Job Opportunities in Spain

LEARNING MANAGER FOR THE OPERATIONS DEPARTMENT (BASED IN ANY OCBA HUB)

ES

Full Time

Operations

GENERAL CONTEXT
Médecins Sans Frontières is an international independent medical-humanitarian organization, which offers assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict, without discrimination and irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation.

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 an association.
Each individual working with MSF does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.

The MSF movement is built around five operational directorates supported by MSF’s 21 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF OCBA is one of those directorates. The operations are implemented by field teams and the mission coordination teams; together with the organizational units based in Barcelona, Athens and decentralised in Nairobi, Dakar and Amman. The field operations are guided and supported by 5 Operational Cells, the Emergency Unit and other departments supporting operations, including the Logistics Department.

JOB ENVIRONMENT - Operations Department
MSF is constantly investing in the capacity building of its locally hired staff (LHS) and international mobile staff (IMS). This is being done by ensuring a progressive learning & development path for the managers (online, blended and face-to-face courses, field assignments), providing appropriate job-aid resources to be used at field level (checklists, videos, infographics), and a large portfolio of learning solutions for all categories and families of staff. Our work during medical humanitarian emergencies makes that our projects are frequently stressful. This makes retention and adequate development of staff another one of our challenges.

Following the Strategic Orientations 2020-2025, we need to invest in more effective support to frontline workers, including learning.

GENERAL OBJECTIVE
The main objective of the Learning Manager for the Operations Department is to ensure the definition of effective learning solutions that respond to the operational needs of OCBA. This translate in these main areas:

• Effective learning paths for Field Coordinators and Heads of Mission
• Effective learning solutions regarding operational areas like Security Management, Emergencies, Humanitarian Affairs, and People Centred Approach

This position is at the crossroads of many partners with responsibilities in the area of L&D, and therefore will require close collaboration and alignment with all of them: the Operations Department, prioritizing learning needs, expressing needs (especially for LHS, but also for IMS) and providing some of the solutions; the Learning Unit and Tembo, providing learning expertise and with the LU also the coordination of learning offer; Pool Management, in charge of the deployment and development of IMS, therefore expressing needs; and the other departments involved in operations, especially the Medical, Logistics and HR departments. The OLM will need to collaborate with representatives of all these areas.

He/she will be hierarchically accountable to Deputy Director of the Operations Department.

MAIN TASKS AND RESPONSABILITIES
The Learning Manager for the Operations Department will be responsible for:

1. Identify, analyse and prioritise the main learning needs regarding staff (FCs and Ho Ms), operational areas (security, emergency, people centred approach, humanitarian affairs), missions, and Operations department.

• This may include to design a performance analysis, whenever necessary, in order to identify the main drivers of low performance, and eventually the gaps that can be covered with learning solutions.

2. Design the most adequate learning solution, taking into consideration target population (size, characteristics, delivery possibilities, access to internet and devices,…), tasks to be learned (complexity, amount, moment in the learning path, connection with other learning solutions,…), and existing learning solutions (in order not to re-invent the wheel, what is already there in OCBA, in MSF and outside; and also to inspire new solutions if needed)

• This includes the update of existing learning solutions, especially regarding:
  • new contents and/or priorities
  • better or innovative methodologies (eg. Virtual reality, etc.)
• This may include the development of learning strategies to respond to organizational, department or mission assessments. It could be for positions (e.g. FC&Ho M Learning Path), operational areas, missions or for the Operations department.
• Ensure a link with knowledge management, through the Operations Knowledge Management Manager, so learning solutions are up-to-date (e.g. links to job aids), they don’t limit to formal training actions (e.g. consider Communities of practice), and a clear link is established with what will be their job.

3. Development of the designed learning solutions. This may include:

• ensuring contents are aligned with the priorities and guidelines of the Operations department and other guidelines and protocols.
• organize the required translations to French, Arabic and/or Spanish.

4. In case as Subject Matter Expert (SME) is required for the analysis, design and development of the learning solutions, organize the convenient recruitment and selection process with the pool managers and the recruitment unit, and do the required administrative procedures to hire the SME.

5. Implementation of the learning solutions, in coordination with the Learning Unit (LU) for international trainings. This may include:

• Annual Plan:
  • Present a proposal to Dep Dir Ops about:
    • number of editions of specific trainings (ERT, Fc-Pmr, etc), languages, dates, seats for OCBA and for other OCs
    • new learning needs detected that requires developing a project in order to analyse them, and then deserve allocation of budget in case new learning solutions may need to be developed
    • number of seats for trainings from other OCs (PSP, ICHA, Management/Leadership,…) and also external to MSF.
  • Present the proposal to LU and adjust dates and budget.
  • Final approval is by Dep Dir Ops
• Get and coordinate the required facilitators:
  • Select them with the pool managers
  • Do the required administrative procedures to hire them
• Ensure the selection of participants is adequate to the learning solution and contributes to the organization’s objectives
• Coordinate with the LU in the organizational logadmin arrangements (ie. Training venue, administration support, equipment and materials, etc.)
• Ensure the learning solutions include evaluations that assess if participants have really learned, and thus can be certified.

6. Implementation of the learning solutions for missions, aligned with the LNAPs. This may include:

• Analyse with mission about what learning solution best fit their needs, and agree about possible dates
• Select the facilitators with the pool managers, the required administrative procedures to hire them, and coordinate them
• Support the mission in the selection of participants
• Support the mission in the selection of the training venue, and ensure all the logadmin arrangements are ready (ie. Training venue, administration support, equipment and materials, etc.)
• Ensure the learning solutions include evaluations that assess if participants have really learned, and thus can be certified.

7. Evaluation of the learning solutions. This may include:

• Ensuring facilitators write a report
• Analyse improvements proposed, agree on key ones and plan their incorporation in the learning solution
• Consider developing additional evaluation methods in order to assess the impact, especially for high priority learning needs, like for FCs, Security management and Emergencies.

8. Manage the projects, either for development of new learning solutions or for their implementation, as agreed during the Annual Plan and in coordination with the LU. This includes:

• Proposal and assignation of the required resources: time, budget, team, quality. For new learning solutions, it will require a project document. As team, normally there will always be at least a SME and an Instructional Designer (ID); often, external suppliers are involved, and sometimes, content owners may also need to be included.
• Project management to ensure success as agreed in the project document or by the Dep Dir Ops, in terms of quality, time, budget and team.

9. Be the focal point of the Operations Department in all aspects regarding learning.

10. Contribute to a better understanding of the barriers faced by our staff regarding learning (access, motivation,…) and potential solutions, and contribute to socialising lessons learned, best practices and innovations regarding learning.

11. In relation with FC/Ho M Learning Path, main objective is to lead the definition and subsequent revisions or updates of the FC/Ho M learning path and ensure their implementation. This includes:

• Design, develop and implement the Ho M Learning Path.
• Ensure the implementation and relevance of the existing FC Learning path. This means:
  • Ensures that the candidates for the path are given proper support during the application process and later while completing the path
  • Is part of the interview committee for the entry process of the FC learning path
  • Facilitate the detection of potential candidates by promoting the concept of the learning path among the key stakeholders (pool management, Fied HR, operations…)
  • Keep up to date with the latest learning solutions that relate to the FC Learning path
  • Periodically, every 6 months revise the FC learning path and keep it updated with the latest and most appropriate dimensions and learning solutions
  • Keep up to date with the developments that influence the learning of the potential FCs (changes in the roles and responsibilities of the FCs, barriers to successful learning, specificities of different target groups)
  • Closely collaborate with the pool managers in identifying potential candidates for the FC/Ho M learning path and with the pool managers for FCs and Ho Ms in following up the development of the candidates in the path, and also of the serving pools (ie. Log, Hrco,..)
• Participate as technical referent in the selection committees for courses covering the operations learning aspects and targeting the FC and Ho M profiles
• Support the revision and implementation of the most relevant courses for the Field Co and Ho M learning path such as FC/PMR course, Scenario Building for Security Management, Advanced Humanitarian Negotiation course, ERT. Act as facilitator when needed.
• Coordinates the Induction process for the externally recruited Field Coordinators

SELECTION CRITERIA

• MSF field experience as FC or Ho M.
• Proven project management experience.
• Analytical skills to assess learning needs.
• Experience in implementation of learning solutions.
• Knowledge of learning principles and its application at program conception, design and development.
• Knowledge of Agile project management methodologies.
• Knowledge of human-centered design methodologies (design thinking, user research, prototyping) and co-creation and participatory processes (solution & delivery design, etc.)
• Ability to combine a creative mindset with strategic thinking.
• English required, French is a big asset. Arabic and Spanish will be appreciated.

CONDITIONS

• Full time job
• Duration: 6 months, till February 2025 (replaces a detachment).
• Annual gross salary: HQ-4A + secondary benefits based on MSF OCBA Reward Policy. Subjected to local conditions.
• Position based in any MSF-OCBA Hub (Barcelona, MSF-Spain office delegations, Amman, Bogota, Dakar or Nairobi).
• Starting date: Immediately

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter:
• Closing date: September 19th, 2024, 23: 59 CET (Central European Time)

MSF is committed to achieving workforce diversity in terms of gender, race, nationality and culture. Individuals from minority groups, indigenous groups and persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply. We are committed to achieving a balanced gender distribution and therefore encourage women to apply.
All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. MSF provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo reference checks.
Médecins Sans Frontieres, as a responsible employer, under article 38 of “Ley de Integración Social del Minusválido de 1982 (LISMI)” invite those persons with a recognized disability and with an interest in the humanitarian area to apply for the above-mentioned position.