Médecins Sans Frontières Suisse is looking for an Operational Human Resources Partner (French-speaking)

Join MSF OCG as a Operational Human Resources Partner!

We are looking for passionate candidates ready to contribute to our humanitarian mission.

Open ended (mandated, 3 year term reneawable once) contract based in Geneva with field visits - 100%

Below, you will find the job details and the qualifications we are looking for.

Inclusivity and Diversity at MSF

Do your qualifications and experience not exactly match all requirements of the job?

At MSF OCG, we are committed to an inclusive culture that supports and amplifies the diverse voices of our staff members. We strive to create workplaces where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas and experiences work together to advance MSF's social mission and create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.

We understand that some people may hesitate to apply for employment if they don't meet all listed job requirements. Research shows that this is especially true for women. If you believe your profile is a good match for this position, we invite you to apply even if you don’t fulfil every listed qualification.

We encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, background, religions, beliefs, ability status, and all other diversity characteristics.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will undergo reference checks.

Context & mission

Médecins Sans Frontières is an independent, international medical and humanitarian organization that provides care to people in need, people affected by natural or man-made disasters, and victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and without regard to race, religion, creed or political affiliation (MSF Charter).

The MSF movement is built around 5 operational centers supported by 24 sections and offices worldwide. MSF Operational Center Geneva (MSF OCG) is one of these centers.

At the heart of the Operations Department of the Operational Center of Geneva (OCG), the "cells" are multidisciplinary teams of 7 to 8 experts (Program Manager, Deputy Program Manager, Polyvalent Medical Referent, Operational HR Partner (HROP), Operational Logistics Manager, Operation Supply Manager, Operational Finance Manager, Operational Communication Manager, Cell Assistant). The emergency cell manages and coordinates emergency interventions and assessments in several countries at once and is the direct interface between the headquarters and the emergency mission. Each cell member oversees a specific field of activity under the supervision (functional link) of a Program Manager and with a hierarchical link to the coordinator of the relevant department.

The HROP centralizes and serves as the focal point for the mission’s HR and administrative matters, liaising with the various HR units at headquarters, other members of the cell, the mission’s Human Resources Coordinator (HRCo) or Head of Mission (HoM), as well as other MSF Operational Centers (OCs).

The HROP of the Emergency desk also serves as the pool manager for members of the Emergency Pool. The Emergency Pool is managed jointly by the two RHOPs of the Emergency desk (medical profiles and paramedical/other profiles). In their role as Pool Manager of the Emergency Pool, the HROP of the Emergency Cell:

• Facilitates and keeps the Emergency Pool membership up to date to meet operational needs, analyzes profile requirements, and ensures the recruitment of the necessary personnel.
• Develops the career pathways of Emergency Pool members (matching, mission proposals, skills development, access to training, etc.).
• Collaborates with technical departments for the validation of competencies.
• Ensures the administrative and statistical follow-up of the assigned pool (data updates, evaluations, etc.).
• Contributes to reflections on various HR and emergency practices and strategies in collaboration with the entire HR department and with the Emergency Response Unit.

Tasks & Responsibilities

As part of a multidisciplinary cell, the HROP ensures that HR Coordinators have the support and resources needed to fulfil their role and manage HR in their missions. The HROP advises and supports the HRCo and Head of Mission on the design and implementation of the mission’s HR strategy and mobilizes relevant HR units when specialized support is required. As a strategic partner of the operations and as a member of the cell, he/she participates in the definition of the objectives and the operational strategy of the missions supported by his/her cell and of the various HR units of the headquarters, while having a cross-functional vision of institutional challenges, a global vision of HR issues and a constant attention to the implementation of the OCG Strategic Plan. For the missions supported by his/her cell and in priority, he/she:

• Guides the HR coordinators in defining the mission's HR strategy.
• Supports HR coordinators in defining, adapting, developing, and overseeing the implementation of the mission's HR policies and ensure that they are consistent with the context, operational and institutional challenges, and the HR strategy.
• Provides technical expertise to the missions in terms of HRM and alerts of the HR issues that the missions could face while leaving latitude and room for maneuver to the mission to identify solutions adapted to the situations in the field in a spirit of empowerment of decisions and risk reduction.
• Accompanies the HRCo in making major decisions related to people management on the mission.
• Advises on the composition of the teams (size, expertise, diversity)
• Pays constant attention to the development of the members of the HR sector and the HR competencies present in the missions.

Your profile

Education

• Preferably a degree in Human Resources/Management, Social Sciences, Humanitarian Law.
• Additional operational & HR MSF training an asset.

Experience

• Minimum 24 months in the field as HRCo with MSF (with at least 6 months as HRCo in the last 12 months), priority will be given to people having an experience as HRCo with OCG
• HRCo experience in emergency settings or in mission with recurrent emergencies
• Experience as a project coordinator is a plus.
• Mastery of MSF tools and HR fundamentals
• Experience in creating HR development plans will be an asset.
• Experience in developing Safeguarding and DEI actions.

Language

• Minimum C1 in English AND French (spoken and written)

Technical skills and individual abilities

• Confirmed expertise in HRM.
• Solution oriented, strategic thinking and critical analysis.
• Analytical skills, ability to work with indicators and propose plans based on analysis.
• Leadership and team management skills
• Computer skills: Windows 10, database, Excel (at the level of use of macros), Homere, Power BI
• Ability to build and develop diverse and inclusive teams.
• Negotiation skills
• Excellent organizational, decision-making and communication skills
• Capacity to work under pressure and to manage stress.
• Ability to set priorities and make decisions.

Terms of employment

• Position based in Geneva with regular visits to the missions.
• Swiss residency while under contract mandatory (because of the frequent travel)
• Open-ended contract, 3-year term renewable once, maximum 6 years
• Full-time, 100%.
• Ideal starting date: March 2026
• Gross annual salary (for 100%): from CHF 102’180.- to CHF 116’484.- (salary commensurate with equivalent experience and internal salary grid)
• Paid vacation: 25 days per year, prorate temporis, plus any Swiss public holidays falling within the contract period.
• Pension plan: pension contribution covered 3/4 by MSF, 1/4 by staff member.
• Relocation package if moving from a different country to Switzerland.

How to apply

Candidates are invited to submit their application exclusively through our recruitment platform, following these guidelines:

• CV (maximum 2 pages)
• Cover letter (maximum 1 page)
• Documents must be submitted in either English or French.

The application deadline is February 8th, 2026.

We reserve the right to close this vacancy earlier if we receive a sufficient number of quality applications.

All applications will be treated confidentially.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Please note that we do not wish to use the services of recruitment or placement agencies.

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