Position description
Join MSF OCG as a Flying Negotiation and analyst Advisor!
We are looking for passionate candidates ready to contribute to our humanitarian mission.
Below, you will find the job details and the qualifications we are looking for.
This is a field-based position with visits to the headquarters in Geneva.
Inclusivity and Diversity at MSF
Do your qualifications and experience not exactly match all requirements of the job?
At MSF OCG, we are committed to an inclusive culture that supports and amplifies 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 to advance MSF's social mission and create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.
We understand that some people may hesitate to apply for employment if they don't meet all listed job requirements. Research shows that this is especially true for women. If you believe your profile is a good match for this position, we invite you to apply even if you don’t fulfil every listed qualification.
We encourage 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 undergo reference checks.
Context & mission
Médecins Sans Frontières is an independent, international medical and humanitarian organization that provides care to people in need, people affected by natural or man-made disasters, and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and without regard to race, religion, creed or political affiliation (MSF Charter).
In many contexts where we intervene, our ability to assist people adequately and to secure access to them and for them has been a constant challenge for MSF. Our working space is not a given and must be negotiated on a consistent and regular basis. It depends largely on the ability of humanitarian agencies and organizations to negotiate their presence and terms of operations with various state and non-state actors.
As specified in the last OCG strategic plan: “Analysis, Negotiation, Communication & Positioning are part of MSF social mission and shall be considered as an integrated pillar of MSF OCG broader operational strategies. Over this strategic cycle MSF OCG will “Continue to develop and train field teams in the art of negotiation that includes the understanding of complex environment, the geopolitical landscape, the increasing regulatory and administrative constraints, risk analysis, security management.”
To fulfil this ambition, the position of flying Negotiation Advisor was opened with the aim of developing and provide our own negotiating capacity to support our social mission whether internally or via external partnership through direct support to our teams in the field. This position will also contribute to the design of training and tools as well as workshops and coaching/mentoring in situ or through webinar to support our field teams in elaborating their contextualized negotiation strategy. In addition, he will provide an advisory service and peer support when necessary.
Tasks and responsibilities
Contribute to the humanitarian negotiations and engagement activities in OCG
- Participates to the development of the Strategic Plan and Annual Plan initiatives linked to negotation.
Provision of Support
- Provide direct support, as requested by field teams, operational cells or via the Negotiation Platform, to missions facing particularly complex access challenges, bureaucratic and administrative impediment or difficult negotiations.
- Provide support to ensure the facilitation of administrative procedures, ensure consistency between units and departments in OCG (ILD, Advocacy, Security, Emergency, Supply, Pharma, HR and Medical)
- Provide strategic risk analysis including all the legal and administrative blockages that OCG could face
- Provide guidance in policy dialogue with governments, national and local administrations, humanitarian organizations or development of tactical tools and methods related to humanitarian negotiations and engagement
- Provide analysis, as requested, on the state of relations between MSF and the local authorities, the community and other stakeholders in specific contexts.
- Provide specific support for context analysis and stakeholder mapping where necessary
Coordination and management
- Ensure that the proposed strategy in in the best interest of OCG, assesses the risk and proposes alternatives solutions.
- Monitor engagement and negotiation strategies developed with teams in the field
Learning and Development
- Provide coaching and mentoring support when needed
- Contribute to organisational learning, knowledge sharing, and peer exchange about negotiation.
- Participate to the implementation of the learning strategy, as part of the broader Operational Learning Strategy on the Negotiation Pillar:
- Contribute to the design of e-learning trainings ( self-learning and webinar/virtual class)
- Participate to the deployment of the different negotiation and engagement trainings for ours staffs
- Contribute to the elaboration and dissemination thematic negotiation and engagement frameworks (EPREP, HCA, access & security, protection of the medical mission, medical protocole and portfolio, …etc)
- carry out peer review exercise for capitalisation when requested
- Stimulate the reflexion and debate on the operational negotiation and stakes at HQ and fields level
Your profile
Education & Experience
- Higher education or University Master’s in international relations, law or equivalent.
- At least 8 years experiences in humanitarian intervention and management
- Solid experience in implementing trainings and workshops
- Experience coaching and mentoring others.
- Experience working with (or for) other international organisations.
Languages
- Fluent French
- Fluent English
- Other languages (such as arabic, spanish) are an asset.
Personal Abilities & Skills
- Good understanding of the humanitarian system and trends affecting humanitarian affairs
- Established practice in humanitarian negotiation
- Ability to think strategically and translate a vision into practical outputs.
- Ability to implement training and coaching activities Strong interpersonal and communication skills including good public presentation skills, capacity to work effectively in team and to set up and maintain a wide network of expert
- Excellent writing, editing and analytical skills.
- Ability to translate complex questions into policy options leading to practical recommendations.
- Available for frequent travels.
Terms of employment
- Fixed-term contract, 12 months
- Full-time, 100% (40h/week)
- Working place : Field-based position with visits to the headquarters in Geneva
- Practical working conditions in the field are in accordance with the MSF OCG volunteer manual.
- Ideal start date: September 1st, 2025
- Gross monthly salary: CHF 5’500.- based on 100%
- Benefits: Health insurance and living expenses in the countries of intervention and at headquarters, paid according to internal regulations.
Application instructions
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