MedOps Cell Manager – MSF Ubuntu

## **MSF Eastern Africa is looking for a MedOps Cell Manager – MSF Ubuntu**

*Do your skills and experience not precisely match the requirements? At MSF EA, we strive to create a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace, recognizing the need to increase access to professional opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. If you're interested in this position but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the selection criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the ideal candidate for this or other positions.*

*Firmly committed to safeguarding patients, community members, staff, and all those in contact with the organization from all forms of abuse, including sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH), we will take all necessary steps, through rigorous vetting processes, to ensure that confirmed perpetrators of abuse do not join the organization.*

*For this position, contact level with patients and children is categorized as **High** risk and will be monitored with this in regard.*

## ***Introduction***

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an international independent medical humanitarian organisation that provides assistance to people affected by conflicts, epidemics, and natural or human-made disasters and excluded from healthcare. We provide this assistance without discrimination, irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

## ***About MSF Eastern Africa***

MSF Eastern Africa is the regional institutional office of MSF. It focuses on representation and networking, recruiting and supporting staff from the region, communications and fundraising, as well as working on other dossiers of importance to MSF such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Data Protection, mutualization, training, medical operational support and environmental health.

## ***MSF Ubuntu***

**MSF Ubuntu** is the newest Operational Directorate of Médecins Sans Frontières, grounded in the philosophy of Ubuntu – “I am because we are”. With a strong emphasis on interdependence, interoperability, and locally grounded action, MSF Ubuntu aims to strengthen medical humanitarian response by placing communities at the centre of decision‑making.

## ***Rationale/Objective for Position***

The MedOps Cell Manager is responsible for translating MSF Ubuntu’s operational vision into high-quality, principled, accountable and community-centred medical-humanitarian operations.

Reporting to the MSF Ubuntu Director of Operations, the MedOps Cell Manager leads the strategic direction, operational oversight and performance of an assigned portfolio of countries, projects or thematic operational priorities. The role ensures that MSF Ubuntu’s operations are grounded in the lived realities of patients and communities, responsive to urgent humanitarian needs, and aligned with MSF’s social mission to save lives, alleviate suffering and protect human dignity.

The MedOps Cell Manager will play a central role in building MSF Ubuntu as a new Operational Directorate with a distinct operational identity: rooted locally and acting globally; driven by people-centred care; committed to community leadership; shaped by interdependence with communities, partners and the wider MSF movement; and focused on leaving positive outcomes beyond the duration of MSF’s direct intervention.

This position will be ***hierarchically*** and ***functionally*** accountable to ***Director of Operations, MSF Ubuntu***.

The MedOps Cell Manager is a senior operational leader within MSF Ubuntu’s Operations Department and works under the authority of the Director of Operations.

The role works closely with:

- Heads of Programmes, Project Coordinators and country coordination teams.
- Medical, logistics, supply, HR, finance, advocacy, communications, security, analysis and community engagement functions.
- MSF Ubuntu leadership circles and operational decision-making platforms.
- Local communities, patient groups, civil society actors, academia, local institutions and other relevant actors.
- Other MSF Operational Directorates, regional hubs and international platforms.

## ***Tasks & Responsibilities***

**Main Responsibilities**

- ***Lead operational strategy for the assigned portfolio***

Leads the development, implementation and review of country, regional and thematic strategies within the assigned portfolio.
- ***Embed community leadership and people-centred care***

Ensures that community leadership and people-centred care are not treated as separate activities, but as core operational principles and priorities.
- ***Ensure quality, relevance and accountability of operations***

Accountable for ensuring that operations within the portfolio are relevant, high-quality, ethical and accountable.
- ***Support Heads of Programmes, Project Coordinators and country leadership teams***

Provides strategic supervision, guidance and support to senior field leadership.
- ***Lead and manage the operational cell***

Leads a multidisciplinary operational cell and is responsible for its performance, coherence and working culture.
- ***Strengthen emergency preparedness and response***

Ensures that emergency response remains central to MSF Ubuntu’s operational identity.
- ***Oversee security, access and risk management***

Ensures that safety, security and access management are adapted to operational realities and grounded in MSF Ubuntu’s community acceptance-based approach.
- ***Drive advocacy, analysis, representation and networking***

Ensures that advocacy and analysis are linked to operational priorities and community realities.
- ***Integrate communications and public positioning into operations***

Ensures that communications and public positioning reflect MSF Ubuntu’s commitment to speaking out in solidarity with patients and communities.
- ***Ensure financial stewardship and responsible resource management***

Oversees responsible planning, budgeting and resource use within the portfolio.
- ***Promote interdependence and operational collaboration***

Responsible for putting interdependence into practice across the portfolio.
- ***Promote learning, reflection and knowledge management***

Contributes to MSF Ubuntu as a humble, learning-oriented Operational Directorate.
- ***Support environmental responsibility and climate-aware operations***

Ensures that operations consider the health and humanitarian consequences of the climate crisis, as well as MSF Ubuntu’s environmental commitments.

**Decision-Making Authority for Programmes**

Within delegated authority from the Director of Operations, the MedOps Cell Manager may:

- Approve or recommend country strategies, multi-year plans and major operational adjustments.
- Recommend opening, scaling, adapting, suspending, handing over or closing interventions.
- Validate operational priorities, staffing proposals, budgetary decisions and resource allocations within agreed thresholds.
- Provide arbitration on operational dilemmas, security thresholds and interdepartmental priorities.
- Be ready to act as interim in leading crisis management processes within the portfolio, in coordination with the Director of Operations, if required.
- Represent MSF Ubuntu internally and externally on assigned operational matters.
- Escalate matters requiring Director of Operations, General Director, Council or critical incident decision-making authority.

## ***Qualifications***

**Education**

Degree in medical, public health, humanitarian affairs, anthropology, political science, international relations or operational management fields essential. A Masters degree in the same fields would be desirable.

**Experience**

***Essential***

- Minimum 7 years of professional experience.
- Significant senior operational management experience in MSF or another medical-humanitarian organisation.
- Previous experience as Head of Mission, Co