Application Guide

How to Apply for HUMAN RESOURCES COORDINATOR (FRENCH & ENGLISH SPEAKING)

at Médecins Sans Frontières

🏢 About Médecins Sans Frontières

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is unique as an independent medical-humanitarian organization that operates without political or religious affiliation, providing impartial care in conflict zones and disaster areas. Working here offers the opportunity to directly support life-saving missions while upholding core principles of neutrality, impartiality, and medical ethics in challenging environments.

About This Role

As HR Coordinator, you'll design and implement HR policies across MSF missions, ensuring alignment with humanitarian contexts while managing legal and administrative responsibilities. This role is impactful because you'll directly support field teams delivering medical care in crisis zones, enabling them to focus on saving lives through effective HR management.

💡 A Day in the Life

A typical day involves coordinating with field HR teams across different time zones to address urgent staffing needs, reviewing and adapting HR policies for specific mission contexts, and participating in mission coordination meetings to align HR strategy with operational priorities. You might resolve legal compliance issues for multiple countries while supporting recruitment for emergency response teams.

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🎯 Who Médecins Sans Frontières Is Looking For

  • Has 3+ years of HR management experience in NGO field operations, specifically in humanitarian contexts with international organizations
  • Holds a degree in HR management or administration and has coordinated HR teams in capital and field locations
  • Is fluent in both French and English (Spanish or Arabic is a strong plus) with experience working in multilingual humanitarian settings
  • Can demonstrate experience adapting HR policies to complex operational challenges in unstable environments

📝 Tips for Applying to Médecins Sans Frontières

1

Highlight specific examples of developing HR policies for humanitarian field operations, not just general HR experience

2

Explicitly mention your French and English proficiency levels and provide examples of using both languages professionally in humanitarian contexts

3

Detail your experience with administrative/legal HR issues in international settings, especially in countries where MSF operates

4

Connect your HR management philosophy to MSF's principles of neutrality and impartiality in humanitarian work

5

Quantify your impact on previous missions (e.g., 'managed HR for 50+ staff across 3 field locations during emergency response')

✉️ What to Emphasize in Your Cover Letter

['Your experience adapting HR policies to humanitarian field contexts and unstable environments', 'Specific examples of managing HR administrative/legal issues in international NGO settings', "How you've contributed to mission objectives through strategic HR planning in previous roles", 'Your ability to work in French and English within multicultural humanitarian teams']

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🔍 Research Before Applying

To stand out, make sure you've researched:

  • → MSF's current operational priorities and countries where they have active missions (especially French-speaking regions)
  • → MSF's specific HR challenges mentioned in their annual reports or field blogs
  • → The organization's management structure and how HR coordinates between headquarters and field operations
  • → Recent MSF statements about operational challenges in specific humanitarian contexts
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💬 Prepare for These Interview Topics

Based on this role, you may be asked about:

1 How would you adapt HR policies for a mission facing sudden security deterioration or natural disaster?
2 Describe your experience managing HR legal compliance in multiple countries simultaneously
3 How do you balance standardized HR procedures with the unique needs of different field locations?
4 Share an example of resolving a complex HR issue in a humanitarian context with cultural/language barriers
5 How would you support HR teams in field locations while working remotely as this position requires?
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⚠️ Common Mistakes to Avoid

  • Focusing only on corporate HR experience without demonstrating humanitarian/field context adaptation
  • Not providing specific examples of working in French-English bilingual environments
  • Applying with generic NGO experience rather than specific international humanitarian organization field experience

📅 Application Timeline

⏰ Deadline: March 19, 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!

Ready to Apply?

Good luck with your application to Médecins Sans Frontières!

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