DEPUTY GENERAL DIRECTOR

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 implementationof 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: DEPUTY GENERAL DIRECTOR

Department: General Directorate

Direct Manager: General Director

Functional Manager:  General Director

Working %: 100%

Position Based in: Abidjan, HQ

Mobility: All WaCA’s Interventions Zones

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

Position to be filled: As Soon As Possible

Objectives

The Deputy General Director supports the General Director in the strategic and operational management of MSF WaCA, actively contributing to the definition of strategic directions, their translation into concrete action plans, and the rigorous follow-up of institutional priorities. He/She plays a key role in strengthening governance by structuring decision-making processes and facilitating strategic arbitrations.

He/She ensures the effective integration of safeguarding, ethics, inclusion, and compliance considerations across all policies, practices, and organizational culture, while guaranteeing the robustness of risk management, internal control, and accountability frameworks.

Finally, he/she ensures leadership continuity by representing or deputizing for the General Director when needed, particularly on cross-cutting matters or in crisis situations, bringing strong analytical, coordination, and decision-making capacities adapted to the challenges at hand.

Main responsibilities

1.        Strategic Governance and Institutional Steering

§  Contributes to the Executive Team’s work by supporting the definition and implementation of MSF WaCA’s strategy, while providing structured support to governance bodies (notably the Board of Directors) through the preparation of materials, facilitation of decision-making, and follow-up on resolutions.

§  Participate actively in the Management Team and supports governance bodies, including the Board.

§  Acts as delegate or substitute of the General Director when required.

§  Advise the General Director on critical decisions (programmes, budgets, crises)

2.        Oversight of Cross-cutting Institutional Functions

§    Provides strategic leadership on cross-functional initiatives related to safeguarding, integrity, due diligence, inclusion, and ethics, ensuring their integration into organizational policies and practices.

§  Oversee the implementation, strengthening, and effectiveness of risk management, compliance, and internal control systems, ensuring their alignment with institutional standards

§  Supports the coordination and management of crises and critical incidents, contributing to decision-making and the implementation of appropriate responses.

3.        Organizational Coordination and Performance

§  Supports Directors and Heads of Department in achieving institutional and operational objectives: Contributes to enhancing organizational performance by supporting Directors (HR, Logistics and Supply Chain) and Department Heads (Safeguarding, Internal Control, Legal, IS, etc.) in achieving strategic and operational objectives, by monitoring priorities, aligning actions and optimizing resources.

§  Strengthens coordination, decision-making processes and accountability mechanisms: Ensures the continuous improvement of internal coordination by consolidating decision-making processes, promoting the flow of information and strengthening accountability and performance management mechanisms.

§  Supervise service managers or project managers.

4.        Team management

§  Ensure a positive working environment and team performance.

§  Contribute to recruitment and team performance.

§  Contribute to recruitment and staff appraisals.

5.        Administrative and financial oversight

§  Monitor budgets and expenditure.

§  Ensure the effective use of (often limited) resources.

§  Contribute to the drafting of financial and activity reports.

6.        Representation and communication

§  Represent MSF to partners, NGOs and local authorities.

§  Participate in inter-organizational meetings.

§  Contribute to improving internal communication.

Education

§  Master’s degree in management, Public Health, International Relations or related field.

§  An equivalent combination of education, training and experience will be considered.

Competencies

§  Leadership capacity,

§  Strategic thinking,

§   Ability to manage complexity,

§  Analytical skills,

§  Integrity and strong interpersonal abilities.

Professional experience required

§  Minimum 8–10 years’ experience in senior leadership roles, preferably in humanitarian or international organizations.

§  Knowledge of the MSF environment is a strong asset.

Languages Skills

§  Working proficiency in English and French (Required)

Computer Skills

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

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: 20th April 2026 18:00 GMT

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.