About MSF

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) provides medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare.

Our teams are comprised of tens of thousands of health professionals, logistic and administrative staff - bound together by our charter. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation.

MSF was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, we are a worldwide movement of nearly 65,000 people.

The Berlin Medical Unit (BeMU) provides medical guidance and support in areas of Surgery, Anesthesia, Emergency Medicine and Gynecology/Obstetrics to MSF Operational Centers Geneva (OCG) and Amsterdam (OCA).

The MSF Academy for Healthcare (based in Brussels) is an inter-sectional training initiative designed to professionalise the training of healthcare workers in MSF to improve the quality of health care provided in MSF projects and strengthen the local health systems where health care human resources are weak.

BeMU and MSF academy are leading the ISTP (Intersectional Surgical Training Program) in collaboration with Stellenbosch University/South Africa.

Background Inter-sectional Surgical Training Program (ISTP)

Access to surgical services is an increasing operational priority in MSF across all Operational Centers (OCs).

More projects are providing surgical services than before, with an increased variety. Their services go beyond essential lifesaving interventions and provide trauma services (including damage control surgery) and basic reconstructive care.

In contrast, it is becoming increasingly difficult for MSF to recruit surgeons with the right and polyvalent skills profile required in most MSF surgical projects. In the first place, because of the increased specialization of the surgical workforce in high and middle-income countries. Meanwhile, the number of national staff surgeons is increasing. Their profile is clearly different, and an adapted program will be developed for this category.

The Inter-sectional Surgical Training Program (ISTP) aims to increase the capacity of MSF to run surgical projects by offering adapted training programs for MSF surgeons that can reduce the gap between the field needs and the skills profile of most surgeons willing to work for MSF.

In practice, the training will focus on the most common and relevant interventions ( i.e. C-section, open fracture management, open abdominal surgery, burns). It will be adaptable to the different learners.

This training will happen in collaboration with Stellenbosch University in Cape Town, and the activities will take place at Tygerberg hospital and Khayelitsha hospital.

The project should cover the priorities of the needs of all operational centres.

The inter-sectional character of the training program is important and will require strong partnerships within the movement.

For more information on the MSF, Transformational Investment Capacity, see http://msf-transformation.org/TIC/?page_id=9#project-dashboard.

For more information on the MSF Academy, see https://www.msf.org/academy.

MSF Germany, in collaboration with MSF Academy Brussels, is implementing the ISTP, and therefore we are looking for a Program Coordinator, starting from 16th of August 2021:

Terms of Reference

Position: Program Coordinator (f/m/d)

Job Location: Cape Town, South Africa

Start date: 16th of August 2021

End date: 15th of August 2022

Job dimension: 100% (40 hours per week)

Place within the organisation

The position is within the Berlin Medical Unit (BeMU) with dual-line management by the Head of BeMU and the Director of the MSF Academy (Brussels) and based in Cape Town.

The overall objective of the position

Lead, oversee and coordinate the ISTP from Cape Town. This position will link the ISTP with the MSF movement and the Stellenbosch University to coordinate the selection of the trainee surgeons throughout MSF and assure the quality of the implementation in Cape Town hospitals in partnership with the Stellenbosch University.

The coordinator will work under the head of BeMU and the director of the MSF Academy.

Tasks:

  • Network and liaise with key stakeholders in operations, medical departments, and HR to ensure information exchange, training follow-up, and reporting.
  • Link with HR and Operations of all OCs and the Surgical Working Group to identify candidate trainees. Plan, prepare and organize their training rotation.
  • Lead the coordination of the development of the strategy to improve the selection of the candidates.
  • Assure good coordination and working relationship with the Stellenbosch University and functional interaction with the HPCSA to register all the trainees.
  • Ensure a close follow up on the participants during and after the rotation by collaborating with stakeholders at Tygerberg, Stellenbosch and MSF HR
  • Participate in and support the development of theoretical learning material.
  • Supervise Administrative work needed for training rotations, in particular the registration process of trainees in South Africa.
  • Function as the line manager of the project's administrator and the functional manager of the surgical training coordinator at Stellenbosch University.
  • Reporting to hierarchical lines monthly

Profile:

  • An enthusiastic candidate with solid (minimum 3 years) experience in project management.
  • At least 3 years of field experience with MSF.
  • Experience and Background in HR and/or Project Management, with a good understanding of MSF activities.
  • Fluent in English
  • Strong ability to manage a project and results-oriented.
  • Good level of autonomy.
  • Strong networker and good negotiation skills
  • Good communication skills, diplomatic attitude, internally and externally
  • Process and budget management skills
  • Good writing skills (reports, proposals, agreements)
  • Commitment to humanitarian principles and ability to work in a multicultural environment and empathic personality.

We offer

  • Payment in accordance with the internal salary structure; in this position, it would be the salary of min R38 831,30 to the max. R46 597.56 depending on professional experience (excluding loyalty MSF experience)
  • Benefits: 25 days of annual leave per year, 13th salary, transportation allowance, medical aid, an annual increase in salary according to salary structure & board approval, company pension and secondary retention allowances according to the contracting office
  • Other benefits of relocation:

    • R10,000 for 3 months to cover the expense of accommodation
    • Cost of travel for relocation to South Africa
    • Removal of furniture (3 quotes required)
    • Immigration costs for visa applications
  • Meaningful and diversified work within a respectful and positive organisational culture

As an internationally operating organization, we welcome diversity, open-mindedness and mutual respect. In accordance with our values, we only analyse the professional qualifications in the applications, regardless of ethnic and social origin, religion or belief, gender, sexual orientation, or age.

Please submit your complete written application (incl. a letter of motivation in English, CV without a photo, certificates) and integrate all documents into one file (pdf, max. 5 MB).

This vacancy is archived.

Recommended for you