Deputy Executive Director At Médecins Sans Frontières

Position: Deputy Executive Director

1. Background
Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent medical humanitarian organisation. We help people worldwide where the need is greatest, delivering emergency medical aid to those affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care.

MSF was founded in 1971 by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, we are a worldwide movement of more than 63,000 people, implementing and managing medical projects in close to 72 countries worldwide.
We are guided by the principles of independence, neutrality and impartiality, as described in the MSF Charter. We implement our medical programs in areas where no health or sanitary systems exist, or where health structures are overwhelmed by the needs of populations. For 50 years, we have been providing medical assistance irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. We observe neutrality in situations of conflict, and impartiality in the name of medical ethics. To ensure our independence, the majority of our funding is provided by private donations from members of the public. Additional funding may come from foundations, governments and international institutions.

MSF Southern Africa (MSF SnA) recruits medical and non-medical staff to join our teams here and abroad. All of these people bring professional abilities, practical experience, as well as a commitment to and concern for the people they help. In addition, the Section is responsible for communications in the region, operational support to programmes in Southern Africa, and fundraising in South Africa. The Section is currently in the process of building a new Operational Directorate by partnering with at least MSF Eastern Africa and MSF Spain. As a result, the operational strategic growth of the Section is a priority over the coming few years.

We are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.

2. Job Purpose

The Deputy Executive Director is a member of MSF Southern Africa’s leadership team (LT), with a focus on planning, strategic and organizational development of the Section, in order to create additional capacity and space for the Executive Director (ED) to develop and implement an Operational Directorate (OD) with MSF Eastern Africa and MSF Spain. Consequently, the role ensures strategies for the Section and their translation into actions. During the absences of the ED, the Deputy Executive Director will act as Interim ED and be the focal person for all topics within the responsibilities of the ED. The Deputy Director is a non-voting member of the LT, except when invited to vote on specific topics by the ED.

In addition, he Deputy Executive Director works with the MSF Southern Africa leadership team across departments to implement, supervise and oversee the executive priorities of the Section, including but not limited to: overseeing strategic and annual planning and reporting; ensuring compliance to SnA Social and Ethics responsibilities; risk management; policies; procurement processes, executive administration, and information management.

3. Division/Function: General Direction

4. Functional Reporting to Executive Director MSF Southern Africa

5. Main Functions and Responsibilities

5.1 Expected End Result and Supporting Activities:

Planning, control, and strategic monitoring of the Section

• Support the ED in the review and development of strategic plans.
• Overall responsibility for formulating MSF Southern Africa’s strategic planning, annual planning, and reporting cycle and enabling the development and delivery of strategic priorities to ensure that departmental work is consistently and effectively planned in line with priorities, monitored, and appropriately reported against.
• Support each Department Director to effectively plan resources and budgets as per the strategic framework and organizational priorities defined under our Strategic Orientations and the annual planning cycle.
• Responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and reporting on the annual planning cycle.

Ethics and Compliance Framework: Risk and Policy Management

• Support the Executive Director in the implementation of the Ethics and Compliance Framework.
• Responsible for leading the MSF SnA Policy review and management of organizational policies.
• Support the Leadership Team and work with the Extended Management team to strengthen and implement a holistic policy architecture, hierarchy, and lifecycle and the corresponding processes and tools to enable this.
• Work with the Extended Management Team in updating existing policies, and content creation and to identify gaps and discrepancies.
• Create an engagement and dissemination plan including developing a policy register for the Section.
• Responsible for leading the creation of a risk register and risk management strategy for the MSF SnA Section.
• Support training and continuous improvement for employees on risk management policies, practices, and tools.

Information Management and associated tools

• Responsible for the setup of information systems such as Power BI, and Sharepoint for SnA staff.
• Overall responsible for managing the IT Manager and Unit.
• Overall responsible for ensuring an effective management information system for the Leadership Team, Board, and other stakeholders for the SnA office (LT minutes, action log, etc).
• Support the internal communication in the office and within the MSF movement (in close collaboration with the Leadership Team [LT]).

Support with external and internal representation of MSF Southern Africa

• Supports the ED to build and maintain good collaboration with all MSF actors in SA and abroad.
• When required – and delegated to by the ED – represents MSF SnA in relevant MSF internal meetings (Including, but not limited MSF EASA, MSF OCB, and the Full ExCom), and at various external events.

Administrative management for Executive Director and Southern Africa management team

• Day-to-day coordination of the General Direction (GD) department.
• Management and monitoring of the GD budget.
• Maintenance of an up-to-date stakeholder/contact database.
• Organisation of file management and archiving (digital and paper) of the GD department.
• Direct line manager of the IT Manager, Office Manager, DSR Manager, Leadership Accelerator Manager and Strategic Buyer.

Responsible for following up on major MSF SnA dossiers as assigned.
Be the focal point for all Southern Africa initiatives related to executive priorities. Some initiatives planned for 2024-2025 are:

• Implementing Supporter Engagement plans across all departments.
• Developing a 2026-2030 Strategic Orientations for the Section.
• Employment Equity activities.
• Direct management of important transversal projects: DSR Roadmap & The Baobab Leadership Accelerator, MSF SnA Environmental Action plan; Safeguarding & Safe Office Spaces.
• Additional dossiers based on developments in the Section.

Support to Operationalizing of the Section

• Supporting the Executive Director when requested to represent the ED in meetings to operationalize the Section by 2026, with the Section partnering with at least MSF Eastern Africa and MSF Spain to build a new Operational Directorate, based in Africa.
• Support the ED to participate in the EASA OD Council Meetings, as and when requested.

Budget Management

• Although the ED is the overall owner of the General Direction budget, the Deputy ED will be the day-to-day manager of the budget of the initiatives they oversee, including the budget of Strategic Orientations development, and the budgets of taskforces and working groups they lead.

6. Key Dimensions

6.1 Financial Dimensions; Responsible for the Section’s GD budget oversight as per the Annual Plan.

6.2 Other Dimensions; Direct supervision of Managers, consultants, subject matter experts, and part-time professionals.

7. Key Performance Indicators:

• Information management.
• Compliance with the Social and Ethics framework.
• Planning and Control cycle.
• Strategic plan.
• Strategic Orientations.
• Stakeholder management.
• General Administration.
• Transitioning the Baobab Leadership Accelerator to the L&D Unit by 2025.

8. Key Interactions:

• Executive Director.
• Members of the Leadership Team.
• Members of the Extended Management Team.
• Relevant MSF offices and headquarters.
• Southern Africa Association.
• Relevant platforms in the MSF movement.
• Relevant organisations in the region.

9. Profile Requirements:

9.1 educational Requirement

• Master’s in administration/international relations/communication or equivalent discipline desirable.
• Batchelors in a similar field are essential.

9.2 Relevant Experience

• 5-7 years of extensive work experience in project management.
• MSF operations experience essential at a minimum of Project Coordinator or PMR level is an added advantage.
• Minimum 5-6 years of experience in Coordination and administrative experience and understanding of organizational issues.
• Experience in project, governance, and risk management.

9.3 Other requirements

• Ability to handle multiple priorities at a given time.
• Strategic-minded and results-oriented.
• Interest and experience in change and crisis management.
• Ability to work in partnership with key stakeholders including a wide range of colleagues across the MSF movement.
• Excellent interpersonal and team-working skills.
• Ability to work in a fast-paced, unpredictable, and demanding environment.
• High level of integrity and sound judgment.
• Affinity and experience with Information Management.
• Punctual, proactive, and stress resistant.
• Very good communication and representation/ networking abilities.
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust, and Empowerment.
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioural Commitments.

9.4 Competencies requirements (for internal use)

• Strategic Vision (level 3).
• Planning and Organizing (level 4).
• Commitment to MSF Principles (level 4).
• Networking and building relationships (Level 3).
• Result and Quality Orientation (Level 3).

10. Terms and Conditions of Employment

• 3-year term limit, once renewable.
• Initial 12-month contract, followed by fixed term contract matching term limits.
• Monthly Salary R58 626-27.
• 13th Cheque in November.
• 10% additional pension allowance.
• 100% Medical Aid Contribution.
• Transport allowance.
• Cell phone allowance.
• Full-time position.

Closing date: 04 – March – 2024

Expected Start date: 02- April – 2024

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

MSF values diversity and is committed to create an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, colour or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation and all other diversity characteristics.