Health Promotor

MSF is an international, independent medical humanitarian organisation. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation. MSF was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, we are a worldwide movement of more than 63,000 people. 

MSF coordinates operations through collaborations between global offices. The ‘MSF Operational Centre Amsterdam’ (OCA) is a partnership that is composed of the partners MSF-Canada, MSF-Germany, MSF-SARA, MSF-Sweden, MSF-Holland and MSF-United Kingdom. MSF-OCA has a team of more than 11,000 staff working in 115 emergency projects in about 31 countries. 

The office of MSF-Holland located in Amsterdam hosts more than 400 employees, offering direct support to MSF-OCA operations. Around 50 staff focus on recruitment, communication and fundraising and 350 staff are focused on supporting MSF-OCA operations.  

MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such, MSF is by choice (Chantilly) an association. Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and commitment and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.  

At Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) / Artsen zonder Grenzen, we are committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports the diverse voices of our employees. We encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, nationalities, races, religions, beliefs, disability status, and all other diversity characteristics.  

Health Promoter

Objectives and responsibilities of the position

As a health promoter you will assess, define, implement and supervise all Health Promotion and Community Engagement (HPCE) activities in the project area. These activities are aimed towards increasing the community’s knowledge on health (risks), improving current health practices, promoting MSF services and supporting preventive activities with community collaboration.

This will be achieved through outreach activities bridging project and targeted population, while respecting the culture and practices of different communities to optimize our information, education and communication strategies. You will analyze local culture, traditions and health perception to support the social mapping and adapt effective health practices while maintaining a strong link to our medical activities. Responsibilities also include developing and adapting our HP-material according your analyses to ensure relevance, adequacy and comprehension. As this is a supervising role, other crucial elements are recruitment, training, evaluation and development of the (local) HP staff of the project.

Candidate profile

• Bachelor or Master’s degree in Anthropology or Social Sciences, Health Promotion, Public Health, Global Health, International Relations, Social Communications and Nurse Specialisms
• At least 6 months of professional and relevant 'hands-on' experience working in Health Promotion, education or prevention (i.e. HIV, SGBV) in resource poor communities
• At least one year of management experience after certification
• A strong command of the English language
• The capacity to motivate and manage team members, guide staff development and identify training needs
• Ability to cope with stress and to organize and prioritize workload
• Willingness to work in an unstable and insecure environment
• Availability of at least 9 months

Strong Assets

• MSc in Health Education and Promotion
• Additional degrees/experience in graphic design, social marketing or educational design
• Experience with community work
• Knowledge of software like Photoshop, Moviemaker and Illustrator
• Experience in qualitative research (such as surveys) is a plus
• Work experience in an emergency setting
• Previous experience with a similar non-governmental organization abroad
• Fluency in French and/or Arabic language

Information and Application

If you recognise yourself in this profile and meet the requirements, we welcome you to apply  directly via the Apply button on this page and upload the following documents:

• Your most recent English CV not exceeding 3 pages
• A cover letter explaining your motivation to work with MSF
• A clear scan of your relevant diploma’s and certificates

In MSF we are strongly committed to professionalism and responsible behaviour and therefore the final phase of the application process is a background screening. Such screening can consist out of an identity check, check of employment history, reference check and declaration on behaviour.

If you are interested and would like to have additional information, please contact Recruitment, recruitment@amsterdam.msf.org.