HEAD OF OPERATIONAL CELL 2 (BASED IN DAKAR)

GENERAL CONTEXT 

Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organisation, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. 

MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association. Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF. 

The MSF movement is built around six operational directorates supported by MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by project teams and the mission coordination teams, together with the organisational units based in Barcelona, and decentralised in Amman, Bogota, Dakar, and Nairobi. The operations are guided and supported by five Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations 

MAIN PURPOSE 

The Head of the Operational Cell is responsible for MSF OCBA missions, overseeing the different phases in the project cycle (opening, consolidation, re-orientation and closing) and ensures that quality standards are duly maintained and MSF’s humanitarian and deontological principles respected in his/her portfolio, within the framework of the OCBA Strategic Plan (2026 – 2031), operations orientations, and annual plans in order to perform relevant, high-impact operations. MSF OCBA works in contexts characterised by conflict and violence and has a very strong emergency mind-set. 

S/he reports hierarchically to the Operational Director. S/he leads the Operational Cell 2, which is composed of a matrix-like team set-up, integrating staff members from different job families as the basis for direct support and guidance to the missions within the cell’s portfolio. Cell 2 is made up of one Head of Operational Cell (RECO), two Deputy Head of Operational Cell (Deputy RECO, one of which is 50% dedicated the cell), one Health Advisor (TESACO), one Health Advisor Support (TESACO Support), one Logistics Advisor (TELOCO), one Human Resources Advisor (REHUCO), one Human Resources Advisor Support (REHUCO Support), and one Financial Controller (FINOCO). The Cell is also supported by a Communications Advisor (CA) and a Humanitarian Affairs Advisor (HAA). 

The Operational Cell 2 currently manages MSF-OCBA operations in Burkina Faso, Mali, and Niger. 

RESPONSABILITIES AND TASKS 

1. Participate in the MSF OCBA organisational strategy 

• Ensure the reflection on positioning and the role of MSF OCBA regarding humanitarian crises and related dilemmas, protection issues and operational strategies within his / her portfolio and contribute to this process for the wider OCBA operations portfolio. 

• Provide operational input to contribute to the definition of the strategies with the rest of the Departments, and take into account their contributions where pertinent when defining Operational plans to strengthen transversal planning and boost integration. 

• Identify and communicate situations in which the implementation of OCBA policies and procedures is not viable or may hinder the achievement of operational objectives, propose adaptations and exceptions to these in the appropriate forum, and apply the exceptions when necessary, as long as they are justified. 

• Adheres to the priorities articulated by the Direction of Operations and ensures adequate adherence of these along the operational management line and in the missions in his / her portfolio. 

• Hold himself/herself accountable for the relevance and quality of interventions in his / her portfolio and is transparent regarding his/her responsibilities at an operational and managerial level. 

• Hold services accountable for the quality of their support, proactively monitor / analyse policy implementation / adaptation, raise issues in a timely manner, and be accountable for the implementation of MSF OCBA strategies and policies. 

2. Contribute to the definition of MSF OCBA operational strategy 

• Contribute to the definition of the OCBA operational vision by articulating the needs and realities in his / her portfolio. 

• Contribute to the planning of the Operations Department and to the achievement of its transversal objectives. 

• Contribute to reviewing the objectives of the operations department, as well as those framed in MSF OCBA’s Strategic Plan and annual operational orientations, based on evaluation of the implementation of the operational plan and the analysis of evolution of humanitarian challenges in the assigned portfolio. 

• Ensure coherence between OCBA annual planning, operational orientations and assigned portfolio’s annual plan. 

• Contribute to the definition of MSF OCBA security plans and policies and ensure compliance to them. 

3. Define the strategic vision of missions within the assigned portfolio 

• Lead the reflection on positioning and the role of MSF OCBA in relation to the OCBA Strategic Plan and the humanitarian crises in the missions within the assigned portfolio. 

• Ensure regular critical review and analysis of contexts and humanitarian situations in the assigned portfolio in order to guarantee that operational response is adapted to meet population’s needs. 

• Define missions, projects and interventions in the assigned portfolio, guaranteeing their pertinence and compliance with the MSF OCBA Strategic Plan and operational priorities. 

• Ensure the promotion and participation in the proposal, planning and follow-up of exploratory missions and all phases of the project cycle (design of project proposal, monitoring and evaluation, project re-orientation, expansion or closure). 

• Ensure that the results of relevance/impact project evaluations feed overall analyses, in order to maintain the relevance of the missions and the overall MSF OCBA portfolio. 

4. Oversee the planning and budgeting of missions 

• Review the annual plan and budget of missions within the assigned portfolio and define strategic changes within the missions under his / her responsibility in coordination with the Director of Operations. 

• Carry out budget analysis of missions and ensure corrective measures if necessary. 

• Ensure coherence between OCBA annual planning, operational orientations and assigned portfolio’s annual plan. 

5. Supervise, analyse and support programme implementation 

• Ensure the implementation of the annual plan in the missions within the portfolio, according to quality standards and to MSF’s humanitarian and deontological principles, with the primary objective to meet population’s needs. 

• Ensure that MSF’s role on humanitarian action and advocacy is effectively executed by identifying related medical-humanitarian dilemmas, defining lobbying, advocacy messaging and communication strategies, and allocating extra resources accordingly, for missions within portfolio. 

• Ensure support and supervision for all aspects of management of the missions, projects, exploratory missions and interventions in the assigned portfolio, based on the annual operational orientations. 

• Ensure that MSF’s role on humanitarian action and “témoignage” is effectively executed by identifying related medical-humanitarian dilemmas, defining lobbying, advocacy and communication strategies, and allocating extra resources accordingly, for missions within the assigned portfolio. 

• Support the implementation of strategies in relation to context analysis, acceptance, networking and engagement, positioning, advocacy and communication 

• Ensure adequate security management through supervision for portfolio’s missions, projects and interventions in line with the security policy, rules and guidelines of MSF OCBA. 

• Ensure implementation of the safeguarding framework at projects and mission level. 

• Analyse the fulfilment of operational objectives and carry out analysis to improve MSF OCBA’s operational response in the assigned portfolio. 

6. Reinforce emergency preparedness and response capacity in the assigned portfolio 

• Ensure the effective emergency preparedness and response of the missions. 

• Instil an emergency mindset in the staff under his / her management. 

• Ensure the missions in the portfolio have an effective alert detection system and a well-defined emergency preparedness and response plan is in place and regularly updated. 

• Ensure a robust emergency response capacity in each mission within the assigned portfolio. 

• Conduct and contribute to after-action reviews of emergency responses and ensure adequate dissemination of the lessons learnt in the relevant mission and in the rest of his/her portfolio as needed. 

7. Lead, support, manage and guide teams 

• Ensure that the people running the interventions in his/ her portfolio are being supported adequately by the support functions in the capital, cell and rest of the house. 

• Identify and implement reasonable measures to ensure the well-being and retention of staff in his/ her portfolio, both locally hired and internationally mobile staff. 

• Lead, support, and coach the cell team and the heads of missions in their functioning and decision-making process, to ensure that objectives are achieved. 

• Ensure that cell team members and heads of missions assume their respective responsibilities and the timely implementation of their tasks. 

• Participate in the selection process of the cell team (taking the final decision on selection of candidates), set their objectives, provide feedback, and carry out their follow-up and evaluation, in order to support their performance, coverage of their training needs and future development. 

• Review and update the job profiles of cell members as needed, in collaboration with HR and the relevant technical department. 

• Follow the MSF OCBA performance management system (PMS) with the heads missions, including objective setting, check-ins, progress checks, and final reflections / development recommendations. Ensure the PMS is being implemented through the operational management line in each of the missions in his / her portfolio. 

• Ensure all managerial and behavioural issues are investigated and followed up (at mission or cell level). 

8. Promote effective knowledge management and ensure optimal internal communication flow 

• Ensure adequate information and workflow between cell and services, other cells, and field, for issues that affect the assigned portfolio. 

• Contribute to operational learning for up-and-coming staff, including courses, inductions, briefings, debriefings, etc. 

• Ensure that knowledge management policies / systems are implemented at his/her level of responsibility. 

9. Represent MSF OCBA in different forums 

• Engage with external actors (international organisations, NGOs, institutions, donor agencies, diaspora, civil society and the media) and represent MSF OCBA for the missions of the assigned portfolio, on humanitarian crises, inter-agency operational coordination, and for fundraising. 

• Represents MSF OCBA at MSF international level for the missions of the assigned portfolio (intersectional desk platform). 

SELECTION CRITERIA 

• University degree in a relevant field such as Medicine, Nursing, Biomedical Sciences, Social Sciences, Political Sciences, Economics, Law, or a related discipline. 

• Minimum of 5 years of operational management experience with MSF is required. 

• Previous professional experience in the Sahel region, with a strong understanding of its context, is required. 

• Strong knowledge of and interest in the international humanitarian context and MSF principles. 

• Fluent in French and English (both written and spoken) is required. 

• Availability and willingness to travel frequently and at short notice. 

• Flexibility to adapt to demanding working conditions and irregular working hours. 

CONDITIONS 

• Position based in Dakar with travel to the projects at least 25-30% of the time. 

• Full-time position. 

• Annual Gross Salary: level HQ-6 level (subject to MSF-OCBA Rewards Policy of the OCBA HUB where the position is based – Dakar ). 

• Duration: Mandated position with minimum 3-year moral commitment, with a maximum term of 6 years. 

• Starting date: mid/end of June 2026 

HOW TO APPLY  

• To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter.

• Closing date: 5th May 2026, 23:59 CET (Central European Time). 

MSF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, race, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We are committed to achieving a balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply. 

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. MSF provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference checks. 

Médecins Sans Frontières, as a responsible employer, under the¨Ley General de la Discapacidad de 2013 (LGD)¨ invite those persons with a recognized disability and with an interest in the humanitarian area to apply for the above-mentioned position.