Funding Specialist At Médecins Sans Frontières

CONTEXT

Within Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF), the Finance Department aims to ensure that the resources contribute successfully to the running of operational objectives. MSF financial autonomy is highly dependent on donors’ trust and private income. Moreover, a significant portion of income is restricted by the donors’ specific interests and social mission.

The MSF-Belgium Funding Unit (FU) serves as the center of expertise for managing and optimizing funding of MSF operational projects, coordinating funding processes. It has a central position at the heart of several departments, works closely with operations, fundraising and finances team members, and collaborate with the international office coordinators for the implementation of the MSF global emergency fundraising policy and income allocation.

This role encompasses defining policies, guidelines, and procedures, within MSF movement, particularly with more than 15 MSF sections around the world, as well as providing operational contexts, medical activities & data indicators, financial information, to facilitate fundraising activities, while ensuring there is no overfunding.

As the Funding Specialist, you play a key role within the FU (Funding Unit) by receiving and distributing all funding related to MSF operational projects, providing guidance and validation, and managing the grants and planning. Your knowledge is broadened to the main projects and activities of MSF (Operations), the practices of Fundraisers, the education of our donors/fundraisers on the work of MSF and its management. You master the financial aspects which goes from understanding operational budgets and forecasts, qualitative reporting, and dedicated financial tools. You collaborate with other members of the finance department and with members of the operations and fundraising team to contribute to MSF’s accountability to donors and their information and documentation needs. You have a unique connection to operations, to gain legitimacy, build your network and access information needed for fundraising activities and donor documentation. This role requires working with complex files including administrative, audit, operational, financial, and legal aspects. Above all, you ensure there is no overfunding of the project.

RESPONSABILITIES

1. Grant management

• Deliver proactive service to MSF funding and fundraising stakeholders by addressing their needs to facilitate fundraising activities and donors’ requests (knowing the tremendous private market and diversity of needs), while considering operational and financial department constraints
• Ease access to relevant operational information and support the fundraisers in the selection of operational projects.
• Ensure planification, qualitative production and timely dissemination of MSF projects/activities’ documents, addressing proposal, operational updates, and reporting’s needs (narrative, medical indicators monitoring, audit…). In charge of the production of budget proposals and financial reports
• Optimize funding opportunities, allocate incomes, and ensure no risk of overfunding
• Contribute, for the Finance Department, to the accountability to donors

1. Communication

• Maintain an effective network with various colleagues in operations, missions, and partner sections
• Ensure an essential presence on the various operational platforms that document and challenge new MSF operational projects and the progress of MSF operational activities in the missions. And gather the necessary information for the fundraising activities and donors
• Assume the communication flows related to the grant management cycle, liaising with all the stakeholders involved (including meetings facilitation with members team of Ops/Fin/Legal Departments) and professionalize the workflows

1. Funding Unit Tools, Processes, and Guidelines

• Maintain the documentation, processes, and tools up to date; contribute to the continuous adaptation of the FU deliverables and guidelines and ensures its application
• Provide FU induction and support to newly arrived fundraising colleagues in the various MSF sections
• Document main failures and/or successes and capitalize on lessons learned

1. Representation

• Represent the FU in various platforms dedicated to support and coordinate the work related to the fundraising activities (international emergency funding and fundraising, OCs Funding units, Operations, donors’ visits, …)

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Master’s degree in economics, Business Administration, Politics, and international studies or equivalent
• Experience of minimum 3 years in operations management or fundraising activities with financial competencies
• MSF or NGO experience is an asset
• Experience working with Public Institutional donors, foundations & corporates is a plus

Competencies

• Strong analytical skills and good comprehension of figures and financials
• Excellent interpersonal & communication skills (oral and written) to effectively collaborate with cross-functional teams
• Excellent problem-solving skills
• Strong organizational, planning, and administrative skills
• Team spirit
• Computer Skills (Microsoft Office, Excel, PowerBI)

Languages

• Fluent in French and English (written and spoken)

CONDITIONS

• Starting date: As Soon As Possible
• Location: Brussels (Belgium)
• Mobility: possible visits in Europe (inter-Operational Centers meetings/workshop) and/or in the field
• Contract type: Open ended contract – Full time
• Salary according to the MSF-OCB HQ salary grid
• Meal vouchers – Hospital insurance (DKV) – Pension plan – 100% reimbursement for public transport cost
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust, and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

Deadline to apply: 6 July 2023