Microbiology Advisor

OCG Medical Department

Middle East Support Office (MESO)

Context

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an independent humanitarian organization providing medical aid to victims of man-made or natural disasters, epidemics, and endemic diseases. In the MSF Operational Centre of Geneva (OCG), the steering and implementation of field programs is under the responsibility of an Operations Department, which includes direct medical support to field implementation ensuring fundamentals are reached in all projects. The development of technical and/or strategic solutions adapted to complex medical challenges faced in the field, or to fulfill chosen medical ambitions, is under the responsibility of a Medical Department. Collaborative work between the two departments is considered a cornerstone for the organization to improve the general quality of its projects and the level of care for patients.

In 2013, an internal review led to the endorsement of a new frame for medical support inside OCG, leading to further emphasize the Medical Department’s role in the following key areas:

• Being at the vanguard of evolving trends, new challenges, and technologies in the field of medical practice and science, and linked with external clinical, academic, and research institutions.
• Providing technical capacities to fulfill the medical ambitions of the OCG Strategic Plan, in particular those in relation to the Operational Policy, innovation, and research.
• Addressing the field support needs in their response to medical and public health challenges, with the required flexibility and adaptation of priorities when facing emergencies or difficult conflict situations.
• Creating better-integrated work between Operations and the Medical Department, through collaborative work platforms focusing on precise medical operational challenges, selection of standards, and improvement of practices.

The role of the Medical Department also includes, in relation to other involved departments, a critical role in knowledge transmission to field medical staff through adapted training and fast access to key reference documents/tools, as well as recruitment strategies.

The Middle East Support Office (MESO) is the HQ office of OCG in Amman, Jordan. Its purpose is to support MSF programs in the face of the growing complexity of intervention contexts and new challenges in the Middle East and beyond. MESO joins other MSF structures already present in the region, including OCBA, OCP, and OCA in Jordan. Together, we aim to generate a strong dynamic in the Middle East, to better understand its challenges and problems, and gain a clearer picture of the medical and humanitarian issues that MSF needs to address, in addition to the support providing beyond the Middle East as per the concerned strategies of each OC.

In 2024-2025 OCG is consolidating the medical support to operations through a Medical Unit based in Amman, attached to the OCG HQ Medical Department. The Medical Unit comprises different positions such as Infectious Disease-Antimicrobial Stewardship, Nursing Care, IPC, Laboratory and Microbiology Advisors with a global scope and several flying implementers positions, and the Medical Unit Team Leader-Strategic Medical Advisor, to boost implementation capacity in OCG missions.

The Operational Center Geneva (OCG) is one of the six operational centers of MSF and has operations in no less than 21 countries in Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and Central America. The Medical Department of OCG (hereafter designated as “the Department”) provides support, advice, monitoring, and guidance activities to the medical aspects of field operations at the Headquarters and/or field level.

The Department is organized thematically, selecting a number of common “medical issues” observed in our missions. Each topic is covered by a medical advisor who has the responsibility of understanding the subject, analyzing the field feedback, and developing better ways of managing medical actions using quality and feasibility as main denominators. The Department has no less than 20 positions and addresses the following topics:  Women & Children’s Health, Nutrition, Vaccination, Infectious diseases,  Tropical diseases, Epidemics, Antimicrobial Resistance, Planetary Health, Noncommunicable Diseases, Mental Health, People as Partners and Quality of Care, Patient Support Education & Counselling, Pharmacy, Laboratory, Nursing, Hospital Management, Surgery, Anesthesia, Emergency care,  Operational Research, Epidemiology, Medical Data, Medical Technologies & Innovation, etc.

In addition to the thematically oriented advisors, the Department also has polyvalent medical advisors (RMPs) attached to the five Cells + Emergency Cells in the Operations Department. They are in charge of the follow-up and implementation of medical issues at the operational level, and act as the main medical conduit to the field.

Scope of responsibilities – objectives of the position

Through delegation from the Amman  Medical Unit Team Leader and based on the roadmap established for the period, the Microbiology  Advisor develops medico-operational solutions requiring specific medical skills and/or in-depth investment, answering to recognized needs set in the medical ambitions including Antimicrobial Resistance (AMR). In that perspective, she/he is proactively monitoring emerging scientific and medical issues that might shape OCG medical practices and ambitions.

General responsibilities:

• Contributes to ensuring best microbiology  practices in MSF OCG Portfolio countries through the provision of technical assistance to the lab teams in the form of ad hoc hands-on support, remote support, on-the-job training

• Improves MSF’s capacity to provide quality medical care by effectively diagnosing and treating bacterial infections, including addressing drug-resistant microbial infections in MSF OCG portfolio countries
• Identification of new diagnostic tools for bacterial infection and antimicrobial sensitivity testing.
• Implementation of diagnostic capacities and antimicrobial surveillance systems in the projects.
• The Microbiology Advisor is together with the Infectious Disease-Antimicrobial Stewardship (AMS) Advisor, the IPC Advisor, and the Amman medical unit team leader forming the OCG AMR team based in Amman.
• Supports OCG missions with recruitment, onboarding, training, and coaching for the related new staff
• Participates in the microbiology-targeted training activities planned and organized by the L&D unit, including the review of training materials.
• The Microbiology Advisor actively contributes to the achievement of OCG microbiology and AMR objectives/ambitions by overseeing the technical and quality aspects of microbiology interventions, providing timely technical guidance and strategic/ programmatic advice, and leading the review, development, and adjustment of the different microbiology tools tailored to the different context. And to this aim:

1. Defines strategies and technical norms related to microbiology
2. Drafts, reviews, and follows the implementation of guidelines, protocols, tools, and SOP
3. As an active member of the MSF International Laboratory Microbiology Working Group -Subgroup Microbiology, she/he defines norms, standards and quality control mechanisms for the setup of microbiology laboratories in the projects
4. Collaborates with the Laboratory Advisor to ensure integration of the microbiology approach in the field routine laboratory and diagnostic activities
5. She/he is an active member of the OCG AMR team
6. Reviews scientific literature on new diagnostic tools related to the scope of AMR and makes recommendations
7. Follows closely the availability of new microbiology diagnostic tools (biomarkers-based tests, point-of-care tools for identification of bacteria,…), as proposed by other WG, and looks for opportunities how to use those in projects
8. Participates in the validation of existing national  microbiology laboratories as reference laboratories for MSF projects in the field
9. Ensures coherence with policies and strategies developed and validated by the medical advisors  in vertical topics or transversal domains (surgery, pediatrics, pharmacy, ER, ICU….)
10. Participates to the OCG HQ medical department meetings
11. Connects with external specialists, if relevant, that could be collaborating with MSF on the topic of microbiology and AMR

2.  Support the different RMPs with regard to the implementation on AMR full package/access to microbiology with strategic and programmatic advice:

• Answers questions and provides feedback on proposals, reports, and relevant documents needing specific technical input in the microbiology Lab field (PoA e.g.).
• Gives technical support on outline of the microbiology labs in collaboration with the Laboratory Advisor
• Development of proposals for medico-operational strategies on critical challenges encountered in the microbiology field in different contexts.
• Provides technical field visits to project sites and exceptional hands-on support, if needed. (e.g. in case of an emergency).
• Follows up data and reports on activities provided by the field and the Cell and conducts critical review and analysis of those data and reports.
• Supports implementation or setting up of bacteriologic lab in the field

3.  Provide direct and timely support to the field team by responding to complex and technical issues requiring expertise or/or development:

• Supports the field team by answering direct clinical and technical questions within the field of microbiology/AMR
• Develop solutions (e.g. protocols, simplified algorithms, training modules, minimum standards, innovative tools, guidelines checklists, and kits as appropriate) that are timely, relevant, contextual, concerted, consolidated, and consistent.
• Field visits for technical support, assessments, monitoring and evaluation, and implementation
• Writes medical reports on all challenges and achievements for his/her projects and domain of expertise.
• Drives and supports the operational research agenda on microbiology in collaboration with the Infectious Disease-AMS Advisor
• Assures compliance to existing Quality Management system (country-specific, MSF, WHO) wherever diagnostic is carried out in order to provide correct results and assure the quality of care for the patients

4. Monitors and analyses Microbiology activity:

• Contributes in the microbiology subgroup to the development of data/ variables and indicators to collect in the field to monitor and evaluate activities around microbiology and ensures these indicators are collected in OCG laboratories
• Performs regular analysis of data and shares outcomes with the medical teams
•  Produces an analytical medical annual report

5. Human resources capacity building and support:

• Identifies training needs, and supports the development and implementation of training in collaboration with the AMR team, Learning and Development Unit, and MSF Medical Academy
• Facilitates online access for the field to all fundamental documents (knowledge management)
• Supports the definition of job profiles and competencies for staff working in microbiology
• Assures the technical briefing & debriefing of medical staff, coordinators/key managers for supported mission countries (as appropriate)
• Covers Laboratory Advisor position during his/ her holiday, sick leave, etc. (and vice versa)

6. Development of the department

• Develops good synergies and collaborations through the coordination and animation of partnerships, the maintenance of networks, internal (Working Groups, other OCs Microbiology and Lab advisors, AMR advisors, etc.) and external to MSF, including experts, medical societies, research, and scientific institutes and universities.
• Identifies new cutting-edge topics in the medical humanitarian context particularly in the microbiology  field, to update OCG’s health and medical ambitions, including AMR
• Overviews and analyzes his/her own domain through capitalization of the medical experiences.
• Selection, compilation, and classification of relevant documentation as part of the OCG’s Knowledge Management.
• Ensures technical surveillance and adapts external knowledge to MSF contexts.
• Enables and contributes to high-level advocacy in order to enhance OCG's chosen agendas in the different missions.
• Participates in the development of the Department’s Plan of Action.
• Participates in the identification of innovative medical challenges for MSF

7. Support the implementation of innovation and operational research projects:

• Properly identifies MSF added value compared with existing resources and expertise, to initiate development and research projects.
• Participates in the project’s objectives and protocols.
• Promotes medical policies and the different strategies related to microbiology and AMR.
• Exchanges, provides, and receives technical support and advice to and by the different departments or field experts to complement their area of domain.
• Participates in the design, writing, and review of publications submitted by field teams.
• Define, analyze, capitalize, document, develop the internal appropriation, publish, and disseminate OCG medical experience.

The Microbiology and Lab Advisors participate in medical seminars, medical department meetings (information sharing), and any other collaborative platform related to their area of medical expertise. They may be asked to assist with an SAE investigation or to respond to the initial phase of any emergency if necessary

CONDITIONS

• Expected starting date: 08th March 2025

• Location: based in Amman (with possible flexibility for 2025), with regular and frequent field visits

• Salary: 3,769 JOD

• Contract type: IRP2

• Adhere to the MSF principles and our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment

Grade: L14 IRFFG

Workplace: Position based in Amman

(With possible flexibility for 2025), with regular and frequent field visits

Duration:

Part-time 50% position for 2025- the possibility of an increase to full-time 100% in 2026

Mobility: regular field visits