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Board Support Officer

Deadline for submission
Location
Belgium
Expertise Transversal & Support
Length of contract Indefinite
Language skills French English
MSF experience required No previous MSF experience required
Contract type Open ended
Time allocation Full time
Work model On site
Travel requirements Must be willing to travel for work as needed
Interested ? Apply here
Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international humanitarian aid organization that provides assistance in more than 70 countries to populations in distress, to victims of natural or manmade disasters and to victims of armed conflicts, without discrimination and irrespective of origin, religion, creed or political affiliation.  

Board Support Officer (m/f/x) – Brussels – MSF Belgium 

CONTEXT  

MSF is a worldwide movement of 27 associations, 6 operational directorates, 24 sections and 18 Branch offices.  They are bound together in the MSF international association. MSF-Belgium is the legal hub for the operational center in Brussels (MSF-OCB) which is run by 9 MSF associations (Belgium, Brazil, Denmark, Hong Kong, Italy, Luxemburg, Norway, South Africa and Sweden) and two branch offices (Lebanon and Finland). The role of the MSF-B/OCB association is to ensure good governance and to safeguard the MSF identity and core principles.  

Being employed by MSF means adhering to MSF’s humanitarian principles: neutrality, impartiality and independence. The beneficiaries of MSF, the patients, are at the core of everything that MSF does. Medical ethics and voluntarism are part of the MSF spirit. 

Together with the President and the Association team (three employees), the Board Support Officer forms the Board and Association Team. The Board Support Officer will be supporting and assisting the Boards of MSF Belgium and OCB.  

You, as Board Support Officer, serve as a crucial link between the Boards and the Executive, especially in terms of planning and information sharing. Your role involves close collaboration with the Association Team, the President and the General Director (GD), as well as similar roles in other MSF sections, when needed. 

You are tasked to support the President and the Boards of Directors (BoD) as well as to be a liaison between the BoD and the Executive. Your role ensures that the President and the BoD have the required means to fulfill their respective mandates and roles effectively. As Board Support Officer, you provide administrative, logistical and governance support to the President, the Board and the Executive. Though the focus is on administrative support, the position is both administrative and strategic in nature. 

MAIN RESPONSIBILITIES 

ADMINISTRATIVE AND LOGISTICAL SUPPORT TO THE PRESIDENT AND THE BOARDS  

  • Support the President and other members of the Boards as needed: day to day business, travel bookings, meetings, preparation of documents etc. 

  • Carry full responsibility for the administrative and logistic support and follow up of all board meetings (BM): 

    - Responsible for the logistics around BM for board members and guests: visas, transportation, hotel bookings, catering, room preparation and audio/video setup etc.   

    - Prepare and disseminate the agenda to all participants in a timely manner

    - Receive and organize supporting documents related to the BM from the Executive and others

    - Take minutes at the BM and ensure complete and precise outcomes and minutes are produced promptly

    - Update, track and follow-up on outcomes in the decision log, flagging for deadlines and new requests Keeping the President and the Secretaries of the Boards regularly updated

    - Ensure accurate filing and sharing of all board meeting agenda/minutes and outcomes

  • Support the Board functioning committee of the Boards on request by the President: administrative and logistical support, call for meetings, agenda and minutes as well as follow up. Can support/lead other committees if agreed together with the President and the concerned working group
  • Administer and join meetings, upon request by the President
  • Archive documents and make sure the Association has access to relevant governance documents through the platforms defined (SharePoint, Inside OCB, Teams, Souk etc.) 
  • Co-own the Board and Association Teams and SharePoint channels with the Association team and the President 

GOVERNANCE SUPPORT 

  • Act as a liaison between the Boards and the Directors (CoDir), by coordinating activities and communication between the Boards and the executives. 
  • Fiduciary understanding of the governance of MSF B and OCB, and the application thereof in support of the Boards. 
  • Support the President in creating the appropriate agenda in connection to the Annual Cycle and relevant strategic issues. 
  • Support the President in developing the Board work and board training. 
  • Ensure that the Boards priorities and activities with the annual activity planning and control cycle, are updated on yearly basis and shared with the General Director and dep. General Directors (Yearly plan/Board plan). 
  • Collect, synthesize and present information at board meetings or other associative forums, when requested. 
  • Interact with all members of the Boards. 

  • Ensure compliance with formal and legal procedures of MSF Belgium as an Association: 

    - Ensure that the steering documents (e.g., Statutes and Internal Rules (IR)) are up to date and comply with both MSF and national regulations (Moniteur belge). 

    - Review and update the Statutes and IR every year. Ensure they follow national regulations, movement requirements and ensuring a good governance of MSF Belgium - liaise with the Association team.  

    - Prepare and send updated decisions and other steering documents as required by operations, finance department and the Moniteur belge, in a timely manner. 

COORDINATE, MONITOR AND REPORT 

  • Coordinate with the Association team to develop and carry out the Yearly Plan and budget in relation to the MSF Belgium and OCB Boards.  
  • Support the Association team in the follow up and evaluation of results and actions throughout the year in relation to the Yearly Plan.  
  • Propose, and together with the President, monitor / follow up the boards’ budgets. 
  • Monitor and report expenses and ensure relevant suppliers and invoices are filed according to the procedures. 
  • Take full responsibility for the creation of reports when requested to.  
  • Support the planning and organizing of larger MSF associative events (such as GA and Gathering), when requested by the President.  
  • The scope and responsibilities of the position might slightly evolve/change as the set-up is under revision 

REQUIREMENTS 

Education & experience 

  • Higher education degree (preferably in business administration, political science or equivalent) required 
  • At least 2 years of professional experience in similar position (Executive assistant or similar) required 
  • Humanitarian and/or volunteer experience is an asset  
  • Project management and event coordination is an asset 
  • Experience and knowledge of board and associative work, administration and governance, is an asset 

Competencies 

  • Excellent organizational, planning and time management skills  
  • Strong interpersonal and communication skills (written and oral) 
  • Ability and willingness to work autonomously and to take initiatives 
  • Ability to take minutes, synthesize complex and sensitive material, document decisions and topics for follow up, produce information material 
  • Ability to work under pressure, with tight and often changing deadlines whilst maintaining the appropriate priorities and needed communication 
  • Service-oriented, creative and dynamic 
  • Proficient with Office 365, MS Office applications (Word/Excel/PowerPoint, etc.), at ease with other software  

Languages 

  • Fluency in English and French mandatory (spoken and written)  
  • Dutch is an asset 

CONDITIONS 

  • Expected starting date: As soon as possible  
  • Location: Brussels (Belgium)  
  • Mobility: available for 3 to 4 international meetings a year in various MSF offices 
  • Contract type: Open-ended contract – full time - maximum 2 days of homeworking per week 
  • Salary according to MSF-OCB HQ grid 
  • Meal Vouchers - Hospital Insurance (DKV) – Pension Plan – 100% reimbursement for public transportation costs 
  • The position requires flexibility in working hours during evening and weekends    
  • 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:  31st of July 2024

How to apply? 

Online applications to submitted via the  following link. After clicking on this link, you will be directed to our online application tool.  

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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