MSF Access HR Lead

Location: Any MSF office*

Contract: Fixed-term / Permanent contract at 100%

Duration: Open

Starting date: December 28, 2026

Deadline to apply: November 30, 2026

Compensation and Benefits: MSF practice is to offer the compensation and benefits package in line with the MSF entity offering the contract

*By default, the successful candidate will be offered a contract in the MSF office, able to issue a contract, of their country of residence at the time of application. If no MSF office exists in their country of residence, the successful candidate will be expected to relocate to a country where an MSF office can issue a contract, provided the local legislation allows for that.

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. The successful candidate will be expected to comply with the organisation’s safeguarding policies and standards of professional behaviour.

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.

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 26 sections, 28 associations and 16 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.

I. CONTEXT

The MSF Access HR Lead is part of the MSF Access team, line managed by the MSF Access Head of Resources and integrated as part of the MSF International HR team. Working under the umbrella of MSF International and using existing policies and guidelines, this position takes the lead on all matters HR related, on people and culture, within MSF Access. This includes any and all activities related to the employee life-cycle, directing line-managers and co-workers for compliant process follow-up, problem solving, initiative taking and shaping further the current and future implementation of HR practices to support and fulfil the vision of MSF Access. It includes planning, monitoring and projecting HR needs to better partner up with our colleagues for better results today and within the strategic plan period of 2026 – 2031, and beyond.

II. PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The MSF Access HR Lead provides guidance and coordination within the human resource and people & culture domain to MSF Access, turning strategy into action. This position autonomously provides end-to-end HR leadership across the full employee life cycle for MSF Access. Through a collaborative and diplomatic approach, this position works in unison with hosting offices, in close collaboration with MSF International HR. The purpose is to align HR work, ensuring quality and consistency, supporting the day-to-day HR work and decisions, and is accountable for the results. The position covers the full spectrum of HR: workforce planning, monitoring, reporting, recruitment, onboarding, development, performance management, grievance management, engagement, and offboarding. It also ensures compliance, risk management, and strategic alignment with MSF-International standards. The role is a global all-round HR function that supports MSF Access staff and hubs consistently, wherever they are based.

III. ACCOUNTABILITIES

1. Under the umbrella of MSF International and tailored to MSF Access, co-develop and implement a coherent global HR framework for MSF Access, aligned with organizational strategy, MSF-International standards, and the needs of a distributed workforce, to ensure consistent and effective people management across all hubs.

 Activities:

• Translate organizational priorities into integrated HR plans, processes, and initiatives across the employee lifecycle. Create metrics and indicators that help steer.

• Coordinate with hosting offices, MSF-International HR, and management to align HR practices and service delivery.

• Monitor implementation and recommend improvements to strengthen HR effectiveness and consistency.

 2. Lead workforce planning and recruitment activities across MSF Access, in collaboration with managers and hosting offices, to ensure the organization attracts and retains the talent required to achieve its strategic objectives.

 Activities:

• Oversee global recruitment for MSF Access: manage, facilitate, and coordinate recruitment processes across MSF offices worldwide, in coordination with the MSF International HR team, for MSF Access positions and hubs.

• Use Asana as a planning and reporting tool to organise and structure the MSF Access HR work. Develop and monitor recruitment metrics and forecasting tools to anticipate staffing needs as we enter a stage of less new recruitment and more turn-over. Create dashboards and overviews for different audiences like team, Head of Resources, MT or Board.

• Analyse and improve organizational structures in collaboration with MSF Access leadership, ensuring alignment between structure, strategy, and efficiency. This, in line with the global grading framework and wider rewards review environment.

• Identify role expansion and growth opportunities of our colleagues as MSF Access's strategy evolves.

3. Design and maintain onboarding and integration frameworks for new employees across all locations, to ensure a consistent employee experience and rapid integration into MSF Access teams and culture.

Activities:

• Design and maintain a standardized onboarding framework so new hires — across different hubs and time zones — receive consistent orientation to MSF Access's structure, culture, and expectations.

• Coordinate with hiring managers, hosting offices and MSF International to ensure contractual, administrative, and logistical elements of on/off-boarding are completed smoothly. Work on standardization of on/off-boarding together with hiring managers and internal communications.

• Support integration of new staff into distributed/remote teams, accounting for cultural and regulatory diversity across hosting environments.

4. Develop and coordinate learning, development, and performance management practices in line with organizational priorities, to strengthen individual and team capability and support high performance. 

Activities:

• Standardize performance management workflows and tools across MSF Access hubs, using the MSF International performance management policy as base.

• Support managers in setting objectives, conducting reviews, and addressing performance concerns consistently and equitably. Follow up on the review calendar, ensuring that all employees have access to a review at least once a year.

• Use performance data alongside broader HR analytics to inform decision-making, for example training budgets or more focused training or group coaching needs. Independently research the training offers of different sections and externally, to create a training catalogue for MSF Access staff.

• Establish and enhance learning and development programs tailored to MSF Access's specific needs, its global, distributed workforce – in partnership with MSF-International HR.

• Implement an MSF Access tailored 360-degree employee review processes to support growth planning and skills development in the respective Access areas.

• Partner with managers to identify development needs and career pathways within MSF Access.

5. Develop and promote employee engagement, wellbeing, and grievance management approaches across MSF Access, to foster an inclusive, collaborative, and supportive work environment. 

Activities:

• Implement engagement and feedback mechanisms to monitor employee experience and organizational health, taking pulse/atmosphere checks and advising on engagement and motivation.

• Promote awareness and effective use of existing complaint, grievance and employee support mechanisms. Work proactively on grievance management, to avoid it growing into bigger complaints, providing HR solutions and working within the MSF International policies and frameworks.

• Monitor wellbeing, absence, and retention trends and recommend appropriate interventions.

• Be an integral and pro-active contributor to Equity, Diversity and Inclusion. Review and possibly improve recruitment practices, support management practices, identify training, learning or development needs and implement them together with the board, management team and MSF Access team. 

6. Ensure HR compliance, risk management, and operational controls are maintained in accordance with applicable legislation, hosting-office requirements, and MSF standards, to safeguard employees and organizational integrity. 

Activities:

• Liaise with MSF International and hosting offices. Monitor compliance with HR policies, procedures, and regulatory requirements across all hubs.

• Ensure compliance to existing policies, regulations and guidelines. When and where needed, to review, update, and create MSF Access tailored HR guidelines and workflows, together with the MSF Access Head of Resources and MSF-International, to ensure legal compliance and alignment with organizational standards.

• Identify HR-related risks. and maintain and overview and follow compliance monitoring systems.

• Strengthen MSF Access control processes and maintain a framework for HR operations to ensure operational stability and clear accountability. Use asana for tracking and structuring tasks, enabling easier handovers and absence coverage.

• Conduct regional assessments — visiting MSF Access hubs as needed/delegated — to build supporting relationships, understand local HR context, needs and realities, and if and where needed needs and tailor solutions with local teams. 

7. Manage employee off-boarding and separation processes across MSF Access, in collaboration with hosting offices and MSF-International HR, to ensure compliant, respectful, and organizationally valuable transitions.

Activities:

• Coordinate standardized off-boarding, knowledge-transfer, and administrative closure processes, together with MSF International and hosting offices.

• Conduct and analyse exit feedback and turnover trends to identify improvement opportunities.

• Ensure separation processes comply with legal and organizational requirements in relevant jurisdictions. 

8. Develop and maintain HR analytics, reporting, and planning systems that provide reliable workforce insights and support evidence-based decision making across MSF Access.

Activities:

• Define, monitor, and report on HR metrics covering recruitment, performance, engagement, development, and turnover. Explore new tools such as engagement trackers to support this.

• Maintain dashboards, reporting tools, and planning structures using agreed systems, including Asana.

• Provide analysis and recommendations to leadership to support strategic workforce decisions and continuous improvement. 

IV. AUTONOMY, COMPLEXITY

Challenges and decisions that the job faces to achieve the accountabilities:

• Autonomy to think and act

• Manage in complex HR context with hosting offices, varying local labour laws and practices, under the umbrella of MSF International and with a geographically spread team.

SAFEGUARDING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ROLE

The incumbent commits to contribute to a safe, supportive, inclusive, equitable, diverse, respectful, and healthy workplace, free from abuse and other misconduct.  They will not engage in any form of abuse including those detailed in MSF Typologies of Abuse and when an employee suspects or observes abuse, they will report it (without investigating it) to protect others. 

Education

Master’s degree in Human Resources, Business Administration, or related experience from HR positions within MSF or comparable organisations.

• Experience

• Minimum of 5 years of experience in HR management or related roles in MSF, with the ability to apply standards, methods and tools.

• Experience in coordinating, supporting or participating to the HR management of a project portfolio and/or complex projects

• Solid technical expertise and coordination in global HR management (incl recruitment/contracting), policy development, and HR processes, solid facilitation capacity.

• Strong experience as communicator who works well independently, autonomously within a multi-cultural and global team.

• Experience in working across different cultures and time zones

Knowledge

• Strong facilitation knowledge, influencing skills, problem solving, adaptability and resilience as HR in MSF across different hosting offices requires this.

• Working knowledge of Microsoft products, including SharePoint, Forms, Teams, Excel, preferably PowerBI.

• Knowledge of project management software, such as Asana.

• Strong analytical, communication, and leadership skills.

Languages

Fluent in English (C2 CEF) . Fluency in French, Arabic and/or Spanish a strong asset

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding and acceptance of these recruitment procedures.