration context under the direction of other Units or partner sections upon request.
- To develop MSF’s knowledge of protection in migration contexts, to capitalize on field experiences, to produce reference documents and tools for evaluation, monitoring, training and implementation.
- To provide ad hoc support, if necessary, to MSF missions without migration but wishing to/having developed protection response activities.
Management lines:
This position covers all countries within the Migration Unit (currently France and Libya). The incumbent is part of the Unit team and reports directly to the Heads of Mission for matters under their respective responsibilities, as well as to the Unit Manager for strategic direction and cross-cutting issues. The role requires close coordination with other Unit members (Advocacy/Communications, Medical, Mental Health, Finance, HR, and Logistics). The incumbent serves as the point of contact for legal, social, and patient-centered care issues and, as such, liaises with the Intersectional Legal Department (ILD) and the Patient-Centered Care Department as needed. This cross-cutting manager position requires travel between the Unit’s country offices for two-thirds of the working time and one-third at headquarters, necessitating regular field visits.
Main responsibilities and functions
- Supporting field teams (including mission leaders, protection or social work coordinators/managers and project coordinators) in integrating the protection component into their strategies and the execution of activities, while maintaining a multidisciplinary approach (medical/advocacy/protection).
- Ensure follow-up and monitoring of protection activities in the field, in conjunction with the medical department and ensuring compliance with work standards in protection (principles, data protection etc).
- Promote the application of the principles of shared secrecy and multidisciplinarity with field teams and the rest of the Unit.
- Contribute to the analysis of intervention contexts by analyzing situations of vulnerability, the main forms of violence to be considered, the populations most at risk and by proposing activities adapted to the needs and in connection with medical operations.
- To establish a link with other actors in the protection sector active in the intervention areas in order to support opportunities for joint actions or referrals.
- Documenting lessons learned and capitalizing on all acquired knowledge in reference documents and tools, with the long-term goal of developing a protection guideline for MSF.
- Engage with the relevant departments (IT, E-health) in the development of databases for monitoring protection cases and facilitating data and impact analysis.
- Coordinate field protection teams (directly or in conjunction with field protection coordinators) under the direction of mission leaders.
- To provide training tools for field teams, including those from other departments (medical, management, advocacy, communication, etc.)
- Ensure dissemination of the “protection” vision within all field teams in all departments, including the principles of humanitarian protection and not focusing solely on ongoing activities (protection as a broad concept of measures to reduce risk: the impact of violent or hostile environments on the most vulnerable people).
- Provide the Unit Manager and Heads of Mission with regular information on the progress of protection activities, on difficulties or risks encountered, and be proactive in developing new activities related to the situation of vulnerability and opportunities for intervention.
- Develop information sharing with advocacy to facilitate advocacy initiatives, ensure identification of advocacy cases that may lead to individual protection, and provide the necessary data for testimonies or discussions undertaken within the framework of advocacy activities.
- Working with the “patient-centered approach” team to establish joint reflections on the integration of social or protection aspects into intervention strategies.
- Working in conjunction with the legal department (ILD), particularly on the implementation of medico-legal monitoring tools and on the legal framework of protection operations including a legal component.
- Work with the finance, logistics and HR departments to make visible the needs required to implement protection activities.
- Produce necessary reports (annual reports, discussion papers, etc.) according to requests and needs.
- Support other Units or other headquarters requiring protection support in ad hoc or ongoing migration activities, in agreement with the Unit manager.
- Supporting, at the request of other Units’ protection teams (excluding migration) wishing to develop protection activities in their country: remote support, decision support, training, etc.
Desired profile
Experience and training:
- Master’s level university education (social or political sciences, law, gender studies, protection in particular).
- A minimum of 5 years of field experience with NGOs in the field of protection is preferred.
- Essential field experience with MSF in coordination roles, including a good understanding of medical projects.
- Good knowledge of working with highly vulnerable people (torture, trafficking and/or detention).
- Experience in advocacy and testimonial collection.
- Humanitarian experience and/or good knowledge of migration contexts.
- Interest in the topic of “migration”
Languages: Fluent French and English (C1)
Skills and abilities:
- Essential – Proficiency in office software (Microsoft Office suite).
- Strategic and systemic vision of protection issues in migratory contexts.
- Results-oriented.
- Quality and humanitarian impact.
- Ability to support, train and develop teams.
- A sense of cooperation, partnership and interdisciplinary coordination.
Job specifics
Status: 12-month fixed-term contract, full-time. Management position based in Paris or Tunis (the final work location will depend on the needs of the Migration Unit) with travel to MSF field locations.
Conditions: Salary will depend on the work location and will be aligned with the local MSF salary policy.
Position available: As soon as possible.
How to apply
Apply directly on our website: Protection Unit Manager for Migration (M/F) | Doctors Without Borders