OPERATIONAL ASSISTANT CELL

Médecins Sans Frontières, founded in 1971, is an international medical humanitarian organization that provides emergency medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters or exclusion from health care. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of medical professionals, logistics, administrative and various other professions, all guided by our medical ethics and our principles of impartiality, independence and neutrality.

MSF WaCA, created in 2019, is the first MSF headquarters in Africa, and responds to the desire to reinvent the MSF movement after 50 years of humanitarian actions in the world, for more access to care, more reactivity and proactivity for greater medical coverage of affected populations in the world.

Why join us?

You are preparing to become a member of the MSF family, with over 50 years of emergency medical action that earned the Nobel Peace Prize in 1999.

We are an inclusive organization that considers social and professional well-being a right for all and provides an environment that considers the diversity of each member.

MSF WaCA claims an African anchorage that considers the local expertise with which it contributes to the implementation of its activities and makes each member, a key actor of the new dynamics of the humanitarian action in the world.

Diversity, Inclusion & Safe Recruitment

MSF offers equal recruitment and development opportunities without any form of discrimination based on gender, religion, sexual orientation, ethnicity, geographical origin, physical disability or any other discriminatory ground.

Female candidates who meet the requirements are strongly encouraged to apply.

MSF is committed to applying Safe Recruitment principles, ensuring transparent, fair, and respectful recruitment processes that protect candidates, the organization, and its beneficiaries.

We Are Looking for: OPERATIONAL ASSISTANT CELL 

Department: Operations

Direct Manager: Regular Cell & Emergency Cell

Functional Manager: Program Responsible Cell

Working %: 100%

Position Based in: Abidjan, HQ

Mobility: All MSF – WaCA’s Intervention Zones

Type of Contract: Fixed-Term Contract under Ivorian law; Renewable

Position to be filled: As Soon As Possible

Objectives

Reporting to the Unit Program Manager and working closely with unit members and missions, the Operational Unit Assistant facilitates the administrative organisation and day-to-day running of the Regular, Emergency and Unit for Pilot and Innovative Operations (UPIO) units.

He/she supports the production, management, archiving and dissemination of operational information and documents, and provides remote or on-site support to missions and to the teams within the units and the Task Force, in line with priorities.

Main responsibilities

1.        Administrative organisation and support for the units

o   Planning and organising the unit staff’s travel schedule (field visits, holidays, etc.)

o   Coordinate with the administration department to schedule briefings and debriefings for international staff and ensure they are welcomed and guided during their time at the unit in Abidjan

o   Prepare and organise internal and external meetings for the units and ensure that decisions and actions are followed up.

o   Support the organisation of major events and operational exercises (MYR, ARO, etc.)

2.        Drafting, reporting and internal communication

o   Take minutes and draft reports of unit meetings, major events and operational exercises.

o   Manage the filing, archiving and updating of unit documents, whilst ensuring they remain accessible and that sensitive information remains confidential.

o   Assist with proofreading, rewriting and formatting reports, presentations, proposals and other written outputs.

o   Coordinate with GIS specialists to produce cartographic materials for the units.

o   Translate documents as required

o   Draft the unit’s official correspondence and arrange and follow up on external meetings with various institutions in Abidjan.

3.        Responsibilities specific to the MSF section / Context

o   Field visits: provide support to missions by being physically present in countries of operation as required and at the request of the missions.

o   Carry out documentary research relating to the unit’s activities (sociology, history, politics, etc.) and at the manager’s request.

Education

o   A university degree in administration, human resources management, international relations, political science or social sciences, or an equivalent field.

Competencies

o   Attention to detail, ability to work independently, proactivity

o   and a commitment to service

o   Good knowledge of mapping (GIS), with an openness to online collaborative tools

o   Ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.

o   Demonstrated interest in emergency humanitarian aid

o   Ability to work under pressure, in emergency situations and with a variety of stakeholders.

o   Team spirit, diplomacy and the ability to collaborate in a multicultural environment.

Professional experience required

o   Experience in an administrative, operational, humanitarian or international environment is desirable.

o   Experience within the MSF movement or knowledge of its operational environment would be an advantage.

o   Experience of, or an interest in, working with missions and field teams.

Languages Skills

·       Working proficiency in English and French (Required)

Computer Skills

·       MS Office suite (mainly MS Word, Excel and Powerpoint)

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N.B.: This job description provides a framework for the main responsibilities and primary activities of the position. It is not exhaustive. Therefore, the responsibilities and activities of the position may differ from those described in this job description due to organizational and operational needs.

Deadline:10th September 2026 18:00 GMT
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Due to the urgency of this position, applications will be shortlisted on a regular basis and we may offer the positions before the closing date.