Project Manager

In 2022, the Full ExCom agreed that the next iteration of our planning and resourcing cycle would be integrating resource allocation and strategic planning. This process, known as the Strategic Planning and Resource Cycle (SPARC), aims to:

• Consolidate ongoing transformative projects
• Direct the movement’s collective strategic direction
• Develop mutual accountability in planning and resourcing

The SPARC 2026-2031 process will be constructed around, and built on current initiatives to propose Movement-wide priorities, focusing on implementation capacity, governance alignment, and collective accountability mechanisms.

The SPARC development process will design, propose and develop effective mechanisms to implement these directions via several workstreams (1. direction and commitments; 2a. enable and oversee (non-financial focus), 2b. enable and oversee (financial focus))

The SPARC Project Manager reports to the Secretary General and collaborates very closely with the Deputy SG and other with key stakeholders, including Core + GDs, the Transformational Portfolio Lead, and various executive and associative platforms (e.g. SPARC Steering Committee, Full ExCom, IB, OC and Section Boards).

In close collaboration and with support from the Core+ GDs , and under the oversight of the Steering Committee, the SPARC Project Manager will coordinate all aspects of the SPARC project, ensuring the coherence and timely progress of multiple workstreams and stakeholder engagement. The PM will apply design processes across these workstreams to meet project deadlines and objectives.

Project Coordination:

• Oversee all aspects of the SPARC development process – including macro and micro planning.
• Monitor and manage risks, implement, and track execution.
• Report to the SPARC Steering Committee on project status and deliverables.
• Manage the portfolio of all workstreams and related projects and initiatives
• Design and Implementation:
• Develop detailed processes, establish principles, and refine scope for work for each workstream.
• Gather perspectives from key MSF expert groups and different consultation processes.
• Analyse existing findings and identify current complementarity and overlap in content.
• Stakeholder Engagement:
• Lead the development and implementation of the communication and engagement strategy.
• Secure political buy-in and collective ownership across the movement.
• Reporting and Accountability:
• Design a monitoring framework for final outcomes.
• Regularly inform the sub-committee of progress and provide updates for guidance.
• Prepare materials to effectively communicate with the different stakeholders
• Ensure timely surfacing of implementation risks and facilitate effective risk mitigation strategies.

Experience:

• In-depth knowledge of MSF functioning and structure.
• Extensive experience in managing projects with multiple stakeholders in a complex environment.

Skills:

• Strong organizational, strategic planning and project management skills.
•  Robust understanding of stakeholder management and governance in a humanitarian organisation.
•  Ability to understand the MSF political architecture, dynamics and drivers and to engage effectively across the organisation.
•  Ability to develop, comprehend, effectively apply, and successfully communicate complex information to enable decision-making, commitment, and alignment.
•  Well experienced in building and managing relationships within a complex stakeholder network.
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and change management skills.
• Diplomacy and resilience, capacity to persuade.
• Ability to work in a cross-cultural and cross-functional environment.
• Demonstrated excellent problem-solving abilities.
• Drive for improvement and innovation.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure, displaying sound initiative and judgment.
• Problem solving, analysis and root cause identification skills.
• Expertise and knowledge of how to work in a virtual environment, skilled with use of new IT tools and apps.
• Fluently spoken and written English, other language is an asset.