KenyaDeputy General DirectorOrganization
Posted 19 Aug 2025 Closing date 2 Sep 2025
MSF Eastern Africa is looking for a Deputy General Director
Do your skills and experience not precisely match the requirements? MSF is an organization committed to promoting diversity and equity by providing equal access to professional opportunities. We understand that women, people of color, indigenous individuals, members of the LGTB+ community, and other underrepresented groups often hesitate to apply for employment if they don't meet all the requirements. At MSF EA, we strive to create a diverse, inclusive, and genuine workplace. Therefore, if you're interested in this position but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the selection criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the ideal candidate for this or other positions.
Introduction
Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an international independent medical humanitarian organisation that provides assistance to people affected by conflicts, epidemics, and natural or human-made disasters and excluded from healthcare. We provide this assistance without discrimination, irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.
About MSF Eastern Africa
MSF Eastern Africa is the regional institutional office of MSF. It focuses on representation and networking, recruiting and supporting staff from the region, communications and fundraising, as well as working on other dossiers of importance to MSF such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Data Protection, mutualization, training, medical operational support and environmental health.
Rationale/Objective for Position
The Deputy General Director (DGD) is responsible for overseeing the day-to-day running of the MSF Eastern Africa Section, ensuring alignment with strategic priorities, and fostering a collaborative and effective organizational culture.The job holder is responsible for ensuring the effective development and implementation of the MSF EA strategic plan, annual plan, monitoring & evaluation, innovation, risk & compliance for the Section including management of key organizational functions like EDI & Safeguarding, Access & Security Analysis, duty of care & solidarity (where applicable), and Executive Management. Moreover, s/he is responsible to ensure effective staff hosting management in line with policies/frameworks/procedures in place.This position will be hierarchically and functionally accountable to the
General Director
.
Tasks & Responsibilities
Strategic Responsibilities
- Oversee the development and implementation of the Section´s strategic plan, ensuring alignment with mission and goals.
- Lead the implementation of any necessary follow up, evaluation and monitoring of strategy implementation.
- As a member of MT, actively participate in all strategic discussions and overall ambitions of the Section.
Technical And Operational Responsibilities
Leadership
- Lead the preparation and monitoring of the annual plan and ensure its alignment with MSF’s global priorities and regional needs. (SPARC)
- Ensure appropriate frameworks and systems are in place for effective governance and decision-making.
- Provide strategic oversight of Monitoring and Evaluation to ensure evidence-based decision-making, continuous learning, and accountability in MSF EA.
- Lead the development and integration of innovative approaches, tools, and practices that enhance the effectiveness, efficiency, and impact of MSF EA’s activities.
- Oversee organizational risk management and compliance by ensuring systems and controls are in place to identify, assess, and mitigate risks while upholding internal policies and legal obligations.
- Support and work with the Management Team and the Extended Management Team to ensure operational efficiency, resource optimization, strengthening of policies and regulations.
- Provide leadership and expertise on specific topics as delegated by the General Director, such as humanitarian advocacy, capacity building, or innovation projects.
Oversight of Specific Topics, Initiatives and Units
- Oversee the implementation of the SPARC process to ensure strategic alignment, organizational learning, and adaptive planning across the Section.
- Provide strategic oversight and institutional accountability for security and crisis management, ensuring robust frameworks, inter-sectional coordination, and effective leadership support during critical incidents.
- Oversee and guide the EDI and Safeguarding unit, ensuring the effective integration of equity, diversity, inclusion, and safeguarding principles across all levels of the organization.
- Lead on Duty of Care to ensure organizational accountability and the effective implementation of policies and systems that protect the well-being and safety of all MSF EA stakeholders, including staff, patients, and communities.
- Advise the Management Team on possible solidarity actions to be taken where applicable.
- Provide oversight and coordination of the Common Hosting Frame to ensure harmonized implementation of inter-sectional standards, roles, and responsibilities across MSF EA, facilitating collaboration and efficient resource sharing.
Operational Support and Coordination
- Support the Executive Manager in oversight and guidance operational support units, ensuring they deliver high-quality services to MSF missions and the MSF EA Section.
- Coordinate with relevant departments to ensure efficient resource allocation and effective implementation of initiatives.
- Address challenges and risks proactively, proposing solutions to improve operational performance.
- Ensure that cross-cutting themes such as diversity, equity, inclusion, safeguarding and security analysis are integrated into MSF EA’s strategies and operations.
Performance Monitoring and Reporting
- Lead the development of key performance indicators (KPIs) to track organizational progress against strategic and operational goals and inform decision-making.
- Lead Monitoring & Evaluation (M&E) frameworks to assess the Section´s effectiveness, impact, and sustainability.
- Prepare regular reports for the General Director and MSF EA governance bodies when required.
Other Responsibilities
- Compliance Assurance - Ensure that all data processing activities within the Eastern Africa section comply with relevant data protection laws and regulations, including the Data Protection Act, 2019 and support your team to receive necessary training in this area.
- Policy Adherence - Enforce data protection policies, procedures, and guidelines within the Eastern Africa section, ensuring that all members are aware of and adhere to these protocols.
- Proactively participate in the individual performance management process including objective setting, performance monitoring and performance evaluation.
- Recognize and reinforce strong performance in the MT team; identify and encourage improvement where needed; and ensure quality and timely performance management process is carried out for the MT team.
Qualifications
Education and Experience
- A Minimum of 10 years of experience in leadership roles, preferably within the humanitarian, non-profit, or international development sector.
- bachelor’s degree or higher degree in social sciences, public health, business administration, Management, International Relations, or a related field.
- Demonstrated ability to lead multi-disciplinary, multicultural teams
- Proven partnership development expertise.
- Proven ability to lead strategic planning, manage complexity and influence policy at senior levels.
- Budgeting and resource allocation for large-scale, multi-country operations
- Proven expertise in managing security in high-risk environments and complex humanitarian projects.
- Understanding the MSF working environment is an asset.
- High level of understanding of organizational issues; experience in working in a regional hub or shared service centers is an added value.
- Fluency in English required.
- Proficiency in additional languages (e.g., French, Arabic, Swahili) is an asset.
- MSF or similar iNGO experience is desirable.
Competencies
- Technical Competencies
- Strong leadership and decision-making skills, with the ability to inspire and motivate others.
- Exceptional organizational and project management abilities.
- Excellent communication and negotiation skills, both written and verbal.
- High cultural competency and adaptability in diverse and complex environments.
- Behavioral/General Competencies
- Commitment to MSF’s mission, principles, and humanitarian values.
- Excellent planner, organizer, coordinator and administrator
- Excellent computer skills
- Affinity and experience with Information Management
- Punctual, pro-active and stress resistant.
- Very good communication and representation/ networking abilities
- High level of integrity and sound judgement.
- Interest in the humanitarian sector.
- Understanding of the MSF working environment is an asset.
- Commitment to MSF values and Principles.
- Cross cultural awareness.
- Networking and building relationships capacities,
- Result and Quality Orientation.
What We Offer
- A 3-year (renewable for another 3 years) full-time employment contract through MSF East Africa Section Office in Nairobi, Kenya.
- An annual salary of EUR 62,183 at HQ Grade 13 based on a full-time appointment with an annual increment of 2% every year up to a maximum if 10 years.
- Work-life balance benefit; ranging between EUR 620 to 1,159/month based on individual & administrative status.
Other benefits include;
- 25 days of annual leave. Other Holidays: sick leave, circumstantial leave, maternity leave (21 weeks), paternity leave (4 weeks**), own affairs day off** etc
- Employer Pension contribution (10% of basic salary)
- International medical Insurance cove; for staff and family
- Relocation support for non-Kenyan residents; based on MSF EA terms/conditions. Only applicable if the contract is more than 1 year.
- Work-life balance: Daily flexi-hours and 2 days working from home.
- School fees benefit (for eligible dependents).
- Diverse team composition; Collaborate with a global network of talented professionals, bringing diverse perspectives and expertise from around the world.
- Career Development: MSF provides many learning resources (online learning resources, regular trainings – including language, Peer to peer learning.
- Mobility: You will have opportunities to travel abroad for work, meetings, trainings and workshops; giving you a chance to experience different cultures and broaden your professional network.
- Annual home leave ticket: To be taken once every year for both staff and eligible dependents back to home country for vacation. Only applicable to non-Kenyans.
How to apply
Application process
- If you recognize yourself in this profile, we welcome you to apply directly via this link or from the MSF EA website, ReliefWeb, LinkedIn, or the MSF International website.
- Applicants are required to upload a Letter of Motivation + Curriculum Vitae (in English) in PDF format as one combined document.
- The closing date for applications is on 02nd September 2025
Information
The protection of your personal data is important to MSF. By submitting your application, you consent to MSF using your personal data only for the recruitment process to have all the information and documents necessary to proceed with the recruitment, validation of your application and selection of the most suitable candidate. Your personal data will be treated confidentially. MSF will not use your personal data in any other way not foreseen for purposes of recruitment.
MSF is an equal-opportunity employer and does not charge any application/ recruitment fee. Women and persons with disability are encouraged to apply.
Job detailsCountry
City MSF Eastern Africa Source
Type
Career category
- Program/Project Management
Years of experience
Themes
- Mine Action
- Protection and Human Rights
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