Netherlands: Assistant to the Medical Director and Director’s Office

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent, medical, emergency relief organisation that provides assistance to people worldwide, regardless of their background, religion or political convictions. Above all, we aim to save lives and to offer medical care to victims of disasters, wars and epidemics. Working together with local staff, we give direct support to the population. MSF also appeals to those in power, including governments and international organisations, and speaks out about the abuses we encounter in the course of our work. The Dutch organisation ‘Artsen zonder Grenzen’ (MSF-Holland) is a member of the international organisation ‘Médecins Sans Frontières’.

MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam (OCA) currently operates medical humanitarian interventions in 25 countries. On a yearly basis MSF-Holland deploys approximately 1100 international staff and employs 7,000 national staff. At headquarters in Amsterdam, around 220 employees offer their support to the projects.

MSF OCA has a common strategic plan for operations, has developed a model of decentralised support to field operations and is progressively addressing ways of building on each sections strengths, to maximise synergies across the OCA and bring added value to our humanitarian operations. The governance and management structures of the OCA are still under development, and MSF Holland currently maintains the legal entities to support the OCA. The medical director is thus de facto a member of both the OCA and MSF Holland management teams.

The Public Health Department (PHD) consists of approximately 60 medical and public health staff based in Amsterdam, Berlin and Toronto.

Due to departure of the current assistant, we are with immediate effect looking for an enthusiastic

ASSISTANT TO THE MEDICAL DIRECTOR AND DIRECTOR’S OFFICE (100%) based in Amsterdam

This is a permanent position. The Assistant to the Medical Director and Director’s Office supports and assists the Medical Director in daily functioning and assists with policy preparation. In addition, the Assistant provides administrative and organisational support to the Director’s Office.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

For the Medical Director (60%)

· Supports the Medical Director in ongoing day-to-day business

· Supports various meetings by preparing the agenda in substantive, procedural and organisational terms, by minuting and by planning decision-making processes

· Manages and processes different types of information for purposes like staff communication, institutional knowledge-building, administration, and reporting/auditing activities

· Supports the Public Health Department's activities within MSF OCA's planning and control cycle, and prepares/gives input for the department's plans and budget

· Manages the administration of Operational Research facilitating contact with the Ethical Review Board, submitting papers to medical journals and keeping an overview of publications, etc.

· Does background research for policy papers, guidelines and protocols

For the Director’s Office (40%)

· Support to Director's Office projects in collaboration with other assistants

· Organising and maintaining information including the Director's Office filing system

· Is a member of the Director’s Office Assistants team and in that position assumes cover duties during absence of the other assistants

· Prepare and minute various meetings from the Director’s Office

· Supports with the facilitation, communication and collection of information during the planning and control cycle

PROFILE

We are looking for an Assistant who is extremely organised and has a higher vocational level (i.e. HBO). A paramedical background is an asset and/or previous experience in a similar position. A native or a near-native command of spoken and written English is required. An extensive appreciation of organisational and decision-making processes, coupled with the ability to distinguish issues to be dealt with independently and matters of which the strategic relevance calls for mutual reconciliation is essential. Proficiency in Microsoft Office programs (Excel, Word, PowerPoint) is required, and SharePoint knowledge is an asset. This position offers insight to a complex international organisation whereby the Assistant will be required to take initiative when necessary but without carrying the burden of making final decisions. It goes without saying that multitasking plays a pivotal role.

WE OFFER

· A contract for one year, 40 hours a week, with option for renewal.

· A gross monthly salary between € 2,263 and € 3,233 (scale 5) depending on relevant work experience, for a fulltime appointment

· Stimulating, professional working environment in an international organisation

· 30 holidays per year

· A premium free pension

MORE INFORMATION

For more information about this position please contact Sandy Couto at +31 20 520 8036.

If you recognize yourself in the profile, please click here to apply directly via our website.