We are always looking for competent people who are willing to live and work within an international team, share their skills and dedicate their time to support our medical humanitarian work around
the world.

CURRENTLY NEEDED

Recent international emergencies have led to a continued demand for field workers from a range of backgrounds. We have a particular need for Midwives, Gynaecologists, Anaesthetists and Surgeons. Check the profession-specific requirement criteria and if this is you, we'd love to hear from you.

Updated 22/07/10

: © Tom Quinn/MSF

OVERSEAS FIELD WORK

Every year Médecins Sans Frontières sends around 3,000 international field workers to work alongside 22,000 national staff in countries around the world. There they work together to bring emergency medical assistance to the people who need it most and may otherwise have no access to even the most basic life-saving health services.

ESSENTIAL CRITERIA FOR ALL POTENTIAL FIELD WORKERS

Commitment to the aims and values of Médecins Sans Frontières
Minimum two years of professional experience post-qualification
Experience in supervising, training and managing others
Demonstrated ability to work well as a part of a multi-cultural and multi-disciplinary team
Ability to organise, prioritise workload and use initiative
Willingness to work in potentially unstable environments
Relevant travel or work experience in indigenous/remote/developing/cross-cultural communities
Ability to cope with stress
Available to work in the field for a minimum of nine months (exceptions for some profiles; refer to your specific profession)

People with a medical background also require current and valid registration with the appropriate board/authority, and must display no recent gap in clinical experience greater than two years.

DESIRABLE CRITERIA

Intermediate or better competencies in speaking French, Spanish, Portuguese, Arabic, Russian or other field-relevant languages
Interest and/or experience in international humanitarian issues, international relations, anthropology
Previous field experience in a similar role with a non-government organisation

PROFESSION-SPECIFIC CRITERIA

As an emergency medical organisation, we are reliant on people with medical backgrounds. However supporting our medical teams are a host of professionals from a wide variety of backgrounds, all of whom contribute in their own unique way to help. Regardless of whether your professional background is in medicine, engineering, management, humanitarian work or something totally different, what matters most is that you have the right attitude and approach and are ready to hit the ground running with the right skills to help us deliver emergency medical assistance to the people who need it most.

MEDICAL

OTHER BACKGROUNDS & EXPERIENCES

Logisticians- skills and experience in at least 3 of:
- engineering
- architecture
- mechanics
- construction
- electronics and/or electricity
- water and sanitation
- supply management
- event and/or project management
Administration / Finance / Human Resources - experience gained in areas such as:
- business and/or general management
- financial or human resources management
- event and/or project management
- marketing, fundraising, journalism
- law

WHY JOIN OUR TEAM?

Everyone's motivation is different but all of them want to dedicate part of their lives to assisting people who need help. You will be genuinely interested in people from other cultures, you will want to pass on your knowledge, experience and skills to others and you will be willing to invest personally in their beliefs by being away from your family and friends for nine to twelve months and by settling for an indemnity that can in no way match what they would earn back home.

PREPARATION FOR DEPARTURE
Everyone who works with us is sent on a preparatory course or an alternative specific briefing before they leave for their first project. Some people will have additional or more job-specific briefings to make sure you’re well prepared for your experience in the field.

THE PACKAGE
All of our field workers are insured for health, medical repatriation, death and disability for the period of their project. We also pay all costs associated with the work including your travel from home to the project, other travel costs and living expenses while you’re away.
The basic monthly stipend for people without previous relevant field experience for the first 12 months is $1400.

COUPLES IN THE FIELD, VISITS FROM FAMILY AND FRIENDS
The first time you go to the field you will not be permitted to take your partner or family with you due to the difficult contexts we work in and they will not be able to join you at any stage in the project. Under normal circumstances it is also impossible to place you in a project with a friend or partner, even if they too work for us or want to work with us. Occasionally it will be possible to make your own arrangements for travel during periods of leave or holidays, however this is dependent on the project you are working in and the length of time you are away for.
Once you have successfully completed your first field placement, if you decide you would like to return for more, there are a limited amount of long-term projects where partners and sometimes families are permitted. More information is available about this by request on return from your first project.

Who we need

Where we are working

Sydney