Head of Emergency Team

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Ubuntu is seeking an experienced and visionary Head of Emergency Team to lead the organisation's emergency prevention, preparedness, and response portfolio. Based in Nairobi, Kenya, this senior leadership role is responsible for the strategic design, coordination, and operational oversight of MSF Ubuntu's humanitarian medical responses to crises — including epidemics, conflicts, natural disasters, and complex emergencies.

Reporting directly to the Director of Operations (DirOps), the Head of Emergency Team will build and lead a dedicated emergency unit, shape the organisation's emergency strategy, strengthen country-level readiness, and ensure that all interventions are community-centred, climate-informed, and aligned with MSF's medical standards and operational priorities. This is a rare opportunity to define and institutionalise emergency response systems within a globally respected humanitarian organisation.

• Define and lead MSF Ubuntu's emergency preparedness and response strategy using a disaster management cycle approach, aligned with MSF Ubuntu's operational priorities and principles.
• Ensure all emergency preparedness and response activities embed strong community involvement, people-centredness, and climate adaptation considerations across all stages.
• Develop and maintain emergency policies, tools, and systems including surveillance mechanisms, early warning and action protocols, anticipatory action frameworks, contingency plans, and surge capacity arrangements.
• Define emergency scenario stocks and supply requirements in close collaboration with medical and logistics departments.
• Lead the establishment and recruitment of the emergency team unit in conjunction with the DirOps and DirMed, building MSF Ubuntu-specific capacities in areas such as nutrition, vaccination, and community WASH.
• Lead exploratory assignments in target locations and support the opening and closing of programmes across stable and emergency settings.
• Continuously scan and monitor evolving contexts to identify potential emergency interventions aligned with MSF Ubuntu's strategic plan.
• Lead and coordinate multi-sectoral responses to emergencies, epidemics, conflicts, and other crises, providing strategic and technical guidance to team members and country programme teams.
• Support decision-making on activation, scale-up, adaptation, and exit of emergency interventions in close collaboration with DirOps and the Med-Ops strategic circle.
• Develop a vulnerability-based approach to emergency response that centres affected communities throughout the response cycle.
• Contribute to MSF Ubuntu's broader strategic planning through critical reflection, documentation of learning, and cross-departmental collaboration.
• Promote interdepartmental coherence including integration with Safeguarding and DEI domains.
• Support the development of Emergency Preparedness Plans across MSF Ubuntu country programmes.

• Demonstrate at least 8–10 years of progressive experience in humanitarian emergency response, including field deployment in complex crisis settings (conflict, epidemic, displacement, or natural disaster environments).
• Show proven ability to design, implement, and evaluate emergency preparedness and response strategies at an organisational or operational unit level.
• Lead, recruit, and develop multidisciplinary emergency teams across diverse cultural and operational contexts.
• Apply disaster management cycle frameworks to anticipatory action, contingency planning, and community-level preparedness programming.
• Coordinate supply chain and logistics planning for emergency scenarios, including stock pre-positioning and surge capacity management.
• Navigate complex decision-making environments, providing clear strategic guidance under pressure and in rapidly evolving situations.
• Communicate effectively — verbally and in writing — with senior leadership, field teams, peer organisations, and affected communities.
• Demonstrate knowledge of community health approaches, including nutrition, vaccination campaigns, and WASH programming in humanitarian contexts.
• Show experience integrating climate risk analysis and adaptation into humanitarian planning processes.
• Hold a relevant postgraduate degree in Public Health, Humanitarian Studies, International Development, Medicine, or a related field (or equivalent practical experience).
• Proficiency in English is essential; French or other working languages of MSF an advantage.

MSF offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with the seniority and international scope of this role. Salary is open and will be discussed during the recruitment process, benchmarked against MSF's international pay scales. Benefits typically associated with MSF international roles include comprehensive medical coverage, international mobility support, and access to MSF's staff welfare and learning frameworks. Candidates are encouraged to discuss remuneration expectations directly with MSF Ubuntu's HR team during the selection process.

Ideal candidate: You are a senior humanitarian professional with extensive field experience in emergency response leadership, a strong command of preparedness systems, and a genuine commitment to community-centred, dignified humanitarian action. You thrive in ambiguous, fast-moving environments, can build institutions from the ground up, and bring both strategic thinking and operational pragmatism to your work. Experience within MSF or a comparable INGO emergency operations context is a strong advantage.

Who should NOT apply: This role is not suitable for candidates without direct humanitarian field experience, those seeking a desk-only coordination role, or applicants who have not previously led teams in emergency or crisis settings. Entry-level or mid-level humanitarian professionals who have not yet operated at a strategic leadership level are encouraged to explore other MSF opportunities.

• Prepare an updated CV (maximum 4 pages) and a tailored cover letter clearly outlining your emergency response leadership experience and motivation for joining MSF Ubuntu.
• Submit your application through MSF's official careers portal or via the application link provided on the job listing page.
• Ensure your application is received before the closing date of 10 July 2026. Late applications will not be considered.
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the next stage of the recruitment process, which may include a written assessment, panel interview, and reference checks.
• MSF is committed to diversity and inclusion. Candidates of all backgrounds, including those with lived experience of humanitarian crises, are strongly encouraged to apply.