In MSF, the recruitment process is made of different steps:

Website registration
As an essential part of the recruitment and hiring process, applicants are
asked to fill in an application form in our website:
http://cv.msf.es/en/msf-cv-forms/form-001/es

The CV and cover letter screening

All applications received are considered, depending on our needs in the field,
we send a letter to the applicants who meet the requirements to begin a
recruiting process. Due to the high volume of applications received, this
process may take several months.

The phone screening

After having received the key information for candidate in order to ensure that
the conditions fit the candidates expectations: the applicant will receive a
phone call to check if his/her availability is in line with the operational needs,
that the applicant speaks the required languages at a reasonable level, and
that she/he agrees with MSF work and living conditions.

Informative email Co-responsability

- After the phone screening, the candidate will receive MSF First letter, in order
to share main information about MSF and its policies.
- The candidate has to reflect on her/his decision: for MSF its important to
engage the candidate in a joint or co-responsibility process.
- After going through all documents, the candidate has to complete
filling the required documents and send them to the recruiter in charge
of his/her profile.
Phase test:
If we agree to continue with the recruitment process, we will send technical
tests according to your profile, in order to know your technical knowledge, IT
skills and others. We will also ask references from your previous or current line
managers.

Validation step: Assessment Centre or Second interview

Assessment Centre: The so-called assessment Centre is a whole day of
individual and group exercises, where we assess the competences necessary
for working in the field, such as behavioral flexibility, teamwork or cultural
awareness. Assessment centers takes place in different cities in the world
throughout the year.
Or the second interview (if the assessment center is not possible): the second
interview is usually done by Skype, and aims to further assessment of the
necessary competences to work in the field.

For some specific positions like Project Coordinators the recruitment process
may include some additional interviews.

The feedback: After the process is completed, a feedback is provided to every

applicant in about a week time after completing it.
Join the pool: If you pass the validation step, then you will be introduced to
your pool manager, who is the person in charge of your career in MSF, and
responsible of assigning a mission in the field according to the field vacancies
and availability date, in the following months.
The Profile Manager is the person responsible for developing and following up
of some specific professional groups within the organisation (Eg. Medical
Doctors, Administrators, Nurses, etc).

Prior to going to the field, the new recruits will be required to take part in the
internal induction training course called PPD (Preparation Prior to Departure).

There are 2 versions of PPD: presential and on-line. Depending on the

operational needs and the candidates availability, the Profile Manager will offer
them to take part in one of the version of this training course.

The presential PPD contains two parts: on-line pre-reading and exercises of
+/- 40 hours depending on the profile, and after wards two-weeks course that
takes place in Barcelona and all participants expenses are covered by MSF.

Taking part in this PPD training involves committing yourself to going to t he

field. Once done, participants who do not fulfill this commitment will have to
return the cost of the training to MSF .
Specifically for the first assignment, you will have to show patience and
flexibility.

In fact, field positions are based on the needs in our projects, which are very
dynamic and likely to change at the last minute.

The waiting period before the first assignment could be anything between 1 to
6 months after completion of the PPD.

We need people interested in building a long-term career with MSF and

willing to engage on a two-three-year commitment with us. This long-term
commitment has to do with the responsibility level that MSF field workers will
assume while on mission, the required initial training period, the time they need
to adjust to new conditions, and the necessity to ensure a degree of continuity
in the interest of our beneficiaries and our local staff.

Therefore, we would prefer people after short-term international experience,

abstain from applying. On the other hand, we understand you may need to
have a first mission experience to confirm whether this is the job and the
organization you would like to be part of in the future.

Shorter assignments ( three months projects ) are only possible for very
specific profiles like surgeons, anesthesiologists, gynecologists and the like.

The average assignment (mission) is six months, and one year for
coordination roles, for regular projects. For emergencies, assignments are
often shorter due to the particularly harsh nature of the contexts.

You will have a formal contract for the length of your assignment. You will not
be under an MSF contract during the break periods between missions.
Unfortunately this is not possible. Based on operational needs, the Profile
Manager decides the destination, especially for first assignments, having
matched the candidates specific qualifications with field needs.

It is of the outmost importance that, during the recruiting process,

candidates are properly informed about the contexts where MSF intervenes
and the living and working conditions.

It is equally essential that candidates provide accurate information about

their willingness to work in any context and their availability and notice
period.

The security, living and working conditions in the field are often incompatible
with the presence of other persons who do not work in the projects.
Therefore, the presence of a partner or families in the projects rarely occurs,
except for some coordination positions based in capital cities.

In any case, no position is accompanied during the first twelve months in

the field.

Upon completion of that period, MSF field staff whose partner also works for
MSF in field positions may request a joint mission, although this is not always
possible.
As an international organization, teams consist of individuals from diverse
backgrounds. Teams need to adapt to a common working language which will be
the language most spoken (usually official language of the country).
Apart from communication with the team, all field work is carried out in close
cooperation with local, national institutions and, what is more important, in contact
with the beneficiaries.
There are other reasons why your language skills are of utter importance, one being
for one's personal safety and another about the equipment we use.
The ability to speak French and English are mandatory for most of our professional
profiles. Candidates who also have a good command of other languages as Arabic or
Spanish will have more placement opportunities.

Situations and context, team composition and working environments can change
quickly in the field. Flexibility and adaptability are critical to the successful
accomplishment of your assignment.
MSF field workers live and work together. Often, the hours are long in living
conditions that may be basic or offering little privacy. Field workers need to be tolerant,
and have strong interpersonal and stress management skills.
The ability and willingness to interact with people of diverse nationalities and cultures
is essential. Note that in any MSF project the majority of workers are national staff,
that is, from the country we work in.
Be also aware you will have to follow the security protocols, and you may have a
limited freedom of movements (including curfew or even confinement) depending on
the context.
You may also expect to have communication restrictions, as in some of our projects
internet connection and even phone network are not available or unreliable.
As an MSF field worker you will often find yourself in an insecure environment where
conditions are constantly changing; working in these particular situations involves an
inherent risk.

For the coming years, MSF has chosen to place its operational focus on emergencies
and victims of acute and protracted conflicts, which means MSF will work in even
more insecure and unpredictable contexts. Nowadays, our main projects and teams are
in South Sudan, Central African Republic, Congo and Syria.

We accept that it is impossible to eliminate all risks, but we do our utmost to diminish
and manage these risks through strict security guidelines and protocols. Specific safety
regulations and plans are in place for each mission. These protocols respond to the
nature of the risks that our teams are facing in the field and provide procedures to follow
when confronted with various security threats.

All MSF staff must strictly observe security rules and regulations. At the end of the day, it
is your behavior and attitude in the field that proves to be one of your best safeguards.

Working for MSF is a choice, so please, be aware that by accepting to work for MSF, you
are accepting the inherent risks humanitarian workers are exposed to. Serious
incidents, (even as serious as kidnapping or live threatening ones) very rarely occur, but
we sadly acknowledge they are a very real and existing risk of which we have been
victims in the past. On the other side, minor incidents, such as an armed robbery or
threats happen more often and most of our humanitarian workers have experienced them
while working on the field at some point.

As a responsible employer we feel we must inform you about the above mentioned
threats of the humanitarian work although it is your responsibility, before starting the
recruitment process, to read extensively about the different contexts you could find
yourself in and to make an informed decision.
Humanitarian field workers need to have a medical and physical condition that allows
them to cope with the often harsh living conditions in the field without compromising
their health.

In the field, you may experience extreme weather conditions, long journeys by
motorbike, long journeys by feet on bumpy dirt tracks, field latrines/ no toilet seats,
limited access to water and electricity or shared accommodation, among many other .

For your own safety, please make sure you are fit enough to be in such conditions.
Please, carrying out a medical evacuation in the remotes areas where we work is often
difficult and costly so good health is of utmost importance.

If you suffer from a chronic disease, you will need to take your medication for the length
of the mission and having spoken with your GP about potential side effects in such
contexts.

You will be asked to follow the MSF medical and vaccination protocols (costs are
covered by MSF) and might be also asked to fill in a confidential medical questionnaire.

Passport with at least 6 months validity

MSF provides all staff members in the field with a private insurance covering
medication and hospitalization, disability, as well as any type of evacuation.

This insurance does not include dependants (unless you are in an accompanied
positions) and expires at the end of mission. Therefore the person is not under cover for
the in-between missions periods (except for on-going or field work related conditions).

According to statistics, major risks for humanitarian workers have proven to be road
accidents, stress, diarrhoeas, skin diseases, hepatitis, malaria and sexually transmitted
diseases (STDs), including AIDS.
MSF needs qualified professionals, so we always provide formal
employment conditions, and unfortunately we do not accept any other
form of collaboration.

All staff have a formal contract, for the duration of their assignment.
EU citizens follow the framework of their own country, while non-EU
citizens have a contract from MSF Switzerland.

Remuneration in MSF is modest by choice. Salary conditions

are not the primary motivation of people working in MSF, yet the
organization understands the necessity for a minimum coverage of our
field workers needs. Staff receive a monthly salary during assignments.
Housing is provided and also a perdiem for daily basic expenses .

MSF has an International Remuneration system, where salaries

are fixed according to level of responsibility and experience. There is a
different salary grid depending on the country of residence.

MSF salaries are non-negociable.

 Indemnity
When you start working with MSF in the field, the first 12 months, your salary will
usually be the indemnity salary. As shown in the salary grid, the indemnity is
the same for every position, regardless of the responsibility level.

You could skip indemnity if you have over 2 years of international experience as
an NGO (*) humanitarian worker. If under 2 years experience, we will take this
into account when calculating the length of the indemnity period.

Salary range
After the indemnity period, your salary will be fixed at the lower point of the salary
band for your position, unless you have extensive (over 4 years) experience in the
same or equivalent position. If this is this case, your salary will be fixed at the mid
point. The entry salary will never be placed at the higher point of the salary band.

You will move up (to the mid point and later to the higher point) in the salary band
for your responsibility level after every 2 years experience in MSF.

At the end of the successful recruiting process you will be asked to register your
working experience in the website and to forward your work certificates to us so we
can verify and validate your professional experience for salary calculation
purposes.

(*) UN agencies and governmental agencies excluded.

 Job families
Professional Medical & Adm / HR /
Level Logistics Operations
Categories Paramedical Finance

6 Midwife

Clinical Psychologist Specialist Biomedical

Specialists & 7 Health Promoter Sup. Technician
Supervisors
Epidemiologist
Humanitarian Affairs
8 Mental Health Sup.
Off.
Nursing Team Sup.

Doctor Anaesthetist
Wash Manager Project Admin
Surgeon / Gynecolog.
9 Medical Doctor
Logistics Manager Manager
All Round Logistician Accountancy Manager
Activity Managers, Psychiatrist

Clinical Medical
10 Activity Managers Supply Manager Develop. Manager
Specialists
Mission Pharmacy
11 Manager
Logistics Teams Leader

Project Medical Dep. Supply Coord. Deputy HR / Fin.

12 Referent Dep. Logistics Coord. Coord.
Dep. Project Coord.

Logistics Coord. Finance Coordinator Dep. Head of Mission

13 Dep. Medical Coord.
Supply Coord. HR Coordinator Project Coordinator
Coordinators
14 Medical Coord.

15 Head of Mission

Positions are classified according to the job family and professional category, depending
on the responsibility level (Eg. Medical Doctor is level 9 in the Medical job family)
You are entitled to 25 working days per year.

In the field, you take one week off every three months of continuous work. It is not
cumulative.

If rest periods are not allowed in the same country for security reasons, MSF will
pay for transportation to the nearest authorized location. Please, note MSF will
not cover the transport or any other costs during the leave period.

MSF strongly encourages people to continue working for the organization, and we
offer various career opportunities to our staff.

You can broaden your professional experience by working on a variety of different

aid projects and contexts and become eligible for coordination roles.

MSF focuses on developing the careers of our members through a system of

skill-building, promotion, international technical training, financial assistance, and
access to external training possibilities.

We have a training policy for staff who have a lasting commitment to MSF.

Only you can answer that question. To make this decision, think things through
and think about what being a MSF worker involves.