Interim Mobile Staffing Specialist to the Emergency Support Department (Personnel Advisor E Desk)

At MSF Netherlands (OCA), the People & Culture department is a human-centered function that actively supports MSF's primary work, delivering healthcare to all. We focus on engagement, culture, and strategic impact, grounded in the belief that embracing the human factor is key to meaningful change. With a global workforce mindset, we prioritize trust and simplicity across our three Centers of Expertise: Culture & Change, People Experience, and Talent & Learning. 

The Emergency Support Department (ESD) is part of the operations department and plays a key role in responding to humanitarian emergencies. The ESD conducts exploratory assessments; initiates and manages large scale or complex interventions to support people in precarious situations. The ESD provides support to existing country programs and the wider organisation to promote and improve emergency preparedness and response capacity.  The ESD consists of a headquarter based Emergency Desk (E Desk) of managers and an Operational Support Team (OST) of advisors and officers, and an Emergency Team of approx. 24 field based medical and non-medical profiles.

The People and Culture department is looking for a:

Interim Mobile Staffing Specialist to the Emergency Support Department (Personnel Advisor E Desk)

Amsterdam based

3-month contract

Note: All candidates are encouraged to apply irrespective of their location of residence. The position is expected to open permanently later in the year 2026, candidates who are only interested in the long-term job are encouraged to apply and express their interest this recruitment round. 

Position objective

As a Personnel Advisor E Desk, you are responsible for the timely and adequate workforce matching and succession planning for the internationally mobile positions in MSF OCA emergency interventions. This position primarily works with the Emergency Support Department and supports E Desk managed interventions.  The role is key in ensuring the right people are in the right roles at the right time. You contribute to OCA’s HR strategy and initiative development in ensuring its mobile staffing model is well suited for emergency response and preparedness.

Main responsibilities

• Provide timely matches of the most appropriate mobile staff candidate for specific emergency assignments, predominantly for E Desk managed interventions. On occasion you may provide matching support to other emergency response interventions managed by other desks.

• Advise medical-operational management on HR strategy and structure for mobile staff positions

• Advise Country Programs HR management on workforce policies and procedures in relation to the staffing strategy for mobile staff and proposing creative solutions when deviations occur. 

• Continuously analyse mobile staff pool availability, resulting in guidance and advice to operations and OCA support departments on workforce planning for mobile emergency staffing.

• Actively participate in the ESD core OST, with a focus on international mobile staffing including providing advice on staffing models and HR strategy discussions for new interventions as well as during control cycle processes.

• Ensure and execute (de)briefings for all in- and outgoing IMS (including detachments) to the E desk managed country programs

• Provide strategic input to the People and Culture department and the MSS team for ways of working that support and improve emergency staffing 

• Contribute to OCA’s HR strategy development in ensuring its mobile staffing model is well suited for emergency response and preparedness 

• Actively maintains a network of people, with strong capacity and interest in emergency response 

• Take the lead on further roll-out and day-to-day management of the Emergency Register

• Supports the ESD on other dossiers and projects in support of improving OCA’s overall emergency response capacity

Your profile

• MSF field experience in minimum two different contexts in a HR management or OPS role. HRCo experience is an asset, as well as experience in emergency contexts.

• You are able to collaborate, convince others, drive for change and have excellent (cross-cultural) communication and negotiation skills. 

• You are creative, innovative and comfortable to push existing norms and boundaries, have a can-do mentality and you are solution/result oriented.

• Excellent stress-management: ability to multi-task, constantly (re)prioritize and work under high pressure.

• Willing to be available and work evenings, weekends and public holidays if the emergency nature of the job requires.

We offer

A 3-month Dutch employment contract, based on 40 hours per week. 

A gross monthly salary a current range between 3,734 to 5,153 euros. Your exact salary will depend on relevant work experience.