Staff Health Officer/Medical Doctor  

Context & Mission

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent, international medical humanitarian organization that delivers care to people affected by natural disasters, human-made disasters, and armed conflicts, irrespective of race, religion, creed, or political affiliation. MSF’s Operational Center Geneva (OCG) oversees operations in approximately 30 countries, employing around 6000 Locally Hired Staff (LHS), managing around 1000 International Mobile Staff (IMS) field assignments annually, and maintaining a headquarters staff of approximately 400 in Geneva and affiliated offices.

The SHU, based in Geneva, is dedicated to advising on all work-related health issues for MSF staff, aiming to provide a holistic approach to health and wellbeing throughout the employment cycle. The unit is responsible for ensuring that MSF staff are adequately prepared for health risks they may encounter, offering direct technical support for specific cases, and playing a critical role in medical evacuations and ongoing medical care. The SHU consists of 2 psychologists, 2 medical doctors, a manager, and is supported by an intern.

Position Overview

The Staff Health Officer/Medical Doctor is vital for ensuring the health and well-being of MSF staff, especially those on international assignments. This role involves pre-departure health check-ups, advice on specific health conditions, briefings and debriefings, management of health policies, and direct involvement in medical evacuations. The position requires on-call availability during nights and weekends, according to a specific shared schedule, and includes field visits to support missions as requested.

Responsibilities

·         Conduct pre-departure health check-ups and ensure that staff are informed about health risks and care available in mission areas.

·         Support the update and implementation of health management policies for staff, both locally hired and international.

·         Manage the health concerns of staff in the field, providing direct medical input or external advice as needed.

·         Facilitate medical evacuations, maintaining communication with all parties involved until the individual returns home.

·         Ensure that HQ employees receive first aid training, organize access to flu vaccinations, and contribute to health and safety committee activities.

·         Collect, monitor, analyze, and report on health data, participate in unit meetings, and propose recommendations to improve staff health management.

Your Profile

Education

·         Medical Doctor degree

Experience

·         Minimum 5 years of clinical experience, including Tropical Medicine, is essential.

·         Field experience with MSF or another international NGO

·         Experience in Travel Medicine, Medical Coordination position, and Occupational Health is highly desirable.

Skills/ Technical competencies

·         Proficient in interpreting medical reports and offering informed recommendations.

·         Knowledge of medical evacuation procedures and protocols is beneficial.

·         Skilled in providing medical guidance and support during critical incidents.

·         Familiar with occupational health principles and practices.

·         Excellent organizational skills with a strong ability to solve problems effectively.

Languages

·         Fluency in English and French is required

·         Knowledge of a third language is an advantage

Personal Abilities

·         Flexible and approachable demeanor.

·         Excellent communication skills.

·         Ability to work independently.

·         Strong intercultural competencies.

·         Effective stress management.

·         Empathy and sensitivity in dealing with health concerns.

Terms of Employment

·         Full-time position 100% (40h/week)

·         Open-ended contract

·         Working place: Geneva

·         Ideal start date: June 2024

·         Gross annual salary (for 100%): from CHF 101’172.- to CHF 115’332.- (salary commensurate with equivalent experience and internal salary grid)

·         Paid vacation: 25 days per year, prorate temporis, plus any Swiss public holidays falling within the contract period.

·         Pension plan: pension contribution covered 3/4 by MSF, 1/4 by staff member

·         Relocation package if moving from a different country to Switzerland.

How to apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit a detailed CV and a cover letter outlining their suitability for the role based on the criteria mentioned above : CV 2 p. max. – letter of motivation 1p. max. – in French or English.

Deadline for application is 9 May 2024.

We reserve the right to close the position early if we consider the number and quality of applications received to be sufficient.

The applications will be treated confidentially.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

Only applications submitted on our recruitment platforms will be considered.

Please note that we do not wish to use the services of recruitment or placement agencies.

At MSF, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our staff members. We strive to create workplaces where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas and experiences work together for the social mission of MSF to create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.

We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, background, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference checks.