Pediatric Advisor – Switzerland | SecoursWeb

Context & Mission

Médecins Sans Frontières is an independent international medical and humanitarian organization that provides care to people in need, those affected by natural or man-made disasters and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and without distinction of race, religion , belief or political affiliation. (MSF Charter).

At the MSF Geneva Operational Center (OCG), the management and implementation of field programs is the responsibility of an operations department, which includes direct medical support to field implementation, ensuring that the fundamentals are achieved in all projects. The development of technical and/or strategic solutions adapted to the complex medical challenges encountered in the field, or to respond to chosen medical ambitions, is the responsibility of a Medical Department. The collaborative work between the two departments is considered a cornerstone for the organization to improve the overall quality of its projects and the level of patient care.

In 2013, an internal review led to the approval of a new medical support framework within OCG, further emphasizing the role of the medical department in the following key areas:

• Be at the forefront of evolving trends, new challenges and technologies in medical practice and science and in connection with external clinical, academic and research institutions.
• Provide technical capabilities to achieve the medical ambitions of OCG’s strategic plan, particularly those related to operational policy, innovation and research.
• Meet field support needs in their response to medical and public health challenges, with the flexibility and adaptation of priorities required in the face of emergencies or difficult conflict situations.
• Create better integrated work between Operations and the Medical Service thanks to collaborative work platforms, focused on specific medical operational issues, the selection of standards and the improvement of practices.

The role of the Medical Department also includes, in relation to the other Departments involved, a critical role in transmitting knowledge to field medical staff through appropriate training and rapid access to key reference documents/tools, as well as strategies. recruitment.

By delegation of the Medical Manager of the Women’s and Children’s Health Unit and based on the OCG roadmap established for the period, the Pediatric Advisor develops medico-operational solutions requiring specific pediatric skills and/or an in-depth investment, responding to the recognized needs established in the medical ambitions of the Medical Service and the Women’s and Children’s Health Unit. From this perspective, he/she proactively monitors emerging scientific and medical issues that could shape OCG’s medical practices and ambitions.

Responsibilities

The Pediatric Advisor is responsible and accountable for achieving the objectives of his area of ​​expertise and to this end:

Responds to complex and technical issues requiring expertise and/or development:

• Answers direct clinical questions from the field if identified as the best medical expert in a timely and concerted manner.
• Develops solutions (including protocols, simplified algorithms, syndromic approaches, training modules, quality standards, innovative tools, checklists and medical kits) that are timely, relevant, contextual, collaborative, consolidated and coherent.
• Translates operational medical requests into projects. He/She provides or identifies: analyzes and advice to improve the relevance of requests, terms of reference, objectives, definitions, deliverables, planning inputs, implementation phases, key contributors (headquarters , regional, partnerships) and risk assessments.
• Leads or contributes to thematic forums/collaborative platforms and medical seminars on pediatric topics relevant to MSF.
• Conducts field visits to evaluate pediatric activities, as well as to introduce and/or field verify guidelines, policies and technical tools.
• Writes medical reports on all activities with clear recommendations for key stakeholders with whom he interacts.

Supports the Multipurpose Medical Advisors of the Operational Units on complex technical issues related to child health and with strategic and programmatic advice:

• Provides feedback on proposals, reports and relevant documents requiring specific technical input.
• Contributes to the development of proposals for medico-operational strategies on critical pediatric challenges.
• Contributes to the design of projects involving pediatric activities.
• Participates in assessments and investigations, including technical field visits.
• Co-manages the nutrition-pediatrics implementation flying agent to ensure that the latter supports the projects in the implementation of pediatric activities.

Strengthens the skills and competencies of MSF staff through capacity building in child health care:

• Ensures that all projects have access to all fundamental documents and tools relevant to pediatric care.
• Contributes to the definition of training needs, as well as the design, implementation and evaluation of specific training in collaboration with the learning and development unit.
• Contributes to the development of job profiles and validates the technical skills of candidates for pediatric positions (doctors and nurses).
• Informs and debriefs key expatriates with a relevant role in providing healthcare to children.

Develops expertise related to child health and integrates external knowledge into MSF practices:

• Develops partnerships and collaborations in the field of child health. These partnerships can be internal (MSF working groups, etc.) or external to MSF (including experts, medical societies, research institutes and universities).
• Identifies new cutting-edge topics in the humanitarian medical context to update OCG’s medical ambitions and adapt external knowledge to MSF contexts.
• Presents, analyzes and disseminates the capitalization of child health experiences through OCG projects.
• Contributes to high-level advocacy to improve children’s health care.

Supports the development of innovation and operational research projects:

• Identifies knowledge needs in the field of child health in humanitarian contexts that could be generated by operational research carried out in MSF projects.
• Participates in the design of research questions, protocols, study materials and documents to obtain ethical approval. Supports data collection projects. Contributes to the analysis of data and the dissemination of results by participating in the development of manuscripts for medical journals and scientific conferences.

Your profile

Education

• A doctor specializing in pediatrics is mandatory.
• Specialization and experience in neonatology and/or nutrition are an asset.
• Diploma/Master’s degree in public health, epidemiology, tropical medicine or infectious diseases is an asset.

Experience

• Experience in the field and/or at headquarters with MSF or a humanitarian medical organization.
• Knowledge of recent developments in the field of humanitarian assistance, international public health and tropical medicine.
• Research experience in resource-limited settings is an asset.
• Demonstrated affinity with advocacy to improve the quality of child health care.

Technical skills/competencies

• Management of medical projects.
• Good understanding of child health in humanitarian settings.
• Ability to analyze medical data.
• Ability to provide pediatric technical support to projects in low-resource settings.
• Excellent writing skills.

LANGUAGES

• Fluency in English is required.
• A good working knowledge of French is expected.

Personal abilities

• Good analytical and synthesis skills.
• Results, innovation and quality oriented.
• Problem solving and service orientation.
• Strong interpersonal skills, team building, networking and communication skills.
• Able to travel in remote settings. The Pediatric Advisor is expected to spend 20-40% of their work time on projects to provide the direct support noted in the Responsibilities section above.

Terms of employment

• 100% full-time position (40 hours/week)
• Permanent contract
• Place of work: Geneva
• Ideal start date: December 1, 2023
• Gross annual salary: from CHF 101,172.- to CHF 115,332.- (salary based on equivalent experience and internal salary scale)
• Paid vacation: 25 days per year, pro rata temporis, plus Swiss public holidays falling during the duration of the contract.
• Retirement plan: retirement contribution covered 3/4 by MSF, 1/4 by the employee
• Relocation package if you move from another country to Switzerland.