Vaccine Preventable Diseases Referent (m/f/x) – MSF Belgium – Brussels

REQUIREMENTS

Education & Experience

• Medical doctor with postgraduate training
• Postgraduate training in Epidemiology and/or Public Health
• Postgraduate training in vaccinology, in infectious diseases and/or tropical medicine is an asset
• At least 3 years of experience with MSF (or similar humanitarian experience) is essential
• Practical experience in vaccination activities is required (both routine and outbreaks in different contexts)
• Experience in data management

Competencies

• Capacity to work within agreed timeline and ability to prioritize activities/tasks
• Good communication skills: active listener, communicates clearly and effectively, sense of diplomacy and pedagogy and ability to negotiate, influence and persuade
• Good team player with cultural awareness and ability to establish and retain positive working relationships
• Good leadership and HR management skills and team spirit.
• Flexibility in changing environment to travel to the projects even with a short notice

Languages

• Good knowledge of spoken and written English and French is essential
• Good knowledge of Spanish, Portuguese and/or Arabic is an asset

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 60 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.

Vaccine Preventable Diseases Referent (m/f/x) – MSF Belgium – Brussels

CONTEXT

Since its foundation over 50 years ago vaccination has been an essential component of MSF emergency interventions. In 2009, implementation of routine vaccination in all MSF programs was set as an international operational priority and subsequently routine vaccination has become more the norm in the projects, though is not without challenges in implementation. In 2020, the MSF Operational Centre Brussels (OCB) re-emphasized this in its medical strategy stating that: “Vaccination is one of the fundamental pillars of children’s health care. Routine vaccination has therefore to be integrated by default in the conception of all medical projects reaching children, regardless of the level of care provided.”

Reactive mass vaccination campaigns are one of MSF’s core delivery modalities and are ideally not limited to the vaccine-preventable disease of major concern but include multi-antigens preventive vaccination campaigns, to mitigate the disastrous effects of poor Extended Program of Immunization (EPI).  This has been especially important in chronic crisis, but the needs were accelerated and expanded by the drop in vaccination coverage in the Covid-19 pandemic. 

ORGANISATIONAL OVERVIEW

The Medical Department at OCB provides strategic direction and technical leadership, committing to keeping up to date on innovations in health care. It shares the responsibility of the operational choices and the responsiveness and is involved in the support of our project teams jointly developing context-adapted medical-operational strategies and defining levels of care. The department is composed of multiple specialists based across a network of units across the world and works in close collaboration with operations, other OCB departments and MSF movement.

The Vaccine Preventable Disease Referent is part of the OCB Medical Department expertise and reports to the Medical Technical Manager. They work very closely with the other Vaccine Preventable Disease Referents and jointly oversee the work of a Vaccination Mobile Implementation Officer.

RESPONSIBILITIES

I. Support project and countries of operations, directly:

• to assess and manage epidemics & associated vaccination responses including the promotion and quality of coverage surveys as relevant (in collaboration with Epidemiologist & Emergency Pool colleagues);
• to evaluate and reduce missed opportunities for vaccination and introduce new vaccines;
• to develop negotiation strategies for stakeholders that influence vaccination;
• to collect and analyze new and routine data on vaccine activities and vaccine preventable diseases;
• by visiting projects to give more proximate support grounded in operational realities and, on occasion, participate in epidemic responses involving vaccination (up to 30% of working time).

 II. Provide oversight of quality, evolution of activities, monitoring and knowledge management

• Work closely with various multi-disciplinary colleagues (epidemiology, health promotion, paediatrics, sexual and reproductive health, disease-specific experts, diagnostics, pharmacy, health information and logistics) to support vaccine knowledge, integration of quality vaccine activities, ensuring adequate monitoring and learning opportunities;
• Work with pharmacy and other experts (e.g. cold chain) to have adequate vaccination related equipment & material and participate to the revision of standards articles for MSF catalogues, order lists and kits;
• Stay up to date on new developments (including attending relevant conferences and global meetings), and interpret their relevance for humanitarian settings, and MSF;
• Actively participate and contribute to the work of the MSF wide Vaccination Working group (at least 10% of working time) and other MSF working groups as needed;
• Define the need for development and ensure updating of guidance documents: policy, guidelines, protocols and tools and supports their development, capture and accessibility;
• Compile analyses and reports on OCB vaccination activities (as part of the annual report);
• With departmental colleagues, set evaluation and operational research priorities in vaccination and participate in research projects in collaboration with internal research groups and as needed external institutions.

III. Support with staff development human resources 

• In collaboration with human resources, support the development of a network of relevant profiles & consultants;
• Assure adequate briefings, training and de-briefings on specific diseases and vaccination strategies;
• Contribute to various medical training-initiatives where vaccination activities are implicated;
• Participate in the community of practice platform.

IV. Communication, Analysis and Advocacy

• Represent MSF in internal and international meetings;
• Collaborate with the communication department to develop messages linked to vaccination and to participate in communication campaigns about vaccination;
• Support fund-raising teams in relation to vaccination related promotion
• Work with the Analysis department to support context-based messaging (eg stakeholder mapping)

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: As soon as possible
• Location*:  Brussels (Belgium). Eventual other location where there is a MSF entity could be discussed
• Mobility of 30% in the field
• Contract type: Fixed-term contract – Full time
• Contract duration: 24 months
• If Brussels: Belgian contract; Salary according to MSF-OCB HQ grid - Meal Vouchers - Hospital Insurance (DKV) – Pension Plan – 100% reimbursement for public transportation costs
• If eventual other location: The contractual conditions will be established based on the station, on administrative / legal constraints and in respect of MSF function grids and salary policies
• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment
• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments

 

* For the eventual other location, the final outcome depends on local legal limitations (residency, work permit, etc.) and on agreement with the hosting MSF office in the location.

 

Deadline for applications: 13 March 2023

How to apply?

Please, send your CV and cover letter to caroline.maes@brussels.msf.org and mention “Vaccine Preventable Disease referent” in the subject of your email.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

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