OT Nursing Care Referent

CONTEXT  

The medical departments within MSF play a strategic role in defining how MSF’s medical strategy is implemented, ensuring both coherence and quality across operations. They provide strategic support throughout the project cycle, combining a normative function with technical guidance for implementation and follow-up. Additionally, they ensure knowledge transfer to the medical workforce and foster research and innovation by challenging current practices and exploring new approaches. 

MSF Belgium (OCB – Operational Center Brussels), MSF Switzerland (OCG – Operational Center Geneva), and MSF France (OCP – Operational Center Paris) are jointly recruiting an Operating Theatre (OT) Nurse Referent. 

Depending on the location, the OT Nurse Referent will have one line manager in one of the Operational Centers who will be coordinating closely with similar supervisors in the two other Operational Centers to determine objectives, prioritization of project visits, etc. 

Surgery remains a core element of MSF’s work, with around 130,000 surgical interventions performed each year. Providing safe surgical care in austere environments is particularly challenging. MSF surgical teams include the surgical provider, anesthesia provider, and OT nurse - each with specific, well-defined responsibilities supported by MSF protocols and intra-operative guidelines. 

As OT Nursing Care Referent, you will help ensure high-quality care by developing the missing normative guidance for OT nursing practices and by providing strategic and technical support to surgical teams across MSF projects. 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 

Provide Normative Guidance to OT Nursing Staff 

• Map existing guidance for OT nursing staff and identify gaps based on the current mapping document 

• Prioritize, create and implement essential documents and tools on specific OT topics:  

• Nursing care in the OT 

• Nursing participation in surgical procedures and assisting surgeons 

• Sterilization (in collaboration with IPC referents responsible for sterilization norms) 

• Flow management in and out of the OT (patient, material and waste) 

• OT preparedness for mass-casualty incidents (including workflows, staffing patterns, and rapid-turnover OT procedures) 

• Develop patient safety and quality-of-care tools in close collaboration with the intersectional nursing and surgery platforms 

• Collaborate with referents to strengthen a perioperative approach that encompasses the patient’s full continuum of care and reinforces the central role of nursing within it (recovery room, ICU, surgery ward, ambulatory care) 

• Provide strategic direction and technical expertise to referents/advisors in related specialties (e.g., Nursing, Hospital Management, Surgery) to ensure proper implementation of OT protocols and alignment with organizational standards 

• Encourage documentation of innovative OT practices, contribute to operational research, and evaluate new practices relevant to OT nursing in low-resource environments 

• Organize and structure documents for easy access by all MSF staff 

• Participate in surgical care and nursing platforms when relevant 

Support Operational Departments and Projects of OCB, OCG, OCP 

• Provide technical support to OT nurses in the projects remotely or during visits to the projects to ensure application of normative guidance 

• Assist operational departments and projects in defining strategic decisions related to OT nursing care during project design and review 

Contribute to OT Nursing Workforce Recruitment and Development 

• Support capacity-building initiatives by reviewing content and providing guidance for on-the-job training. 

• Assist HR in validating new applications for the IMS OT nursing staff pool and, when needed, support recruitment of OT nurses at project level 

REQUIREMENTS 

Education & Experience 

• A bachelor’s degree in nursing science with specialization in OT
• Minimum 5 years of clinical experience as OT nurse (including in sterilization and preferably in different surgical specialties) and supervision experience
• Minimum 2 years of international experience with MSF or a similar international organization in low resources settings 

Competencies 

• Strong analytical skills and good ability to prioritize 

• Good team player 

• Flexibility and good adaptation towards changing contextual challenges 

• Good communication skills: active listener, communicate clearly and effectively, sense of diplomacy and pedagogy
• Capacity to influence and persuade
• Ability to establish and retain positive working relationships (internally and externally)  
• Cultural awareness and adaptability  

Languages 

• Proficiency in English, spoken and written is mandatory 

• Good knowledge of French is a strong asset 

CONDITIONS 

• Expected starting date: February 2026 

• Location*: Brussels, Berlin or Paris 

*Other location(s) where there is an MSF entity could be discussed. The final outcome depends on the residency of the candidate, the local legal limitations (residency, work permit, etc.) and on agreement with the hosting MSF entity of these locations   

• Contract type: Fixed-term contract – full-time 

• Contract length: 1 year (possibility of extension) 

• Mobility: 25% in MSF projects/year 

• The contractual terms and conditions will be established according to the place of work, legal constraints and in respect of MSF standard function and salary grids     

• Adhere to the MSF principles and to our managerial values: Respect, Transparency, Integrity, Accountability, Trust and Empowerment 

• Adhere to the MSF Behavioral Commitments 

Deadline for applications: 12th of January 2026 

How to apply? 

➢ Submit your application via the 'Apply here' button     
➢ You will be directed to the online application form for this position    
➢It should take 5-10 minutes to complete. Thank you in advance for having your CV and motivation letter and proof of a valid nursing registration ready to upload (in pdf format)   

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. 

MSF values diversity and is committed to creating an inclusive working environment. We welcome applications from all qualified candidates regardless of disability, gender identity, marital or civil partnership status, race, color or ethnic and national origins, religion or belief, or sexual orientation. 

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