Logistics Regulatory Affairs & Product Sustainability Advisor

• Location: Any MSF office*

• Contract: Fixed-term contract, 100% workload

• Duration: 6 months, with possibility of extension

• Deadline to apply: 26th of May 2025

• Starting date: ASAP

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 origins, religion, gender or political affiliation.

MSF International is the legal entity that binds MSF’s 24 sections, 27 associations and 18 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. CONTEXT

In recent years, MSF has been facing increasing regulatory and environmental challenges that impact its ability to deliver essential medical and logistical supplies efficiently. National regulatory authorities, including bureaus of standards and environmental agencies, have tightened controls over the importation and use of logistics products such as water and sanitation materials, chemicals, insecticides, pesticides, and mosquito nets. These evolving regulations, often differing between countries, create significant operational constraints, leading to supply chain disruptions, delays in importation, and increased workload for supply centers and field teams.

Simultaneously, MSF has made strong commitments toward reducing its environmental footprint. As part of its 2019 Green Motion and 2020 Environmental Pact, as well as its commitment to the Climate and Environment Charter for Humanitarian Organizations, MSF aims to cut its carbon emissions by 50% by 2030. These commitments extend across all MSF operations, including procurement and supply chain management. Ensuring that MSF integrates sustainability considerations into product selection and procurement strategies is crucial for meeting these goals while maintaining operational efficiency.

Given these dual challenges—navigating complex regulatory frameworks and achieving environmental sustainability in product sourcing—MSF has recognized the need for a dedicated role that combines expertise in regulatory compliance and sustainability. The Logistics Regulatory Affairs & Product Sustainability Advisor will ensure a coherent and systematic approach to mapping, tracking, and responding to regulatory requirements while simultaneously developing sustainability criteria for critical logistics products.

This position will work closely with various MSF entities, including the European Supply Centers (ESCs), the Regulatory Affairs Pharmacist team, technical working groups (WGs), intersectional supply chain & customs managers, logistics family category buyers, the Country Support on Importation (CSI) working group (which provides support to Supply/Logistics teams on importation requirements and constraints), country logistics/ supply chain coordinators, the Global Procurement Unit (GPU), knowledge managers etc. The advisor will play a key role in ensuring regulatory compliance, facilitating knowledge sharing, supporting procurement teams in making environmentally responsible sourcing decisions, ultimately enhancing MSF’s ability to anticipate and mitigate importation constraints.

By integrating regulatory affairs and sustainability objectives into MSF’s supply chain, this role will contribute to improving access to critical products and ensure the implementation of a systematic and coherent intersectional approach while aligning MSF’s humanitarian mission with its environmental commitments.

III. BACKGROUND AND PLACE IN THE ORGANISATION

MSF’s supply chain consists of six Operational Centres (OCs), emerging operational directorates (e.g. MSF UBUNTU), three European Supply Centres (ESCs), and an expanding regional presence. Governed by the Executive Supply Chain Committee (ESCC) and the Supply Chain Tactical Committee (SCTC), it is supported by MSF’s International Office (IO), which facilitates coordination across entities. The IO’s supply chain team, working closely with the International Logistics Coordinator, includes an International Supply Chain Coordinator, a Senior Supply Chain Program Manager, 2 data analysts, and an Intersectional Importation & Customs Coordinator.

Reporting hierarchically to the IO Sustainable Procurement Coordinator and functionally to both the Intersectional Importation & Customs Coordinator and the Sustainable Procurement Coordinator.

IV. MAIN OBJECTIVES OF THE POSITION

The Logistics Regulatory Affairs & Product Sustainability Advisor ensures that MSF’s supply chain remains both compliant with evolving regulatory frameworks and aligned with the organization’s environmental sustainability commitments. This role focuses on identifying and addressing importation constraints, supporting compliance with national and international regulations, and integrating sustainability criteria into procurement and sourcing decisions.

Key objectives of this position include:

• Regulatory Compliance & Risk Mitigation: establish a systematic approach to mapping, tracking, and communicating regulatory requirements for logistics products, minimizing supply chain disruptions.

• Quality and Sustainability of Logistics Supplies

  • Develop sustainability criteria for key logistics items and ensure they are accessible to all functions involved in the product selection process.

  • In collaboration with key internal stakeholders, support the implementation of standard criteria including sustainability ones, ensuring MSF selects good quality and environmentally responsible products while maintaining operational efficiency.

• Cross-Departmental Coordination: Act as a bridge between technical working groups, regulatory affairs, supply chain, procurement, and sustainability teams, facilitating alignment and knowledge-sharing across MSF.

• Strategic Support & Advisory Role: Provide expert guidance to MSF entities on navigating regulatory constraints and embedding sustainability into supply chain processes.

• Capacity Building & Awareness: Strengthen internal expertise by training and supporting MSF teams in regulatory affairs and sustainability best practices.

By ensuring compliance and sustainability within MSF’s supply chain, this role enhances the organization’s ability to deliver essential humanitarian aid efficiently and responsibly.

V. MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES

The role encompasses the following key responsibilities:

Regulatory Affairs

• Map (Country Supply Profiling) and track national regulatory requirements for logistics-related products, ensuring compliance with evolving global standards.

• Support missions in defining regulatory logistics families and identifying high-risk products that require special importation measures.

• Identify the critical families prone to regulatory requirements and constraints with ESCs, WGs and country logistics/ importation focal points.

• Work with MSF’s supply chain (ESCs, Regional Hubs, Field teams), importation teams, and WGs to facilitate adherence to country-specific import regulations and support them in adapting strategies accordingly/ take informed decisions.

• Advise on pre-clearance, supplier agreements, and documentation to streamline customs and importation processes.

• Maintain a central repository of regulatory requirements and lessons learned to enhance knowledge sharing.

• Provide technical guidance to operational centers and supply teams on regulatory constraints and risk mitigation strategies.

• Advise/support for negotiation to field teams to mitigate risks prior to placing international orders for high-risk logistics items.

• Ensure coherence of strategic response to requirements in collaboration with the Regulatory Affairs pharmacists and CSI.

• Serve as regulatory expert advisor on key logistics families while playing a crucial role for the continuous improvement of our knowledge and to find suitable solutions for our operational needs.

• Develop the community of practices for MSF staff involved in logistics regulatory requirements.

• Support emergency teams with key information to aid the importation process during emergency response, capitalize on experiences.

• Provide ad hoc “trouble shoot” solutions for import issues as and when they arise.

• Sharing Import Constraints routinely share examples of log import constraints/ requirements within the CSI platform.

• Support ESC & GPU teams to ensure the integration of the country requirements during the sourcing process.

Product Sustainability

• Identify and maintain a list of key non-medical products and equipment with significant environmental impact. Coordinate with the WGs to review and approve the list.

• In collaboration with the WGs, develop sustainability criteria for the prioritized list of items and ensure that quality is an integral part of it (product fit for the purpose according to MSF standard including durability, safety, efficiency, etc.). Monitor the validation process to ensure smooth and efficient workflows.

• Collaborate with procurement teams to integrate sustainability considerations into supplier selection and contract agreements.

• Ensure sustainability criteria are accessible and communicated through MSF’s knowledge management platforms (UniCat, UniData, Supply tools, Catalogues, SharePoint etc.).

• Support training programs to educate technical, procurement, and logistics staff on sustainability considerations in product selection.

• In collaboration with Carbon Data Analyst. monitor and report on the implementation of sustainability criteria and its impact on MSF’s carbon and environmental reduction targets.

Education & Experience

• Master’s degree in International Relations, Supply Chain Management, Environmental Science, or a related field.

• Alternatively, a Bachelor’s degree with at least 4 years of relevant experience in regulatory compliance, logistics products quality control or procurement, or environmental sustainability.

• Experience in regulatory affairs, product compliance/quality, or sustainability-related roles in international organizations desirable.

• Desirable experience in management of importation and customs supply chain, international freight forwarding in complex organizational contexts, including planning and risk management.

• Proven knowledge of the climate and environment topics, preferably in the context of an INGO

• Experience working within MSF in various operational settings (Log and/or Supply) or in a similar humanitarian organization, involving quality control of logistics items and import/export management, is highly desirable.

Skills & Competencies

• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills.

• Good knowledge of supply chain regulations, product compliance, and sustainability frameworks (e.g., ISO 14067, environmental impact assessment).

• Ability to negotiate and engage with a wide range of stakeholders (e.g. internal, regulatory authorities, suppliers…) on compliance and sustainability matters.

• Effective communication and training skills to promote awareness of regulatory and sustainability standards.

• Experience in project and change management.

• Ability to work effectively & collaboratively in a cross-cultural, cross-functional environment, and adapt to evolving challenges.

• Proactive and strategic thinker with a focus on ability to provide pragmatic & agile solutions while keeping a long-term strategic vision.

• Understanding of international complex supply chain management.

• Ability to work effectively under pressure, displaying sound initiative and judgment.

• Demonstrate independent initiative, drive for change, and improvement.

• Team player with strong customer orientation.

Languages and IT

• Fluently spoken and written English, French is an asset.

• Proficiency in standard office tools including SharePoint, Word, PowerPoint, Excel, Power BI and data management tools.

Travel requirements: The preferred candidate must have the ability to travel for regular ESC visits and may be requested to make visits to different countries for on-site support.

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.