Humanitarian Affairs Advisor

Humanitarian Affairs Advisor

Doctors Without Borders | Médecins Sans Frontières

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New York, NY 10006

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian organization that delivers impartial medical care to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from health care in over 70 countries.

We welcome candidates who bring a wide variety of backgrounds and experiences to join us in working toward MSF’s common mission.

Department

The Programs Department at MSF-USA consists of several units including advocacy, diplomacy, and research arms of both MSF-USA and the international offices of MSF. Units served by the Program Department include the Humanitarian Representation Team (HRT), Access Campaign, Epicentre and special projects.

This role sits in the Programs Department as part of MSF’s global humanitarian representation team. This role reports to the MSF-USA Humanitarian Representative and works under the functional direction of both MSF-USA’s Program Department and the International Office in Geneva.

Project

The humanitarian representation team provides support to MSF operations through the development of external networks and sustained engagement and dialogue with political, diplomatic, humanitarian, medical, and civil society actors. Active relations are maintained with a wide variety of entities and continually informs MSF operations of relevant and analyzed information. Representatives develop and implement strategies for engaging policy makers which bear witness to MSF operations, raise awareness of the obstacles preventing principled and effective humanitarian response, and encourage other actors to assume their responsibilities towards populations in need. In carrying out its work, the team responds to direct requests from the operational program managers (desks/cells) across all five MSF operational centers.

The Humanitarian Affairs Advisor (HAA) provides analytical and strategic support to two portfolios of the humanitarian representation team (HRT): the Representative in the United States and the Representative to the United Nations (UN). As part of the New York-based team, the HAA holds a pivotal position that requires broad understanding of global humanitarian operations and complex emergencies. The HAA maintains ongoing familiarity with the evolving functions of UN bodies and agencies, the United States Government, the World Bank, and other international actors based in the US. Importantly, the HAA manages multiple distinct workflows in parallel while ensuring outputs are relevant and valuable for MSF operations.

Additionally, this role supports analytical and context analysis for assorted MSF-USA advocacy projects, in addition to providing strategic regional advocacy support in the Americas.

Tasks

Key responsibilities include:

Act as principal analyst for and advisor to the HRT’s representatives to the US and UN. Ensure the team’s ability to sustain timely and relevant two-way linkages between the high-level policy environment and MSF operations by staying well-informed of changes and developments on both sides.

Monitor worldwide trends in humanitarian response, foreign policy, funding, military action, and political processes as they relate to the US government and UN. Identify and extract information that is relevant to field operations – considering access, security, and program continuity – and share summarized analysis as required.

Conduct in-depth research to inform MSF’s engagement with the international community. Maintain an understanding of political and humanitarian developments in all large country responses; apply knowledge in strategic analysis and action planning.

Monitor and report on developments in cross-cutting humanitarian themes, including counterterrorism laws, IHL/humanitarian space, and forced displacement/migration policy.

Maintain a breadth of understanding that allows for a rapid shift in focus and in-depth analysis on an evolving portfolio of subjects. Ensure responsiveness to urgent developments in countries where MSF works or critical changes in the policy environment.

Expand actor mapping across the US and UN. Maintain up to date knowledge of agency functions, leadership, and decision-making processes; advise Representatives on targets and strategies for engagement.

Closely track developments at the UN Security Council, including political and diplomatic dynamics, humanitarian provisions, and binding actions such as resolutions and mandate renewals. Advise UN Representative and broader MSF movement on implications for operations.

Using firsthand information from MSF operations and contextual/political understanding, define positioning and develop talking points for external engagements in collaboration with the Representatives.

Participate in external representation of MSF as required, including high-level meetings with the diplomatic community, UN agencies, and government officials. Analyze meeting dynamics, outcomes, and opportunities; report back to operations.

Act as the HRT and MSF-USA focal point for migration and asylum issues in North and Central America. Closely monitor and provide strategic analysis on US migration policy and implications for MSF operations and patients. Maintain close coordination with MSF colleagues in the region and the US communications team.

Contribute to the development of the HRT US annual plan.

Willingness to undergo Critical Incident Response Training and work on CIRT teams as needed.

Fluidity in responsibilities is expected in light of emerging operational crises that require support. Short-term assignments as requested by operational centers and agreed by HRT are possible.

Qualifications

Required

In-depth understanding of the global humanitarian system and substantial firsthand experience in highly political operating environments required.

Experience managing projects in humanitarian crises essential; experience in insecure settings or strong understanding of security management in conflict settings preferred.

Understanding of the core functions of the US Government and the United Nations relating to foreign policy, humanitarian assistance, security, and military/peacekeeping operations. Knowledge of the World Bank is an asset.

Demonstrated knowledge of a diverse range of current humanitarian contexts and the intersection of politics and humanitarian response. Knowledge of humanitarian funding streams and donor dynamics.

Ability to efficiently research, analyze, and synthesize complex topics to write concise reports and high-level correspondence.

Strong writing skills and comfortable with public speaking. Ability to clearly and effectively present information to internal and external audiences in both verbal and written form.

Demonstrated research skills and the ability to quickly find and analyze complex information.

Strong understanding of the application of humanitarian principles in complex operating environments; extensive understanding of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is preferred.

Familiarity with international refugee law and norms.

Ability to multitask and effectively prioritize numerous divergent demands

English fluency required. Proficiency in Spanish or French preferred. Willingness to learn Spanish required

Application Deadline: Open Until Filled

Desired Hiring Date: May 11, 2020

No phone calls please.

Please note that relocation assistance or visa sponsorship will be offered for this position

MSF-USA is an Equal Employment Opportunity employer.