HEALTH PROVacancy Announcement
Operations Manager
Work Location: - Colombo, Sri Lanka
About Us
Doctors Without Borders/ Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters and exclusion from healthcare.
MSF offers assistance to people based on need, irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of neutrality and impartiality.
Job Description
JOB PURPOSE
You are responsible for defining and realising country strategies and operations, by overall management of the implementation thereof. You promote and initiate critical reflection and learning within and outside OCA organisation.
Job Overview
- You drive the development of the short- and long- term approach and strategy on medical aid, témoignage and humanitarian aid in assigned countries of operations.
- You provide strategic guidance and support to the Heads of mission. You initiate, lead and manage humanitarian-medical responses, ensure the manageability of the operations from a medical, security management and humanitarian aspect. In doing so, you seek alignment across OC´s and manage the relationship with other departments to realise synergy.
- You safeguard MSF’s different values, principles and policies. You ensure that security management is adapted effectively balancing risk and impact. You ensure that security incidents are managed, and you initiate the response to and advise on critical incidents. You may lead the response after consultation with the (deputy) Director Operations & Advocacy.
- You ensure an information flow from the MT to the members of the desk/ teams, and you represent the desk/ team towards the MT and other departments, to ensure priorities are considered. You organise the desk/ teams and promote and initiate learning and reflection
- You must be willing to work long, and irregular hours and you visit the countries of operations regularly, minimum once a year, including available for travel at short notice to countries of operations. You may spend up to 40% of your time in the countries of operation.
Main Responsibilities
- Facilitate staff reflection on longer-term ambitions and career aspirations, translating thse into actionable career and development plans that benefit both individuals and the organization.
- Coaching of IMS regarding career paths and identify their development needs.
- Providing guidance in the means of development that MSF can offer.
- Team performance, by fostering engagement and a safe working environment.
- Humanitarian Medical Operations strategy, including emergency response security and critical incident management, advocacy and communication strategies, policy framework, policies, developed and implemented in collaboration with other operations managers, HoE-desk, other departments and contributing to sharing and coherence across OC’s.
- Team and performance, ensuring availability of specialised knowledge and skills, fostering engagement and a safe working environment.
- Quality assurance of the country program execution, including compliance with values, principles and policies.
- Advice and support to country program leadership, in general and on critical incidents
- Contribution to wider development of MSF strategy through critical reflection and learning within and outside the organisation.
- Budget, agreed upon and realised.
- Budget, agreed upon and realisedReports, including on progress of team and program objectives
KEY INTERACTIONS
- Heads of mission (3-6 at the time)
- Operations Advisor
- Operations Officer
- OST members (functionally)
- +/- 2500 staff (indirect)
Requirements
Educational Qualifications & Functional / Technical Skills
Masters in (Humanitarian) practice, social or political sciences, or Graduate in (an area related to) operations, logistics, business administration
Relevant Experience
- 8+ years of field experience in humanitarian aid, plus senior management.
- Broad knowledge of security management, policy formulation, financial and human resource management.
Other requirements?
- English essential. French and/or Arabic, Spanish desirable
- Planning and Organizing
- Results and Quality Orientation
- Networking and Building Relationships
- Behavioural Flexibility
Benefits
We offer:
- Contract duration is three year with a possibility of extension for another three years.
- A stimulating, professional environment in a reputed international organization.
- Compensation gross per month range USD 3423 - USD 4881 – (Salary is offered in line with our pay framework and typically starts at the entry point of the band. Salary increases are considered annually; final salary will depend on the scaling of the CV as per MSF criteria).
- 13th Month bonus (equivalent to one month gross) will be additional.
- Medical: MSF provides medical reimbursement for employees and their dependents as per MSF health care policy.
- This is an international vacancy with MSF South Asia and we provide MSF South Asia’s international package benefits of monthly housing allowance (USD 734 for single / USD 916 for family) , child education allowance (up to USD 417 per child, annual holiday ticket and relocation package.
- * All benefits (salaries, allowances, etc) are subject to tax deduction*
** Non-Sri Lankan staff working in Sri Lanka and holding a resident permit are considered tax residents and are liable for income tax at progressive rates up to 36% on total income, inclusive of salary and benefits. As Sri Lanka operates on a self-assessment basis, staff are required to register for a Taxpayer Identification Number (TIN), make quarterly advance tax payments as applicable. **
HOW TO APPLY: Please send a copy of your CV together with a letter of motivation (both should be in one document) by clicking on the link below:
Application Checklist:
Please check that you have included the following in your application:
-An updated CV, Letter of Motivation, which is a supporting statement demonstrating how you meet the key requirements of the role. (both documents should be uploaded as one file - MSWords or PDF).
Last application date: 12th July 2026
Remarks: Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.