Design officer

Location: Any MSF office within within ±3 hours of the CET time zone

Contract: Permanent contract at 100% - with the possibility of part‑time work (minimum 28 hours per week)

Starting date: September 7th 2026

Deadline to apply: 12th of May

Compensation and benefits: MSF practice is to offer the C&B package current in the MSF entity establishing the contract.

*By default, the successful candidate will be offered a contract in the MSF office of their country of residence at the time of application.

I. MSF INTERNATIONAL

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion and natural disasters. MSF offers assistance to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. MSF International is the legal entity that binds MSF’s 24 sections, 28 associations and 19 branch offices together. Registered in Switzerland, MSF International provides coordination, information and support to the MSF Movement, as well as implements international projects and initiatives as requested.

II. POSITION BACKGROUND

MSF develops medical-operational guidelines to support staff in providing quality health care and rapid emergency response in humanitarian contexts for over 25 years. MSF international guidelines are regularly updated and published in digital and print. They are based on extensive practical experience from MSF programs, recommendations published by the World Health Organisation and other leading medical institutions, and evidence based on research and scientific literature. The International Guideline Publications (IGP) team was established to ensure the quality production of MSF guidelines. There are currently around 30 international guidelines in the MSF guidelines library, accessible at medicalguidelines.msf.org, some produced in multiple languages (English, French, Spanish, Arabic) and a selection with open access to the public.

III. PLACE IN THE ORGANISATION

The Design officer is a member of the International Guidelines Publication team of MSF International. They are under the direct supervision of and report to the Guidelines team’s Manager. Collaboration with the Guideline’s team members and the IGP stakeholders is essential.       

IV. OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION 

The Design Officer is responsible for ensuring high quality design, layout, and publication of MSF’s international guidelines in both print and digital formats. The role primarily focuses on desktop publishing (DTP) activities and contributes to improving the clarity, consistency, and usability of guideline content. The Design Officer liaises with the printing agency on technical aspects of printing and publication.

The position provides design support to IGP team members, offers guidance and training on the use of the content management system and gives input into the improvement of design, layout, and publishing workflows.

V. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Desktop Publishing (DTP) for print and digital formats

• Carry out desktop publishing (DTP) work for MSF’s medical operational guidelines (typically 200–500 pages), integrating large volumes of text, tables, figures, algorithms, and references;

• Design, develop, and maintain layout templates and style frameworks for current and future guidelines, ensuring consistency across print and digital formats;

• Import, format, and style content according to defined typographic standards (fonts, sizes, styles, columns, spacing), ensuring consistency and readability;

• Apply advanced longdocument layout techniques (master pages, paragraph and character styles, automated tables of contents, indexes, crossreferences, footnotes/endnotes);

• Conduct thorough self‑review and quality checks of all DTP and layout work prior to submission for review and validation;

• Optimise layout systems and workflows to support efficient updates, reuse, and long‑term maintenance of guideline documents;

• Support the production and maintenance of multilingual versions of guidelines, ensuring consistency across languages and formats;

• Ensure high quality of final documents;

• Manage files related to layout updates, revisions, and new editions, ensuring consistency and accuracy.

2. Preparation for publication

• Prepare and convert final documents for printing, ensuring compliance with technical and quality standards;

• Communicate printing specifications for new guidelines (colour, binding, paper, etc.) to the printer and request press proofs prior to printing;

• Review and validate press proofs to ensure accuracy and quality before production.

3. Publication

• Publish digital versions of the guidelines through the CMS;

• Update the ‘Updates’ page and publish guideline updates;

• Ensure that guidelines ready for order are uploaded to the external sales platform and that all related information is accurate;

• Liaise with the printing agency to ensure consistent print quality, including participation in regular quality review meetings.

4. Design and product optimisation

• Provide design support to authors and editors, advising on the use of visual aids (graphs, infographics, flow charts) to enhance guideline content;

• Redesign and improve existing graphical elements to ensure clarity and effectiveness;

• Conduct user testing to understand user needs and behaviours and assess proposed improvements prior to publication;

• Propose and develop new digital and print design outputs to meet project requirements;

• Liaise with external providers and the IGP Manager to explore and implement improvements to print and digital guideline products;

• Work closely with the Digital Platform Officer to deploy improvements on the website and application;

• Create visual communication materials, availability permitting.

5. Layout guidance and CMS support

• Prepare layout templates and instructions for authors, editors, and translators;

• Create and update documentation on the use of the content management system;

• Provide training, guidance, and support to the team and other CMS users.

6. Proactive participation in the Guidelines team

• Participate proactively in bi‑weekly meetings and provide regular updates on progress;

• Contribute to the annual Guidelines team plan of action and multi‑year planning;

• Participate in budget forecasting, mid‑term reviews, and reporting;

• Contribute to transversal projects within the Guidelines team.

Qualification

• Degree in Graphic Design, Visual Communication, Publishing, or a related field

• Minimum of 5 years Desktop Publishing, layout and design experience

Work experience

• Extensive experience with Desktop Publishing, layout and design for print and digital publication 

• Experience in collaborating with authors, editors, and translators in publication processes

• Experience in uploading and publishing digital publications through a content management system (ideally with Drupal)

• Knowledge of print production processes and the ability to liaise with printing agencies to ensure high-quality printed materials

Technical skills

• Excellent knowledge of the Adobe package (Indesign + Photoshop is a must, Illustrator is an advantage); 

• Ability to conduct user testing and implement design improvements based on feedback;

• Experience with Content management platforms, experience with Drupal is an advantage; 

• Excellent organisational and file management skills, including version control and electronic archival systems;

• Fluent in English. Working knowledge of Arabic, French or Spanish is a plus.  

Specific skills

• Strong commitment to MSF values

• Quality driven 

• Eye for detail   

• Problem solving  

• Strong interpersonal, communication and organisational skills  

• Ability to work collaboratively with different stakeholders (mainly remotely)

• Ability to work in a multi-cultural team and international work environment  

• Ability to work and report independently 
  
  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

At MSF, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. We welcome applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.

MSF is committed to preventing abuse, inappropriate behaviour, lack of integrity and financial misconduct in its work and care spaces. MSF expects all staff to share this commitment and promote an environment where abuse and misconduct is not tolerated.

We are committed to removing barriers for people with specific accessibility needs. If you need an adjustment to the recruitment process to be considered for the role, please let us know from the beginning of the selection process.

Note: All offers of employment will be subject to reference checks and to appropriate screening checks. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her/their understanding of these recruitment procedures.