HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES OPERATIONS

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.

We Are Looking for: HEAD OF HUMAN RESOURCES OPERATIONS

Department: OPERATIONS

Direct Manager: Human Resources Director

Functional Manager: Director of Operations

Title(s) of position(s) reporting to the holder:

•          HR Cell Manager,

•          Administration & HR Policy Manager

•          HR Specialist

•          Field Administration Manager

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

Reporting directly to the HR Director,and working closely with a team of experts and technical advisers reporting to him/her, he/she supports and assists the operational HR teams in deploying HR strategies in the field by ensuring that they always have HR resources (policies, tools, processes, methodologies, advice, etc.) to meet the needs and requirements expressed.

He/she will define and lead the HR Cell Manager / HRCO team, in terms of Full Time Equivalent (FTE), skills and experience.

He/she proposes adaptations to this Operational HR system in line with WaCa's strategic objectives. With a view to flexibility, he/she supports his/her teams and contributes, within the HR department, to the changes needed to ensure that the HR system is as consistent as possible with operational realities.

As part of a continuous improvement approach, he/she supervises the HR strategy of the missions, in its planning and structuring of the teams in the field, by developing its human resources, by monitoring resources through performance indicators and by adapting the Operational HR system (Policies, Processes, Tools & Human Skills).

Main responsibilities

Responsible for HR requirements, he/she organises, supervises and provides functional support to the team of HR Cell Referees and HRCOs as part of a continuous improvement cycle.

·       Participates with the HR Department and the relevant HR teams in defining, implementing and adopting general HR policies in the field.

·       Ensures that the technical approaches and choices adopted (internally and cross-functionally) are consistent with MSF WaCa's institutional operational priorities.

·       Adapt HR procedures, processes, models and tools to changes in the general framework, operational needs and practical realities on the ground

HR demand and planning

o   In line with MSF's operational ambitions and HR values

o   Within a perimeter as broad as that of the international and national staff

o   In terms of the number of staff required: FTE and assignment date

o   From the point of view of the quality of the profiles required: skills and experience

o   HR policies, strategies, processes and tools

o   From the point of view of the Operational HR contribution to innovation

Monitoring, evaluating and steering the deployment of "HR technical resources" in the field:

o   Provides support to the HR Referees in the event of technical and/or human difficulties, delegated by the hierarchical referees

o   Regularly provides an overall assessment of the conditions under which HR policies and tools are being implemented in the field.

o   Defines, monitors and analyses indicators for the coverage and operation of "HR technical resources" in the field.

o   Identify, capitalise on and analyse trends, deviations and exceptions.

o   Determines and proposes the technical and policy adjustments to be made internally and across WaCa.

o   Monitor technical advances and best practices within the MSF movement and with other organisations

To coordinate the activities of the technical advisers, experts and other permanent or ad hoc resources deployed within its scope of activity:

o   Recruits, supervises, advises, motivates and develops the skills of its employees.

o   Sets guidelines, defines objectives and assesses the reality and impact of the work carried out.

o   Ensures that the team of HR experts and technical advisers contribute effectively to cross-functional projects within and between departments

o   Feeds international statistics

o   Constantly supports the HR Advisors team in their thinking, actions and decision-making

o   Assesses the members of the HR teams with their line managers

o   Ensures good cooperation between the HR Advisors team and other departments.

Adaptation

o   Coordinates the alignment of HR policies with operational needs

o   Strengthen or rebalance the allocation of staff to cells, missions, etc.

o   Ensures that HR strategies are consistent with operational and technical plans

Leadership and change management

The position plays a key role in supporting organizational change and aligning HR strategy with changes in the operational environment.

o   He/she acts as an agent of transformation and modernization of the HR function in the field, facilitating the adoption of new HR practices, tools, and cultures.

Helping to build and strengthen the HR field network

·       He/she updates the Mission HR policy dashboard.

·       He/she will functionally supervise the HR Referee team, contribute to its recruitment and appraisal as well as its development (HR Referee and indirectly HRCO).

·       Ensure that HR standards and technical requirements are effectively considered when defining recruitment, selection, relocation and appraisal criteria for members of the field HR business line.

·       Contributes to the development of training content and other learning and development resources for the HR sector.

·       Identifies the skills needs of HR in the field and helps set up appropriate training programs.

·       Collaborates with L&D to design content adapted to operational realities.

·       Ensures that the composition, size and structure of the HR function are compatible with changing operational and institutional requirements.

·       Contributes to the reflection and monitoring of pilot initiatives on the evolution of the composition of HR teams

·       Contributes to developing the skills of operational HR teams

·       He/she contributes to the platforms

o   Quarterly magazine, ARO, COPRO, Comité des Exceptions, well-being and inclusion

o   International projects focusing on the development of policies, processes and/or tools to strengthen HR values and cross-functional cooperation.

·       He/she advises operational managers in the exercise of their HR responsibilities and supports the HR Department in its advice to the Department.

·       He/she supervises the contribution to projects requiring steering or the contribution of Operational HR.

o   He/she provides the HR Centres of Expertise with information on the need to develop policies, processes and/or tools.

o   He/she ensures a positive dynamic in terms of Innovation

o   He/she oversees the definition and deployment of the HR communication plan Op

In terms of inter-departmental and inter-agency cooperation.

-The Head of Human Resources Operations and his/her teams contribute transversally to :

·       With the Operations Department

o   Periodic review of needs and specific requests

o   HR development of innovations

·       With the HR Department

o   Planning and quality of demand

o   Exception tracking

o   Building tools for anticipation

·       With pool managers and recruitment

o   Maintain an ongoing dialogue with pool managers to share the challenges they face and find lasting solutions that match their operational ambitions.

o   Maintaining a constant dialogue with recruitment in order to jointly adapt strategies in line with ambitions and operational needs

·       With L&D

o   Ensures that the management of expected skills is in line with the identification of these skills

o   Monitoring the development of HR training courses

·       With HR information systems

o   Monitoring the production of indicators

o   Monitoring data reliability

·       With operational finance

o   Follow-up of HR cost analyses

o   Budget and forecast HR matrix

·       With the medical, communications, logistics or supply departments in the field (cross-functional)

o   Monitoring setups

o   HR and Innovation

Education

·       Masters in HR, Social Sciences, Law or Management

Competencies

·       Strategic vision

·       Teamwork

·       Leadership

·       Personnel Development Management

·       Initiative & Innovation

Professional experience required

·       At least one (1) year at headquarters and one (1) year in a field coordination position

·       Minimum 4 years' experience in Human Resources (HR) Administration at MSF or other similar organizations

Languages Skills

·       Working proficiency in English and French

Computer Skills

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

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

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.

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: 04th June 2025 18:00 GMT
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

NB: 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.