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.
Mission France is looking for a: Mediator in Ile-de-France.
Context
MSF’s France Mission provides assistance to migrants in situations of extreme social, medical, and/or psychological vulnerability within France and conducts advocacy work to facilitate their access to basic rights. It currently has three projects, in the Île-de-France region, Calais, and Marseille, focused on providing multidisciplinary (medical, psychological, social, and legal) support to unaccompanied minors seeking legal recourse.
MSF has three areas of activity in its Ile de France project:
- A day centre for unaccompanied female minors (UAMs): access to legal and social support, access to somatic and mental health care, referrals to common law, located in Pantin (93).
- A residential facility for unaccompanied female minors (UAMs), with educational support, located in Montreuil.
- A Mobile Clinic composed of a multidisciplinary (medical-social) team operating in the Ile de France region.
Mission
Within the MSF project in Ile De France, support communication and interaction between beneficiaries (migrants and refugees) and the multidisciplinary team, addressing the consequences of language barriers, socio-cultural differences and discrimination, following MSF protocols and procedures, in order to improve access to quality healthcare and other relevant services.
Main responsibilities
Facilitating the relationship between patients and healthcare providers involved in medical consultations (physical and mental health) as well as between patients and the support provided by the socio-legal team:
- To provide quality interpreting between the multidisciplinary team and the beneficiaries in their mother tongue, taking into account the intercultural aspect, sensitivity and clarity of communication between the parties.
- To help the multidisciplinary team and patients address the negative consequences of sociocultural differences.
- Supporting the therapeutic/social intervention by sharing relevant aspects of the patient’s cultural context with the multidisciplinary team, acting as a cultural intermediary.
- Identify and report obstacles that hinder fairness and equality in access to services.
- Accompany and follow patients towards referral structures (health and social care establishments) if necessary.
- Participate in case management meetings and medical meetings on an ad hoc basis.
In collaboration with other members of the project team, provide information to beneficiaries on the functioning of the healthcare system and other support services (shelter, food, transport, legal support) provided by MSF and other actors, with the aim of promoting the empowerment and autonomy of beneficiaries:
- Contribute to understanding the context and collecting data on medical and socio-legal issues, paying particular attention to vulnerabilities, in order to provide reliable information for operational decision-making.
- To ensure high-quality linguistic and intercultural translation when collecting testimonies for advocacy and communication purposes.
- Report all important information expressed by beneficiaries and communities, while guaranteeing confidentiality at all times.
- Supporting, upon request, other activities of the Ile de France project (health promotion activities, distribution of NFIs, mobile clinic, etc.)
Project-specific responsibilities:
Reception and interpretation services at the day center
- To welcome, inform, and guide beneficiaries upon their arrival at the facility.
- Conduct the first intake interview: collect the beneficiary’s admission information into a database at the centre, in accordance with the current MSF protocol.
- Provide reception services for the Centre (telephone secretarial work, appointment scheduling, calendar management, census of beneficiaries present).
- To link MSF with beneficiaries, to inform them about the MSF association and the services it provides, as well as about the rules, procedures and possibilities of access to services (accommodation, food, etc.) provided by other actors.
- Working closely with the various activity areas of the project, particularly during individual and group sessions: mental health, somatic health, social, educational and cultural assistance, legal and administrative support.
- To provide translation of interviews between young people and professionals from different departments: mental health, somatic health, legal, social and educational.
- Adapt communication to all circumstances by using an appropriate language register so that messages are suitable for the recipients.
- Participate and be proactive in creating all necessary communication materials (displaying information for young people, translating posters, etc.).
Mediation and management of young people at the day center
- Under the supervision of the Socio-legal Manager and in collaboration with the Logistics Manager: participate in the administrative and logistical monitoring of the activity.
- Supporting the activity hubs and locations in the organization of the project and life within the MSF center (hygiene guidelines, adherence to the appointment system, managing waiting times, managing meals and breakfasts, organizing the changing room, etc.)
- To physically accompany beneficiaries to guide them towards health facilities, social services, legal services or others as needed (translating the young person’s appointment if necessary)
- Report all important information expressed by beneficiaries, ensuring confidentiality at all times and respecting the MSF charter.
- To actively participate in the weekly multidisciplinary meeting addressing the individual situations of young people.
- Contribute to the quality approach and risk management.
- Centre activities: organisation of small workshops, awareness-raising, playtime etc.
Mediation in accommodation facilities
- Participate in leading activities and workshops.
- Providing interpreting services in person or by telephone.
Mediation at mobile clinic sites
- Providing interpreting services in person or by telephone.
- To provide support for social policies.
- Participate in welcoming and registering beneficiaries in the Mobile Clinic database.
Desired profile
Education: Training in interpreting or intercultural mediation required.
Degree in social sciences or social communication preferred.
Experience :
- Prior experience in translation and/or intercultural mediation is required.
- Experience with other NGOs preferred.
- Experience with so-called “precarious” populations is preferable.
- Experience with the “child protection” sector and/or unaccompanied minors preferred.
- Experience and knowledge desired in assisting the different areas of the project: medical, social and legal.
Skills and abilities:
- Proficiency in computer tools (Word, Excel, Office suite, etc.)
- Adherence to MSF principles
- Flexibility/Flexibility of behavior
- Teamwork and cooperation
- Interpersonal skills, adaptability
- Autonomy
- Sense of service
- Mobility and versatility
Languages : Proficiency in French and at least one of the beneficiaries’ native languages ( Lingala, Portuguese, Soninke, Bambara )
Job specifics
Status and conditions:
- Fixed-term contract (CDD) of 12 months, renewable.
- Full-time, 39 hours/week.
- Position based in Pantin.
- €2743.06 gross monthly salary over 13 months.
- 22 days of paid time off per year. Supplementary health insurance fully covered by Doctors Without Borders. Meal vouchers with a face value of €12.00 (60% covered by MSF). 50% reimbursement of public transport pass or bicycle mileage allowance.
Position available: as soon as possible.
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
Please send your application (CV + cover letter) by email by December 11, 2025, with the following reference in the subject line: MIC_IDF MARS_MISSION FRANCE_LASTNAME_FIRSTNAME to msff-france-recrutement@paris.msf.org
Only candidates whose applications have been selected will be contacted.