Humanitarian Representation Team (HRT) Officer

The Humanitarian Representation Team (HRT) Officer is a key position based in Nairobi, which continues to consolidate its role as a regional humanitarian, diplomatic, and analytical hub. This role focuses on strengthening MSF's regional representation and strategic networking, ensuring coherent engagement across multiple country contexts in East Africa and the Horn of Africa, including Sudan, South Sudan, Ethiopia, and Somalia. The HRT Officer supports the HRT East Africa (EA) and African Union (AU) representatives by providing analysis, managing information sharing, and identifying engagement opportunities with key stakeholders. The role involves supporting internal coordination and analysis at various platforms defined by the HRT EA and HRT AU, including facilitating intersectional discussions for regional contexts.

Key Responsibilities

Internal Coordination and Analysis

• Meeting Management: Prepare agendas, attend weekly Interdesk meetings, and prepare minutes for approval and internal distribution across relevant platforms.
• Regional Analysis: Provide monitoring, analysis, and reporting on key stakeholders and potential engagement opportunities aligned with MSF operational priorities.
• Information Sharing: Ensure systematized sharing of information among Interdesk and HRT members, including operational developments and strategy updates when requested.
• Coordination Support: Support the facilitation of intersectional discussions for the contexts in the region along with HRT EA.
• Tools Maintenance: Manage and improve tools for intersectional coordination, including the engagement and networking portion of the intersectional SharePoint platform and contact lists.

External Engagement and Representation

• Strategic Networking: Support the development and implementation of MSF engagement plans and intersectional engagement frameworks.
• Meeting Organisation: Propose and organise external meetings, including senior-level visits, and consolidate talking points or briefing notes.
• Representation: Represent MSF in external meetings when delegated, advocating for access, security, and humanitarian operational space.
• Stakeholder Mapping: Identify influential interlocutors within civil society, government circles, and regional bodies like IGAD.
• Monitoring Trends: Provide updates on humanitarian aid system dynamics (NGO/Donor planning, Red Cross movement activities) to increase the leverage of MSF advocacy.

Main Deliverables

• Interdesk minutes prepared, shared, and uploaded.
• Weekly overview of engagement opportunities in Nairobi, Addis Ababa, and at HRT Secretariat levels.
• Regular updates to contact logbooks and engagement trackers.
• Notes from ad hoc calls and relevant events or conferences.
• Talking points for HRT engagements prepared in coordination with relevant colleagues.

Requirements and Qualifications

• Education: Degree in International Relations, International Development, Humanitarian Studies, or a related field.
• Experience: Minimum five years’ experience in humanitarian affairs or similar positions at international or national levels. MSF experience is highly desired; general humanitarian experience is mandatory.
• Context Knowledge: Strong understanding of the East African humanitarian context and transversal global health/humanitarian themes.
• Technical Skills: Strong command of monitoring, analysis, and reporting methods for political and humanitarian contexts.
• Communication: High proficiency in both written and spoken communication.
• Soft Skills: Ability to collaborate with diverse multicultural teams, work independently, and be proactive in problem-solving.
• Languages: English is required. Arabic is a strong asset.
• Mobility: Some travel to mission and project locations should be anticipated.