Regional Advisor (Eastern & Southern Africa) - MSF Access

Title of the function: REGIONAL ADVISOR (Eastern & Southern Africa)

Reports to: Regional Coordinator – Eastern and Southern Africa region

Duration: Permanent

Working time: 100%

Location: Nairobi Hub

Start Date: October 01, 2025 (Wednesday)

Last date to apply: September 01, 2025 (Monday)

This job description may evolve according to the finalized MSF Access Strategic Plan, although its main parameters (scope, area of expertise) should not be essentially altered. Until that key stage, the incumbent is expected to demonstrate a degree of flexibility in the performance of their work.

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, 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.

MSF Access 

Médecins Sans Frontières works tirelessly to improve the accessibility, availability, affordability, appropriateness and quality of products for health care for the populations it assists and their communities. While this is a collective effort across the organisation, the MSF Access team plays a central role as it identifies and implements a priority selection of access projects, offers expert support for access activities elsewhere in MSF, and brings together information and analysis relevant to MSF’s access work. The MSF Access team, overseen by an Executive Board, is based around five regional hubs: Kuala Lumpur, Nairobi, Brussels, Dakar and Rio de Janeiro. 

I. CONTEXT

MSF Access works on creating accessibility, availability, affordability, appropriateness, and quality of products for healthcare for the populations MSF assists and their communities. MSF has been engaged in a wide variety of ways to improve this access in past decades. The relatively new MSF Access team now supports the movements access to products for healthcare agenda, and is overseen by an Executive Board. 

Most of the structure’s staff will be based in five regional hubs:

• Dakar, Senegal: covers West and Central Africa

• Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: covers the Americas

• Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia: covers Asia and Oceania

• Nairobi, Kenya: covers Eastern and Southern Africa

• Brussels, Belgium: covers Europe, the Middle East and Northern Africa

MSF Access has the following responsibilities:

• Gather input for common priorities for Access and propose them to the MSF movement

• Design and implement Access initiatives to respond to the agreed common priorities

• Provide, or help to find, support on Access matters to MSF entities that request it

• Maintain an overview of Access initiatives across MSF, and report on them annually

• Research, and stay informed of, the Access landscape globally

II. PURPOSE

Reporting to the Regional Coordinator and in close cooperation with the MSF Access Head of Policy and Head of Analysis, the Regional Advisor contributes to furthering the regional context understanding, maintaining and expanding key networks and engagement with relevant stakeholders; in order to support the design and implementation of effective advocacy strategies towards governments, non-governmental stakeholders, pharmaceutical companies, and the research community in Africa in support of the APH strategic objectives in the region and globally.

III. MAIN ACTIVITIES

The Nairobi Based Regional Advisor works closely with the regional coordinator and other members of the Nairobi Hub. Responsibilities will be shared between different team members and as such the position holder will assume a leading role for some activities versus a supporting role for others.

At this moment the regional advisor will take the lead in the TB, SRH and AMR topic while collaborating and supporting on other topics. This division of topics will be reviewed over time depending on shifting priorities and capacities in the Nairobi Hub team.

The main responsibilities include:

• Develop systems to continuously monitor and analyze policies and stakeholders on issues relevant to the MSF Access strategic objectives and regional access priorities

• Analyze trends and opportunities at regional level (both regional institutions and key countries) and provide strategic advice on new opportunities and threats.

• Based on this analysis, work with the MSF Access colleagues, MSF offices and missions in the region to design and implement advocacy strategies relevant to the Access Strategic Plan objectives (global, regional or country specific).

• Contribute to the development of specific regional analysis and advocacy strategies by contextualizing relevant global MSF Access strategic objectives and vice versa (using regional perspectives to feed into global Access strategic objectives and advocacy plans).

• Develop and strengthen the engagement with key stakeholders in the region relevant to the MSF Access regional and Global strategic objectives and support civil society partnerships if and where relevant

• Represent MSF Access in relevant countries, regional and global health actors’ platforms

• Act as one of the spokespeople for the MSF Access Nairobi hub

• Support MSF Operations in their understanding of medical-political issues affecting access in the field and support them to define and implement relevant advocacy plans and strategies to overcome concrete access problems.

• When requested and relevant, support MSF Access initiatives of MSF sections in the region.

• Manage any short-term researcher/consultant on special projects related to the position.

 IV. JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Genuine interest in and commitment to the humanitarian principles of MSF

• Commitment to the successful transition and future development of MSF access activities to the MSF Access.

• Minimum 3 years directly related professional experience,

• Relevant master’s degree; or equivalent combination of education and experience.

• Demonstrated advocacy experience in the area of Global Health in the Region

• Demonstrated analytical and skills.

• Ability to work independently, move projects from conceptual stages to launch, and handle multiple and often competing deadlines.

• Excellent verbal and written communications skills including ability to adapt style to suit a wide range of audiences

• Proficiency in spoken and written English

• Ability to speak and read a language of the region is an asset

• Frequent international travel. 

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.