Application Guide

How to Apply for COMMUNICATIONS DIRECTOR MSF-OCBA

at Médecins Sans Frontières

🏢 About Médecins Sans Frontières

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is unique as an independent medical-humanitarian organization that operates on the principle of bearing witness, providing aid without discrimination based on race, religion, or political affiliation. Working at MSF means contributing to life-saving missions in conflict zones and disasters, driven by medical ethics and humanitarian principles rather than political agendas. The OCBA (Operational Centre Barcelona-Athens) section specifically focuses on Mediterranean and Latin American contexts, offering a chance to shape humanitarian narratives in critical regions.

About This Role

As Communications Director for MSF-OCBA, you'll lead a 40-person multidisciplinary team to ensure MSF's voice is strategic and principled in humanitarian debates, directly influencing advocacy and fundraising efforts. This role involves defining public communication strategies that bear witness to patients' experiences while enhancing organizational legitimacy and visibility. Your work will bridge field operations with global audiences, making complex humanitarian crises understandable and actionable for supporters and policymakers.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day might start with coordinating with field teams in different time zones about emerging crises, then mentoring media officers on sensitive story development. Afternoon could involve strategic planning sessions with advocacy colleagues about upcoming policy moments, followed by reviewing digital content that balances witness principles with public engagement goals. You'd regularly interface with OCBA's management team on organizational direction while ensuring communications support operational needs.

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🎯 Who Médecins Sans Frontières Is Looking For

  • Has 8+ years managing large, diverse teams in international humanitarian settings, preferably with MSF field experience in communications or advocacy roles
  • Demonstrates proven crisis communication skills in high-pressure environments like conflict zones or natural disasters, with portfolio examples
  • Possesses deep understanding of Mediterranean/Latin American humanitarian contexts and MSF's operational challenges in these regions
  • Can balance strategic leadership with hands-on mentoring of specialists in media, digital, creative content, and public engagement

📝 Tips for Applying to Médecins Sans Frontières

1

Highlight specific MSF or humanitarian field communications experience, quantifying impact (e.g., 'managed communications during 3 emergency responses reaching 2M people')

2

Demonstrate understanding of MSF's 'bearing witness' principle with examples of ethical communication in sensitive contexts

3

Show OCBA-specific knowledge by referencing their Mediterranean migration or Latin American operations in your materials

4

Emphasize remote leadership experience managing distributed teams across time zones, crucial for this remote role

5

Include concrete examples of communications driving advocacy outcomes or fundraising success in humanitarian settings

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

["Your philosophy on ethical humanitarian communication and bearing witness in MSF's contexts", 'Specific experience managing large, multidisciplinary teams in international organizations, especially remotely', 'Examples of communications strategies that advanced advocacy or fundraising goals in humanitarian settings', "Understanding of OCBA's operational priorities in Mediterranean and Latin American regions"]

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → OCBA's recent operational communications about Mediterranean migration or Latin American crises
  • → MSF's internal debates about 'speaking out' versus 'silent presence' in different contexts
  • → The structure and challenges of MSF's decentralized operational sections (OCBA vs OCB vs OCP etc.)
  • → Current advocacy priorities for MSF-OCBA regarding EU migration policies or Latin American conflicts
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you handle communications during a sensitive MSF withdrawal from a conflict zone while maintaining witness principles?
2 Describe your approach to mentoring 40 specialists across different communications disciplines remotely
3 What metrics would you use to measure the impact of OCBA's communications on advocacy goals?
4 How would you balance immediate crisis response with long-term strategic communications planning?
5 Discuss a time your communications strategy faced ethical dilemmas in a humanitarian context and how you resolved it
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Using corporate marketing language instead of humanitarian communications framing
  • Failing to demonstrate specific knowledge of MSF's operational principles and ethical dilemmas
  • Overemphasizing technical skills without showing understanding of humanitarian context complexities

📅 Application Timeline

⏰ Deadline: March 4, 2026

We recommend applying at least a few days early to avoid last-minute technical issues.

Typical hiring timeline:

1

Application Review

1-2 weeks

2

Initial Screening

Phone call or written assessment

3

Interviews

1-2 rounds, usually virtual

✓

Offer

Congratulations!

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Good luck with your application to Médecins Sans Frontières!

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