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 France mission is seeking a social worker for its project on the North Coast.
Context :
Doctors Without Borders works in France with exiled people facing the health, psychological, and social consequences of violence related to migration and the loss of protection. The France Mission combines care, protection, and testimony to meet the needs of the most vulnerable.
Today, it focuses its efforts on the North Coast and the Île-de-France region, while maintaining a capacity for rapid response to emergencies. Supported by multidisciplinary teams, it develops medical, psychological, social, and advocacy activities within a constantly evolving context.
Your role:
Under the responsibility of the Social Work Manager, you will identify the vulnerabilities and critical social needs of the people being supported, propose appropriate responses and facilitate their access to assistance and protection systems.
Your role will be essential in strengthening people’s autonomy, preventing risks and promoting comprehensive support that respects their safety and dignity.
Main responsibilities:
Assess needs and provide individualized social support
- Conduct social assessments to identify vulnerabilities, critical needs and protection risks, particularly in terms of access to rights, housing, food security and essential services.
- Develop support plans with the people concerned, tailored to their situation, their priorities and the project’s intervention criteria.
- Provide direct social support when it falls within MSF’s scope and organize safe referrals to appropriate social, legal, accommodation or protection services.
- To monitor the situations supported, from the initial assessment to the closure of the file, ensuring continuity of support;
- To support complex or urgent situations, particularly those involving risks of violence or critical protection needs, in close collaboration with the person responsible for social work and other relevant professionals.
- Promote the participation of individuals in decisions that affect them and strengthen their ability to act on their own situation.
Reaching out to people and strengthening protection
- Participate in outreach activities at the project’s intervention sites in order to identify vulnerable individuals and offer them initial social support.
- To carry out frontline social interventions, including ad hoc information, listening and guidance interviews in a so-called “low threshold” approach.
- Identify recurring protection risks and contribute to the implementation of responses to reduce them.
- Participate in multidisciplinary community activities and vulnerability monitoring, in collaboration with health mediators in particular.
- Carry out the reports provided for in the project’s social work strategy and contribute to the documentation of protection issues useful for advocacy actions.
Facilitating access to rights and developing links with partners
- To inform and support people in understanding their rights and accessing existing social services.
- Contribute to the identification, mapping and updating of available institutional, associative and community services.
- Develop cooperative relationships with partners in order to facilitate appropriate, reliable and secure guidance.
- Contribute to the evaluation of the accessibility, quality and safety of the services offered, and report any difficulties or missing features.
Working in a multidisciplinary team and ensuring the quality of support
- Collaborate closely with medical, mental health, health promotion and mediation teams, as well as with humanitarian affairs and advocacy teams.
- Participate in exchanges and case management meetings in order to build coordinated responses to people’s needs.
- To contribute to a safe, dignified and confidential reception environment, by promoting information on rights, participation of people and access to return and complaint mechanisms.
- To collect observations and feedback from the people being supported and to transmit information useful for improving activities.
- Complete records, tracking tools and activity data in accordance with MSF’s confidentiality requirements, data protection and procedures.
- Report to the relevant authorities any difficulties or incidents related to complex situations and security.
- Ensure the proper implementation of safeguarding measures.
Desired profile
Education and experience:
- A degree in social work or a relevant qualification in social sciences, psychology, or law. Significant experience in social work may also be considered.
- At least two years of experience in a similar role: social work, case management or protection.
- Experience in supporting complex situations involving critical social needs, particularly in terms of protection from violence, or social interventions in community settings or in health facilities.
- Good knowledge of the French social protection system and ability to support people within its systems.
- Experience within MSF or another NGO is an asset.
Skills and qualities:
- A sense of listening, respect for the dignity of individuals, and a needs-centered approach.
- Analytical skills and ability to identify vulnerabilities and protection risks.
- Good knowledge of social support and guidance mechanisms.
- Ability to develop trusting relationships with the people being supported and with partners.
- Team spirit and ability to work in a multidisciplinary way.
- Intercultural sensitivity, flexibility and ability to manage stress in challenging environments.
- Driving licence (category B) preferred.
Languages and tools:
- Fluency in French is essential.
- Proficiency in spoken English.
- Knowledge of other languages is highly desirable.
- Good command of common computer tools: Word, Excel and Internet.
Employment conditions
Mobility required on the North Coast between Calais and Dunkirk
Non-managerial position: 12-month fixed-term contract, renewable
Compensation and benefits:
- €2,958.32 gross monthly salary over 13 months + 22 days of paid time off per year
- Supplementary health insurance fully covered by MSF.
- Meal vouchers worth €12 (MSF subsidized at 60%)
- 50% reimbursement of public transport costs or bicycle mileage
Position available: January 4, 2027.
Due to administrative constraints related to the duration of the contract, candidates must already have a work permit in France (citizen of the European Union) or a residence permit allowing them to work on French soil.
How to apply
To apply
Please send your application, including your CV, cover letter, and copies of required diplomas, by November 20, 2026 , via email with the following reference in the subject line: SOCIAL WORKER – NORTH COAST_LAST_FIRST_LAST …
Only candidates whose application has been selected will be contacted.
Deadline for submission of applications: 20 November 2026