Hospital Management and Partnership Referent (f/x/m) – Abidjan or Brussels – MSF Belgium

CONTEXT

The OCB Medical Department(OCB - Operational Center Brussels) plays a strategic role by defining the modalities of implementation of MSF’s medical strategy so that both coherence and quality can be safeguarded across operations. They provide strategic support throughout the project cycle, combining a normative function with technical guidance for implementation and follow-up. Additionally, they ensure knowledge transfer to the medical workforce and foster research and innovation by challenging current practices and exploring new approaches.

It is composed of multiple specialists based across a network of units worldwide (Belgium, Brazil, Ivory Coast, Lebanon, Luxembourg, and South Africa) and works in close collaboration with operations, other OCB departments and MSF movement. We are also supporting the projects of MSF Western & Central Africa (WaCa).

The Hospital Management Support Unit (HMSU) is hosted in the medical department and works interdisciplinary with relevant technical expertise to support the management of hospitals and larger outpatient departments or clinics in their proper context and in coherence with OCB strategic objectives. The HMSU is currently composed of 3 Hospital Management referents – one medical profile, one position on facilities management and this position more focused on resources management and MOH partnerships.

The HMSU develops and enhances expertise in hospital management, in close collaboration with Operational Support Teams (Cells), Medical, Logistics and People and Workforce department departments to support the teams’ managing hospitals. Hospital management teams structure their support around seven key flows: patient, workforce, support services, equipment & material, medication & medical supply, information, and transversally quality improvement.

As Hospital Management and MOH partnership Referent:

• You will be the focal point for MOH partnerships, you will lead coordinated efforts in collaboration with the Analysis and HR departments to develop a comprehensive framework, tools, and guidelines for working with Ministries of Health. The objective is to ensure hospitals in partnership are accessible to those made most vulnerable and excluded and achieve the desired quality of care
• You will work closely with hospital management teams to provide strategic and operational support aimed at strengthening hospital systems, management practices, and quality of care by ensuring alignment with the project's medical strategy and fostering multidisciplinary collaboration.
• And you will play a key role in capacity building, mentoring hospital managers, and promoting sustainable management practices to enhance the overall performance of MSF health facilities. Specifically, you will bring your expertise in workforce and supportive services management as key components of hospital management.

You will closely work together with your 2 colleagues in the HMSU to ensure multidisciplinary approach in support to the project teams as well as in the development of guidance documents and tools.

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

As MOH partnership referent:

• Development of a MOH collaboration framework

Lead the work on developing a MoH collaboration framework with following elements:

• Design and maintain standardized guidance for MOH collaboration, including templates for Memoranda of Understanding (MOUs) and partnership protocols
• Define clear “red lines” in partnerships with MOH
• Define and advise operations on decision-making criteria for when to engage or disengage with MOH
• Develop frameworks and tools to support project teams in planning for transition or exit from MOH partnerships, ensuring continuity of care and minimizing risks to patients
• Incentive Packages
• In collaboration with the People & Workforce department, develop clear guidelines on what constitutes incentives for MOH staff and partners, the overall package
• Develop guidance on models for incentive schemes (e.g., fixed vs. performance-based) and clarify what is indicated in which context
• Address challenges such as sustainability, equity, and the impact of incentives on behavior and quality of care
• Negociation capacity Building
• Create, in collaboration with the Analysis Department, training materials and toolkits for country, project, and hospital management teams on negotiation skills and partnership management
• Offer remote and on-site support during critical negotiations or partnership reviews
• Monitoring & Evaluation Tools
• Develop systems for project teams to track, monitor, and evaluate MOUs and partnership effectiveness
• Ensure lessons learned and best practices are documented and shared across operational centers
• Policy & Standards alignment
• Draft guidance on balancing MSF standards with MOH protocols, including strategies for upgrading MOH standards and safeguarding an acceptable or desired level of effective and person-centered care
• Ensure that safeguarding and duty of care considerations are integrated into partnership frameworks
• Coordination & Knowledge Sharing
• Collaborate with intersectional counterparts on MOH engagement strategies across different operational centers
• Develop tools and a repository of actor mapping and contextual analysis for country teams to use
• Maintain a repository of MOU’s and used tools of partnership hospitals
• Support the project teams in this Collaboration with the Ministry of Health (MOH)
• Advise hospital management teams to ensure alignment with national hospital management-related policies and guidelines, whenever possible and considering MSFs values and principles
• Support project teams in the development of MOUs with the MOH

As Hospital Management referent:

• Development of Expertise
• Enhance hospital management expertise within OCB in collaboration with cells and medical department referents
• Design and develop governance, operational, and organizational tools for hospital management, including topics such as hospital capacity management (calculation of beds with necessary HR etc.)
• Develop guidance on the organization and functioning of clinical and non-clinical ancillary services in a hospital in collaboration with IPC and hospital facility management
• Contribute to the refinement and further development of the Hospital Management Team Training (HMTT), specifically by designing training packages on co-management (MoH & MSF) and deepening content related to workforce and support services management
• Assess training needs and contribute to the integration of hospital management concepts into other internal training sessions
• Support project teams
• Provide expert advice on operational efficiency, governance, and organizational processes
• Guide the development of action plans based on project findings and monitor progress
• Conduct project visits to evaluate hospital configurations, procedures, and organizational structures
• Provide on-site support, training, and recommendations for improving hospital operations
• Transition Phase Support
• Advise hospital teams during project’s design and setup as well as during MSF’s exit or operational changes
• Assist in developing and monitoring transition plans aligned with medical priorities
• Support handovers to enable independent hospital operations post-transition
• Monitoring and Evaluation
• Develop methodologies, tools, and indicators for hospital management in collaboration with HMSU and medical teams
• Implement and utilize medical data management systems and dashboards
• Analyze hospital data (quantitative and qualitative) and recommend improvements based on evaluations
• Financial and Human Resource Management
• Contribute to long-term resource management strategies aligned with hospital goals
• Advice on prioritizing spending to enhance patient care while controlling costs
• Advice on workforce planning, organizational setups, and organograms
• Propose HR strategies and training programs to enhance staff skills and leadership capacities

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Minimum 2 years of professional experience in management of hospitals or in coordinating positions involving a part of hospital management is mandatory (project coordinator, medical project coordinator, Head nurse, etc.) is mandatory
• Minimum 2 years of MSF international experience in different contexts (or equivalent experience in medical humanitarian organisations managing projects with hospital components) is mandatory
• Experience in working with Ministries of Health in low-resource settings is mandatory
• A degree in Management, Hospital management, Healthcare management, Health Policy, International relations is a strong asset
• Experience in developing guidance and training materials is a strong asset

Competencies

• Strategic and analytical: able to turn complex challenges into practical tools and actionable plans
• Excellent communication (diplomacy), facilitation skills
• Team collaboration and Building Relationships across multi-disciplinary teams, multi-stakeholders and different context
• Autonomy and adaptability
• Behavioral Flexibility and stress management
• Results and Quality Orientation
• Planning & organisational skills
• Cross cultural awareness

Languages

• Proficiency in English and French, both written & spoken is mandatory
• Other MSF Operational Languages are an asset

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: As soon as possible
• Location: Abidjan (Ivory Coast) or Brussels (Belgium)
• Contract type: Fixed-term contract – full-time
• Contract duration: 2 years (potentially extendable)
• Mobility: 30% MSF project visits per year
• Salary according to MSF- OCB salary grid
• Possibility to work from home according to MSF Policy
• Meal Vouchers - Hospital Insurance (DKV) – Pension Plan – 100% reimbursement for public transportation costs
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

Deadline for applications extended until: 20th of August 2026