Médecins Sans Frontières, an international humanitarian medical association founded in 1971, provides medical assistance to populations whose lives are threatened: primarily in cases of armed conflict, but also epidemics, pandemics, natural disasters, or even exclusion from healthcare.
He assists the Cell Manager in the daily management of operations and in the coordination of the team’s resources. He assumes all the responsibilities of the RC when the latter is absent.
Cell Context
In 2021, the Operations Directorate and the General Management of MSF Paris decided to create a new cell, located in Nairobi, Kenya.
The Nairobi Cell / Cell 6 is hosted at MSF East Africa and shares the office with two other operational units – MSF OCA and OCBA. It currently manages South Sudan, Sudan, & Chad.
The unit is made up of a multidisciplinary team of 9 people: Unit Manager, two deputies, including a deputy in charge of medicine, a human resources manager, a financial manager, a logistics manager, a procurement manager, a communications manager and an assistant.
General objective of the position
- assist the cell manager in the daily coordination of operations, team and resources.
- propose and manage the medical-operational strategy of the projects of the countries for which the unit is responsible.
- assume all or part of the responsibilities of the cell manager in the latter’s absence.
- report hierarchically and functionally to the cell manager/RC of Cell 6.
Main responsibilities:
Form a three-person team with the cell manager and the deputy cell manager in charge of medicine.
Contribute to the definition of the unit’s medical-operational strategies:
- Participate in the development of medical-operational strategies for the portfolio (missions, regional, thematic), in line with the guidelines set out in the OCP strategic plan.
- Ensure clarity of the rationale for interventions and operational intentions.
- Contribute to ensuring the relevance and quality of the mission’s interventions.
- Ensure the implementation of policies (medical, logistical, financial, HR, etc.), best practices and the deployment of tools.
- Work with the Cell Leader to create, maintain and expand a network of key external contacts among a wide range of state and non-state actors (governments, donors, diaspora, universities, NGOs, etc.) to support MSF’s OCP operations.
Coordinate the activities of the unit, under the supervision of the Cell Manager and according to the sharing of responsibilities:
- Analyze the context (political, security, health) of the countries of intervention and propose the most appropriate operations (opening, adaptation or closing of projects)
- Support the cell manager in the creation, maintenance and communication of an integrated medical-operational roadmap for the cell.
- In collaboration with the deputy head of the medical unit and the Head of Mission, define the key medical-operational indicators for each intervention, and ensure that they are measured and reported regularly.
- Monitor, assess and report issues and risks that may negatively impact mission objectives and engage in proactively identifying practical solutions to address them.
- Ensure the execution of operational changes and actions agreed with the Operations Directorate, within the cell, between the cell and the missions and with other MSF entities and offices.
- Ensure that the organizational structure and resources required to carry out missions and the different phases of projects are defined and adjusted regularly.
- Work closely with other MSF departments and OCP units (evaluations, fundraising, patient-centered approach, etc.) and take charge of certain cross-functional files if necessary.
- Be a key contact and provide support to Mission Heads, Emergency Coordinators and Medical Coordinators.
- If necessary, participate in exploratory missions, emergency interventions and replace mission leaders.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Oversee and support the mission’s emergency response strategies and adapt them to operational realities and the changing needs of the population.
- Collaborate with field teams and provide them with technical support at all stages of emergency management (preparedness, surveillance, detection and investigation, planning and response, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, follow-up and reorientation, exit and closure).
- Collaborate with cell members to develop a coherent approach to emergency management in the cell.
- . Draft intervention concepts requiring funding from the emergency envelope and lead the unit and missions to provide all necessary information and after-action reports.
Security management
- Ensure missions have security policies, protocols and guidelines aligned with OCP Security Policy.
- Advise and monitor the application of mission security guidelines.
- Develop specific security policies when context requires (e.g. profiling)
- Reflect and discuss with the cell manager and the HoMs on security risks and their impact on operations and propose new or adapted risk response measures.
- Track, consolidate and maintain a registry of mission safety information at the cell level.
- Seek advice, input and guidance from the Security Unit in Paris and ensure the implementation and follow-up of safety and security recommendations.
- Collaborate with the Logistics Cell Manager to ensure that logistics procedures and processes comply with mission security guidelines.
Share supervision/support to cell departments
- Provide direct support to the HR and logistics functions of the cell.
- During planning periods and throughout the planning and intervention cycle.
- Ensure that the activities of these departments are aligned with operational ambitions and plans.
- Oversee cross-functional HR and logistics initiatives for the portfolio.
- Manage the cell’s construction portfolio including supervision of AMO (Assistant to the Project Owner).
- Participate in the development, management and monitoring of the annual budget and its revisions. Lead the analysis of costs by activity (chronos) for each of the emergencies.
Information and knowledge management
- Be responsible for portfolio reporting (mission status reports, annual reports, visit reports and quarterly reports), ensuring that key monitoring information is gathered and disseminated to team members. Ensure timely response to field requests.
- Assist in the development, review and quality of key documents: country and project sheet, project proposals, security plans, emergency response plans, etc. Ensure that key mission documents (country sheet, risk sheets, etc.) are updated and accessible to users within the organization (Mymsf, SharePoint)
- Coordinate internal cell events, including organizing the annual review, regular reviews, cell seminars and workshops, and follow up on major decisions taken there.
- Conduct briefings and debriefings for international mobile staff. Conduct technical briefings and debriefings, involving technical advisors if necessary.
- Act as the cell focal person for capitalization and evaluation projects and activities. Propose and participate in evaluations/capitalizations on cell projects.
- As agreed with the Cell Manager (CM), represent, present and share information on behalf of the cell on different platforms within OCP/MSF or externally.
- In collaboration with the logistics unit manager, ensure the overall management of the unit’s information with appropriate attention to security and confidentiality.
Training & skills transfer
- Participate in the definition and implementation of training at headquarters and in the field.
- Act as a cell focal point for organizing security training and simulations
- Identify and integrate new coordinators. Support and coach them during their mission.
- Identify people with potential in the cell’s missions and participate in their development.
- Identify individual training needs of staff under his supervision.
- Participate in the definition and implementation of tools specific to cell 6.
Desired profile
Training/Experience:
- University training in a relevant field (political science, international relations, humanitarian action, development, international human rights and humanitarian law, public health, epidemiology) is desirable.
- Minimum experience of 2 missions as a coordinator in a context of high insecurity.
- Significant leadership and management experience as a mission leader and/or project coordinator
- Proven experience in security management.
SKILLS :
- Ability to define medical-operational strategies adapted to various contexts.
Demonstrated experience in resource management (HR, finance, logistics), budgeting and reporting. - Background or interest in medical or public health issues
- Ability to analyze and synthesize.
- Ability to communicate clearly and concisely.
- Ability to cooperate and lead multicultural and multidisciplinary teams
- Availability, adaptability, responsiveness, particularly in emergency situations.
Aptitudes :
- Meaning of dialogue
- Listening quality
- Ability to cooperate
- Ability to negotiate, adapt and work in a team
Languages: French (B2) and fluent English (spoken and written)
Status:
Position based in Nairobi, with frequent travel to the field to be expected. Management position, full-time with a ten (10) month commitment starting December 2025.
Salary conditions:
- A full-time employment contract through the MSF East Africa section office in Nairobi.
- An annual salary of EUR 48,698 based on a full-time appointment.
- The benefits package includes tuition fees, dependent care and other allowances ranging from EUR 620 to EUR 1,159 per month depending on individual and administrative circumstances.
- Other benefits include: 25 days annual leave, contribution to employer pension scheme, relocation assistance for non-Kenyan residents, etc., as per MSF EA terms and conditions.
Position to be filled: December 2025
How to apply
Please send your application (CV + cover letter) to this address: Deputy Cell Manager – Cell 6 (F/M) | Doctors Without Borders