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Senior Director, US Health Unit

New York, New York, United States

About MSF USA | Doctors Without Borders

 

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent international organization that provides medical care to the people who need it most. The organization cares for people affected by conflict, disease outbreaks, disasters, and social exclusion in more than 70 countries. MSF offers medical humanitarian assistance solely based on need, regardless of race, ethnicity, religion, or politics. Our international project teams include medical, logistical, and administrative staff, most of them hired locally and working with their own communities. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of independence, impartiality, and neutrality. We also bear witness and speak out about the experiences of our colleagues and patients. 
 
MSF USA is one of 24 sections supporting the global movement, primarily through staff recruitment, fundraising, advocacy, and communications. We welcome candidates who bring a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences to join us in working toward MSF’s social mission.  

Role Overview

Under the direction of the Chief Programs Officer of Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF USA), the Senior Director of the US Health Unit (USHU) leads the strategy and management of medical dossiers linked to the US, and acts as the lead medical referent for MSF USA including in communications, occupational health/international staff health support, domestic operations (when relevant) and matters pertaining to US-based medical institutions and medical/scientific innovation portfolios and projects.  The Senior Director will develop and execute projects in collaborative partnership with medical leadership in MSF’s operational directorates which aim to leverage the medical expertise of the USA in benefit to the MSF movement. They will provide strategic scientific and medical expertise for medical dossiers identified as having US-based relevance to address movement-wide priorities while providing robust strategic support for MSF-USA medical engagement.

This role sits on the MSF USA Management Team and, thus, is part of the overall strategic leadership of MSF USA. The Senior Director leads medical strategic engagement and co-creates, in consultation with MSF movement-wide medical leadership in Operational Directorates and the International Office, a strategic medical/scientific/health unit that serves MSF’s humanitarian social mission by providing medical and scientific expertise that capitalizes on links to US-based actors.

Department Accountabilities

Support for MSF Medical and Humanitarian Programs

The Programs Department supports the medical humanitarian programs of the MSF movement in different ways. Each unit contributes to one or more of these responsibilities:

Advocacy and Representation in support of Operations:

  • Develops strategies to influence public policy debates and private bilateral engagements in the US on behalf of MSF.

Research, Analysis, and Data Management in support of Operations:

  • Directs, performs, and/or facilitates research to address questions posed by Operations.
  • Tracks and analyzes specific policies and practices of governments, multilateral organizations, and others as requested by Operations.

Grantmaking in support of MSF medical humanitarian programs and movement initiatives.

Monitoring of the Regulatory Environment:

  • Engages with regulatory issues affecting Programs to ensure grant-making compliance, and to inform Operations and the International Legal Department.

Monitoring of the Policy Environment:

  • Engages with policy issues to ensure information sharing and action based on the movement's medical and operational needs.

Stakeholder Engagement:

  • Identifies, analyzes, plans, and implements actions designed to engage with external and internal stakeholders to support medical humanitarian programming.

Contribution to Medical Operational Humanitarian Projects:

  • Contributes to the management and implementation of specific medical operational humanitarian discreet projects managed by MSF USA.

US representation, engagement, and collaboration:

  • Represents external relationships related to medical humanitarian operations on behalf of the movement to create, maintain, and expand stakeholder engagement.

Research:

  • Develops and implements research and analysis in the medical and global health space as it relates to MSF USA's objectives in service to the wider MSF movement.

Quality of Care:

  • Carries out activities related to quality improvement and change initiatives. Activities range from analyzing existing activities for improvement opportunities, to developing policies and procedures to drive quality and change initiatives.

Roles Specific Outcomes

Leadership & Strategy

  • Develop and lead strategic plans for the US Health Unit in collaboration with MSF movement-wide medical leadership.
  • Oversee the Occupational Health Committee and interdepartmental collaborations, focusing on innovation in medical/scientific projects.

 Medical Affairs & Stakeholder Engagement

  • Serve as MSF-USA's primary medical referent, managing relationships with US medical institutions, professional associations, and stakeholders.
  • Guide medical content and support for internal and global MSF operations.

Research & Quality Improvement

  • Lead the design and implementation of MSF-USA’s research program, ensuring alignment with the movement’s goals.
  • Oversee quality improvement initiatives that drive superior patient outcomes and ethical care delivery.

Budgeting & Resource Management

  • Manage the budget of the US Health Unit, ensuring alignment with organizational strategy and efficient resource allocation.

2US Representation & Advocacy

  • Represent MSF-USA in external medical humanitarian operations, building relationships with key US-based stakeholders to advance medical goals.

Complexity & Problem-Solving

  • Acts as a subject matter expert in planning and organizing activities to meet strategic objectives efficiently.
  • Provides innovative solutions to complex challenges related to medical engagement and global health priorities.

Behavioral Competencies

 

People Focus
Build strong relationships and deliver solutions geared to aiding others. Solicits feedback and data; conveys a clear understanding of the level of service the team is providing; acts when standards are not met by the team; aligns processes with organizational needs.

Management of Complexity
Makes sense of complex, high quantity, and sometimes contradictory information to effectively solve problems. Consistently looks at complex issues from many angles; obtains a rich and deep understanding; swiftly cuts to the core issue; skillfully separates root causes from symptoms.

Global Perspective
Takes a broad view when approaching issues using a global lens. Shows global thinking at work; adjusts organizational practices to meet different regions or countries' unique needs. Use a broad perspective when addressing issues and challenges.

Innovation Cultivation
Creates new and better ways for the organization to be successful. Approaches professional work in unique or innovative ways. Offers original ideas. Appreciates others' creative ideas and solutions and provides helpful input to enhance them.

Strategic Mindset
Sees ahead to future possibilities and translates them into breakthrough strategies.

Results Orientation
Cultivates a forward-thinking environment that produces solutions for changing stakeholder needs.

Drives Results
Consistently achieves results, even under challenging circumstances. Regularly pushes self to achieve outstanding outcomes; consistently establishes bold goals for own performance; is passionate about excellent results and significant contributions. Shows great tenacity to complete goals/initiatives in a timely way.

Ensures Accountability
Holds self and others accountable to meet commitments.

People Leadership
Understand their impact on others through collaboration and inclusion of different perspectives to achieve common goals.

Collaboration
Build partnerships and work collaboratively with others to meet shared objectives. Readily involves others to accomplish goals; stays in touch and shares information; discourages "us versus them" thinking; shows appreciation for others' ideas and input.

Effective Communication
Develops and delivers multi-mode communications that convey a clear understanding of the unique needs of different audiences. Listens attentively and takes an interest. Keeps others well informed; conveys information concisely and professionally when speaking or writing.

Valuing Differences
Recognizes the value that different perspectives and cultures bring to an organization. Confronts stereotyping and offensive comments promptly. Consistently behaves with great sensitivity toward differences in cultural norms, expectations, and communication methods.

Effective Teambuilding

Build strong identity teams applying diverse skills and perspectives to achieve common goals.

Conflict Management
Handles conflict situations effectively, with a minimum of noise.

Networks Building
Effectively builds formal and informal relationship networks inside and outside the organization.

Vision and Purpose
Paints a compelling picture of the vision and strategy that motivates others to action.

Self-Awareness
Demonstrates an open mindset and by continuously seeking opportunities to learn, grow, and improve.

Instilling Trust
Gains the confidence and trust of others through honesty, integrity, and authenticity. Models’ honesty and authenticity and encourage others to be upfront with one another. Demonstrates reliability and places a strong emphasis on the team meeting its commitments. Fairly represents others' positions.

Managing Ambiguity
Operates effectively, even when things are uncertain, or the way forward is unclear. Responds effectively to unclear situations, seeks to resolve ambiguity, and makes progress. Seeks guidance on how to adapt to changes and respond with appropriate composure and effectiveness.

Situational Adaptability
Adapts approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. Serves as an example of adaptability and provides guidance and support to help others adapt to new situations. Considering the needs of colleagues, patients, donors, and the organization, shifts priorities appropriately.

Resilience
Rebounds from setbacks and adversity when facing difficult situations.

Technical Competencies
Plans and aligns work to meet commitments aligned with MSF USA goals.

Demonstrates financial acumen; understands key financial indicators to make better budgetary decisions.

Anticipates and adopts technical innovations in organizational digital and other applications.

Determines and analyzes trends from data to assist in compiling reports that will help in decision-making.

Plans and manages project assignments within desired cost, time, and quality parameters.

Demonstrates presentation and written communication skills; adapts their approach and demeanor in real time to match the shifting demands of different situations. Serves as an example of adaptability and provides guidance and support to help others adapt to new situations.

Applies organizational insight with knowledge of MSF USA, the US market and society, and the medical humanitarian sector to advance the organization’s goals.

 

Supervisory Responsibility

Manages medical and paramedical professionals with operational experience and specialized knowledge of medical dossiers relevant to medical humanitarian action. Carries out supervisory responsibilities in accordance with MSF USA's policies and applicable US and local laws. Responsibilities include interviewing, hiring, and training employees; planning, assigning, and directing work; appraising performance; rewarding and disciplining employees; addressing complaints and resolving problems.

At a minimum the Job Holder should possess:

Medical professional (MD/Nurse) with significant experience in medical humanitarian or global health contexts, ideally including exposure to MSF or similar international medical organizations.

  • Strong alignment with and dedication to the humanitarian principles of MSF, including a commitment to impartiality, independence, and medical ethics
  •  Strong background in emergency and operational medical settings.
  • Proven experience working with US medical institutions.
  • Experience with US medical systems and licensure preferred.
  • Ability to synthesize data for actionable recommendations and project planning.

 Skills: Strong written communication for developing reports, protocols, and scientific articles.

Travel Requirements

  • Weekly travel to NYC; if based in Washington, DC
  • Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international travel as well as to MSF field projects around the world. While performing the duties of this job outside the USA, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases.

Compensation
$149,836 to $224,754; new employees will be compensated from the minimum to midpoint based on experience

MSF-USA is dedicated to creating a diverse, impartial, and inclusive workforce. We are an equal opportunity employer and do not discriminate based on gender identity or expression, sexual orientation, race, religion, age, national origin, disability, marital status, pregnancy status, veteran status, genetic information, or any other differences as per applicable laws. We also provide reasonable accommodation for disabilities or religious beliefs and practices. We encourage individuals from underrepresented communities in the Humanitarian Aid sector to apply.

 

If you have a disability and require accommodations to use our website to apply for a position, please contact Human Resources at employment.msfusa@newyork.msf.org. We consider reasonable accommodation requests on a case-by-case basis.

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