Safeguarding and Ethical Leadership Coordinator for MSF Boards and Associations

Location: Any MSF office*

Contract: 100% - Permanent

Starting date: 04th of January 2027

Deadline to apply: 30th of October 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.

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.

SAFEGUARDING REQUIREMENTS FOR THE ROLE

The incumbent commits to contribute to a safe, supportive, inclusive, equitable, diverse, respectful, and healthy workplace, and associative spaces 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.

I. CONTEXT

MSF is committed to creating a safe, respectful, and dignified environment for its patients, their caretakers, and the communities in which it works, and for all its volunteers and staff, board and associative members. To this end, all sections of MSF have adopted Behavioural Commitments designed to ensure all staff are aware of their obligations to create workspaces free from abuse and inappropriate behaviour. MSF is committed to safeguarding and ensuring zero tolerance of inaction on abuse.

MSF is continuously strengthening its safeguarding work, and safeguarding remains a top organizational priority. In line with this organization commitment, MSF has created a Board Strengthening Programme, as well as Ethical Leadership Minimum Standards (ELMS) applicable to all board members. As safeguarding expands, MSF’s associative structure is working to adopt the highest standards of safeguarding for and amongst its members.

II. PURPOSE OF THE JOB

The Safeguarding and Ethical Leadership Coordinator for Boards and Associations supports the implementation, operationalisation, monitoring, and continuous improvement of MSF’s safeguarding work with boards and associations across the MSF movement. This reflects the International Board’s commitment to minimum standards for safeguarding in associative networks.

The role:

• leads coordination and implementation efforts that translate safeguarding principles, commitments, policies, and standards into practical, measurable, consistent, coherent, and sustainable safeguarding practices across MSF’s boards and associative structures.

• advances safeguarding culture change by supporting MSF boards in understanding their role in safeguarding leadership and oversight; and by supporting the development of robust safeguarding understanding and putting in place safeguarding measures within associative structures and associations.

• contributes to strengthening prevention, detection, reporting, response to safeguarding cases.

• promotes accountability and institutional learning on safeguarding across the MSF movement.

III. ACCOUNTABILITIES

A. Coordination, design, and implementation:

• Lead the coordination, implementation, and training on the ELMS, as well as on safeguarding, and other ethics principles within MSF boards.

• Translate safeguarding and ELMS concepts into actionable documents, processes, and initiatives for MSF boards associations/networks in line with existing MSF initiatives on safeguarding.

• Develop implementation guidance, tools, frameworks, templates, and operational resources.

Key Accountabilities:

• Safeguarding ambitions are translated into practical implementation plans and deliverables.

• Implementation progress is systematically tracked, monitored, and reported.

• Approaches, tools, trainings, and guidance are developed and used by relevant stakeholders.

B. Drive safeguarding culture change:

• Drive integration of safeguarding as a core organizational practice across MSF boards and associations.

• Strengthen safeguarding accountability and leadership engagement, and ownership.

• Other tasks assigned by the ISC or the International President or their delegate.

C. Lead monitoring, accountability, learning, and continuous improvement on Safeguarding and Ethical Governance:

• Monitor implementation progress, identify risks and gaps, and drive corrective and improvement actions where needed.

• Analyze ELMS and safeguarding implementation, challenges, and lessons learned to inform strategic decision-making.

• Produce implementation reports, dashboards, briefing papers, presentations, and governance updates.

• Lead learning and knowledge-sharing initiatives related to safeguarding and ELMS implementation and best practices.

Key Accountabilities:

• Safeguarding is embedded into MSF associations and boards’ ways of working.

• Safeguarding considerations are integrated into associative and boards’ processes.

• Organisational awareness and ownership of safeguarding responsibilities is increased across the MSF associations and boards.

D. Coordinate the framework and response to ELMS and safeguarding complaints involving senior leadership:

• Ensure relevant frameworks and processes relating to triage, case management, investigation, and decision-making are implemented for ELMS and safeguarding complaints involving senior leadership (the incumbent will not engage, case management, investigations or decision-making directly, but rather ensure it is in place).

• Reception, and coordination, initial review and assessment of safeguarding and ELMs allegations involving senior leadership (i.e. General Directors and board members). Ensure a decision-making panel is formed for ELMS-related complaints, and ensure their decision is reported to the International Board.

Key Accountabilities:

• Ensure that ELMs related complaints are properly assigned to relevant experts for case management/investigation.

• Ensure a decision-making panel is formed for safeguarding or ELMs-related complaints, and ensure their decision is reported to the International Board.

AUTONOMY, COMPLEXITY

The role is responsible under the technical supervision of the ISC and the hierarchical supervision of the International President (or the IP’s delegate). The role will coordinate closely with:

• the Board Strengthening Programme concerning board training and direct board support activities with respect to safeguarding and ELMS implementation.

• the International Associative Team to ensure appropriate association support and training activities with respect to safeguarding.

• the ILD to ensure legal risks and statutory requirements are duly considered.

The role uses subject matter expertise, analysis, independent judgement and translates safeguarding, and ethical governance initiatives (such as the Ethical Leadership and Minimum Standards), and other safeguarding initiatives and concepts into relatable, understood, actionable documents, trainings, and actionable initiatives that support to ensure all parts of MSF have a robust understanding of, and structures that support safeguarding.

The role needs a strong understanding of, safeguarding policies, codes of conducts-including ethical governance principles, and how to draft them for associations (non-staff), alongside an understanding of the role of trustees and Boards as oversight for safeguarding.

The incumbent will also need to understand case management and administrative investigations to be able to explain these concepts and how they relate to oversight and associations.

The incumbent will also need to have good understanding of confidentiality, and act with the utmost discretion, when following up, and arranging that safeguarding and ELMs complaints involving senior leadership are properly and promptly addressed.

Education

A master's degree in relevant field such as law, human rights, administration etc. Or a bachelor's degree combined with significant relevant experience in safeguarding, governance of non-profits.

Experience

• A minimum of 5 years implementing safeguarding initiatives, especially with boards.

• Strong understanding of case management and administrative investigations in a workplace setting and principles guiding case management and ability to explain these concepts.

• Experience working with or as a board member for a non-profit organization.

• Experience drafting key safeguarding documents.

• Experience in designing and delivering safeguarding training.

• MSF experience is an asset.

Knowledge / Skills

• Strong understanding of safeguarding, conflicts of interest and the role of a trustee/governance of non-profit organisations.

• Ability to draft appropriate and relevant safeguarding standards/documents and to translate complex concepts into clear actions.

• Ability to coordinate and work with a range of stakeholders in a consultative, diplomatic fashion.

• Strong writing skills and ability to communicate safeguarding concepts simply to a range of audiences.

• A strong understanding of monitoring and evaluation.

• Demonstrated experience in coordinating or overseeing highly sensitive cases involving senior leadership; receiving and appropriately triaging sensitive allegations; governance and due-process principles; management of conflicts of interest and recusal; commissioning and oversight of independent investigations; confidentiality, secure information management and data protection; whistleblowing and retaliation considerations; and the ability to navigate complex situations involving boards, senior executives, safeguarding and legal functions.

• Demonstrated ability to lead complex implementation and coordination initiatives across diverse stakeholders.

• Ability to influence organisational change in multicultural environments.

• Strong strategic coordination and implementation management skills.

• Perseverance and ability to build consensus.

• Independence of judgement and the ability to challenge senior stakeholders, when necessary, alongside diplomacy and consensus-building.

• Demonstrated ability to drive accountability and follow-through across multiple workstreams.

• Ability to navigate sensitive safeguarding issues with discretion, diplomacy, and sound judgement.

• Cross cultural awareness and strong commitment to and understanding of diversity, equity, and inclusion principles.

Languages

English, other languages are an asset, especially French and Spanish.

Other

Motivation to work in a humanitarian organisation and a fast paced, dynamic environment.

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.