Myanmar: Head of Mission (Myanmar)

Myanmar Head of Mission

MSF Operational Center Amsterdam

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. The MSF movement is built around five operational directorates supported by 21 sections and offices worldwide.

Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of neutrality and impartiality.

Background of MSF – Operational Centre Amsterdam (MSF-OCA) in Myanmar

MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam (MSF-OCA) arrived in Myanmar in 1992 as the first INGO granted permission to operate with international staff presence. Throughout its 25 years in country, MSF-OCA oriented the programming towards increasing access to health care for populations affected by conflict or social marginalisation. While initially focussing on malaria and TB, in 2003 MSF-OCA started to focus the treatment of HIV/AIDS patients as well. Also, MSF-OCA regularly responded to emergencies across the country, such as the response in 2008 to the cyclone Nargis in the Ayeyarwaddy region or to consequences of conflict.

Today the mission also covers a broad geographical spread with many clinic sites across Rakhine, Yangon, Kachin and Shan states.

In the Rakhine state medical activities are focused on the provision of primary healthcare, reproductive health, emergency medical referrals and HIV diagnosis, treatment and counselling.

As of July 2016, MSF-OCA has over 32,000+ patients on Ante-Retroviral Treatment (ART) care, spread over 5 active project sites in various locations, but with projects in Shan, Yangon, Kachin constituting more than 98% of the HIV cohort.

In the Yangon Region MSF is working toward increasing the links and collaboration with the MoH, in order to demonstrate that providing quality HIV care to many patients is feasible, and to help strengthening the MoH capacity for them to scale up HIV treatment provision. Yangon project had also re-tested patients in their cohort for Hepatitis C and aims to treat 200 patients by 2017. Yangon project also serves as the training facility for incoming new national staff doctors who will be deployed to the field.

In Kachin MSF-OCA works in diverse locations and contexts providing comprehensive care to HIV patients including co-infected patients with TB/DRTB and where needed provision of basic health care. Next to provision of comprehensive care for HIV patients and TB/DRTB co-infected patients MSF is also scaling up humanitarian activities in Shan State to increase access to primary health care and provision of ART treatment.

MSF-OCA currently has around 27 international and over 1000 national staff working in its programs.

Job dimension

The Head of Mission (HoM) is responsible for MSF operational response in the Country/Mission. The HoM defines the mission operational strategy in collaboration with the Ops Manager, the CMT and Operational Support Team (OST). The HoM leads, plans and coordinates MSF- OCA programmes in the mission, including identification of new humanitarian challenges; represents and defends MSF’s interests before third parties, according to the organization’s charter, policies, and ethics, in order to develop and effectively implement all the programs and projects in the mission.

Place within the organization

• Hierarchically and functionally accountable to the Operational Manager;

• Direct Line Manager to 2 x Operational Deputy HoMs, Country Health Director, Finance Coordinator, Human Resources Coordinator, Logistics Coordinator, Humanitarian Affairs Officer, Communications Manager (intersectional) and Head of Mission Assistant.

Main responsibilities

• Defines the mission operational strategy with the Coordination team in Yangon and in partnership with the Operational Support Team in Amsterdam.

• Is responsible for co-coordinating the effective implementation of all projects in his/her country area. To provide leadership, motivation, support, guidance and advice to co-ordinate the MSF-OCA programs;

• Has the final responsibility for all policy and management aspects of MSF in the mission (administration, logistics, finances, human resources, and MSF association) and is accountable for supervising a rational use of means and resources to carry out projects and programs;

• Is responsible for analysing the context (and the consequences of an intervention of MSF, evaluating risks and constraints, and setting priorities;

• To support, coach, supervise and evaluate the members of the Country Management Team on their technical and team-working capacity and as MSF-member;

• To ensure, maintain, facilitate and participate in external communication, in consultation with the Communications Manager, the Communication Department in Amsterdam, and other MSF sections;

• To represent MSF-OCA with national and international authorities.

• To promote MSF values and principles as a humanitarian, medical, volunteer organisation and to actively seek the involvement of all staff members to engage in related debates, and in discussions on the MSF mission in country;

• Be responsible to define and ensure implementation of mission’s security policies and protocols, aligned to global MSF policy, to ensure safety of staff across the mission. In this sense, the Head of Mission has the ultimate responsibility of all security aspects of the mission;

Requirements

Experience

• Minimum 2 years as HoM with MSF, in at least 2 different contexts – each mission of > 6 months duration;

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in the humanitarian field;

• Proven management skills with emphasis on team-leadership/human resources, communication, advocacy, organization/project management, budget management;

• Experience in Public Health programmes;

• Knowledge and experience in international policy and context analysis;

• Experience with complex security situations;

• Experience in dealing with national authorities, national and International NGO’s/UN bodies;

• Commitment to the aims and values of MSF;

• Strong negotiating and problem solving skills, stimulating and diplomatic;

• Capacity to work independently;

• Knowledge and affinity/belief in advocacy role of MSF;

• Advanced studies in Public Health or related subjects such as international relations, refugee or international humanitarian law, development studies or anthropology;

• Experience working in the South East Asian contexts;

• Good command of English.

Competences

• Strategic Vision;

• Leadership;

• Networking & Building Relationships;

• Capacity to Negotiate;

• Analytical Thinking.

Conditions

• Location: based in Yangon Myanmar

• Starting date: 1st February 2017

• Minimum commitment: 24 months

• Annual gross salary: based on MSF-OCA Reward Policy

• Housing and other secondary benefits based on MSF- OCA Frame for Network Units

How to apply:

To apply, all applicants should please send their CV and cover motivation letter under the reference “Head of Mission Myanmar” to: samir.amallah@amsterdam.msf.org

Please submit your CV and cover letter in ONE file and name the file with your LAST NAME

Closing date: 7^th November, 2016