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, and even exclusion from healthcare.
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 is composed of eight operational cells, cross-functional units, and project teams. As part of the establishment of its new “Migration” unit, OCP is recruiting a Logistics Manager (field-based).
Context
OCP is developing a Migration Unit. This Unit will be composed of a Unit (headquarters), mission heads, and a Cross-functional Coordination Unit (Field). Within the Cross-functional Coordination Unit, the various Program Managers will be responsible for coordinating activities within their area of expertise for several missions engaged in a common field (migration).
Purpose of the migration unit
Following a discussion within the Operations Department regarding the specific nature of humanitarian projects for 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 France and Libya), to support and encourage projects for populations on the move 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 widely available at MSF (protection, legal, social), the legal and administrative complexity of the countries, and finally the burdensome nature of interventions aimed at populations that are particularly complex to help.
Specifically, the migration unit aims 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
- Ensure the inclusion of our projects in the aid and reception landscape, including participation in coordination, the establishment of support, collaborations and partnerships.
- Develop/build a mode of operation adapted to the organizational model of this unit by defining roles and responsibilities between the field teams and those at headquarters. The objective is to build a mode of operation adapted to the care of migrants, allowing the missions to assume responsibility for the operational implementation of projects autonomously, within the strategic framework.
In Libya and France (migration and exclusion), there are two main pillars of intervention:
1) Develop multidisciplinarity focused on migrants in difficult situations (on the streets, in detention, victims of trafficking and torture, mobile and excluded), who have needs that must be addressed holistically: medical, protection, social and legal.
2) Contribute to the improvement of practices, or even, where appropriate, to a change in policy, through communications 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 Ile-de-France. Medical, psychological, social and legal support for young girls seeking recognition as minors (day care and accommodation); Mobile Clinic with a team of volunteers
- In Calais. Day center 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 as minors (inter-association day care and accommodation, which is scheduled to close), and support for squats.
In Libya , our operations have been suspended since the end of March, following a decision by a Libyan security agency. We terminated the contracts of Libyan personnel on June 7 and are working to restart our activities. As of March 27, our plans included:
- Two fixed bases, in Tripoli – shelter and follow-up of hospitalized patients – and Zwara – day care
- A presence at the landing sites of migrants intercepted in the Mediterranean
- Medical and orientation 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.
Mission
The Unit Logistics Manager is responsible for ensuring compliance with and monitoring of logistics and purchasing/supply policies in defining and implementing programs within the unit’s scope. The Logistics Manager will oversee the logistics activities of the Migrations Unit’s missions while maintaining functional relationships with OCP’s logistics department and purchasing & supply department. As such, the position requires significant mobility in order to provide the necessary support to project teams (at least 60% of time shared between the Unit’s programs).
Main responsibilities
Operational support
- As a member of the Migration Unit, the Logistics Manager participates in defining operational objectives and strategies, ensuring their technical and logistical feasibility. In this capacity, he/she proposes non-medical programs (Wash, food distributions / BFI, shelters, etc.).
- He/she is responsible for translating project objectives into technical and logistical needs (objectives, priorities and resources), will define and supervise technical and logistical activities, will ensure the application of fundamental logistics principles and will seek to anticipate logistical and technical problems that missions may face.
- In this capacity, to ensure compliance with the policies and procedures of the logistics and purchasing & supply departments, he/she will have to ensure, in consultation with the technical referents of these departments, their consistency and adaptation with the specific contexts of the Migration unit’s missions. In particular, he/she will have to be a force for proposals on innovations necessary for the advancement of the missions in his/her portfolio, while explaining the technical constraints that may affect the operations of the Migration unit.
- In this context, the logistics manager will create and maintain a network of contacts and partnerships in order to strengthen complementarities between MSF and other actors.
- He/she ensures the smooth running of international, regional and local supply for the missions for which he/she is responsible by mobilizing, as needed, the relevant referents and business experts to support the field teams.
- He/she is available to provide support to programs run by other OCP cells or other sections within the MSF movement, based on the experience acquired with migrant populations. It is in this context in particular that a particular responsibility for capitalizing on experience and training falls to him/her.
- He/she guarantees the sharing of information necessary for managing his/her activity as well as the memory of the logistics of the missions
- It evaluates and analyzes the logistics activities of programs and missions using available tools (Unifield, Wefin, MEMO, activity evaluation files such as the hospital reference, basics, checklists, etc.)
- He/she validates orders and strategic/technical items according to standards and procedures, ensuring that orders match mission needs.
Resource management
- He/she guarantees the availability and reliability of items and systems (means of communication, vehicles, bases and offices, etc.), the implementation and management of all necessary technical and logistical means, in collaboration with qualified human resources, as well as the dissemination and compliance with policies, standards, and procedures for the logistics and purchasing/supply scope.
- In collaboration with other members of their unit and the logistics and purchasing/supply managers of the missions for which they are responsible, they actively participate in the development and implementation of mission action plans and budgets. In this capacity, they are responsible for monitoring, analyzing, and budgeting their activity.
- The logistics manager actively contributes to emergency preparedness plans and responses to emergency situations (shelter, water and sanitation, distributions, etc.), this aspect being expected to develop in support of local authorities and associations in particular.
- The Logistics Manager is responsible for implementing security, ensuring it complies with MSF OCP’s security framework and mission/project security plans. They validate and implement the technical aspects of the risk reduction policy.
- He/she is responsible for the proper implementation of HR policies and related processes (recruitment, training, briefing/debriefing, performance evaluation, potential detection, staff professional development and internal communication) in order to ensure that he/she has both the number of people and the amount of knowledge necessary for the activities for which he/she is responsible, as well as the composition of the logistics teams, and any ad hoc support required.
- He/she validates orders and strategic and technical items according to standards and procedures, ensuring that orders match mission needs.
- He/she represents his/her activities to various audiences (for example: missions during visits, operations to support departments at headquarters, etc.)
- He/she participates, depending on his/her availability and in consultation with the OCP logistics department, in support and operations department events (i.e. Log Week, Department Seminars, Coordo Week according to invitations, logistics department meeting, etc.).
Desired profile
Experience :
- Significant field experience as a Logistics Coordinator and/or coordinator of association projects with a strong logistics component (distribution, accommodation, solidarity warehouse, etc.) is desirable.
- Experience working at headquarters as well as that of coordinator or technical manager for another NGO/association are assets.
SKILLS :
- Ability to adapt to the French and European context and understanding of local operational dynamics.
- Good knowledge of technical logistics families (watsan, IT, mechanics, electricity, biomed, cold chain, construction, etc.) and the supply chain.
- Good knowledge of project management.
- Good computer skills (Office package, ability to make simple drawings, etc.)
Languages: Fluent French and English
Job specifics
Status : Executive position, based at a Migration Hub (currently Paris or Tunis), with travel to the field to be expected. Teleworking according to the rules in force at MSF (2 days/week).
Position to be filled : as soon as possible
At MSF, we value diversity and strive to create an inclusive and accessible work environment. We encourage all qualified individuals to apply, regardless of their ethnic, national, or cultural background, age, gender, sexual orientation, beliefs, disability, or other aspects of their identity.
How to apply
To apply, please submit your application on our website Logistics Manager of the Migration Unit (M/F) | Doctors Without Borders until August 10 inclusive .