Head of ICT - MSF Ubuntu

Do your skills and experience not precisely match the requirements? At MSF EA, we strive to create a safe, diverse and inclusive workplace, recognizing the need to increase access to professional opportunities for historically underrepresented groups. If you're interested in this position but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the selection criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the ideal candidate for this or other positions. 

Firmly committed to safeguarding patients, community members, staff, and all those in contact with the organization from all forms of abuse, including sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment (SEAH), we will take all necessary steps, through rigorous vetting processes, to ensure that confirmed perpetrators of abuse do not join the organization.

For this position, contact level with patients and children is categorized as Low risk and will be monitored with this in regard.

Introduction

Médecins Sans Frontières/Doctors Without Borders (MSF) is an international independent medical humanitarian organisation that provides assistance to people affected by conflicts, epidemics, and natural or human-made disasters and excluded from healthcare. We provide this assistance without discrimination, irrespective of race, religion, creed or political affiliation. 

About MSF Eastern Africa

MSF Eastern Africa is the regional institutional office of MSF. It focuses on representation and networking, recruiting and supporting staff from the region, communications and fundraising, as well as working on other dossiers of importance to MSF such as Diversity, Equity and Inclusion (DEI), Data Protection, mutualization, training, medical operational support and environmental health.  

MSF Ubuntu

MSF Ubuntu is the newest Operational Directorate of Médecins Sans Frontières, grounded in the philosophy of Ubuntu – “I am because we are”. With a strong emphasis on interdependence, interoperability, and locally grounded action, MSF Ubuntu aims to strengthen medical humanitarian response by placing communities at the centre of decision‑making.

The ICT function will be a critical enabler of this ambition, supporting operations, connectivity, data, and digital tools across contexts. Initially, ICT within MSF Ubuntu will leverage existing MSF platforms and shared services, while progressively shaping an interdependent, secure, and context‑appropriate ICT capacity that contributes to and benefits from the wider MSF movement.

Rationale/Objective for Position

The Head of ICT is responsible for coordinating and enabling ICT services across MSF Ubuntu, including field operations and head‑quarter support, ensuring that ICT effectively supports medical humanitarian action through interdependent collaboration with supporting and partner entities.

The role operates in close collaboration and interdependence with MSF OCB, MSF Eastern Africa, and MSF Southern Africa, leveraging existing MSF ICT systems, standards, and expertise. It focuses on coordination, alignment, and operational coherence, rather than creating standalone Ubuntu‑specific ICT structures.

At the same time, the position contributes to the co‑development of innovative, locally rooted ICT practices, models, and areas of expertise that are not yet established within the MSF movement, ensuring that these can be documented, shared, and scaled beyond Ubuntu where relevant.

This position will be hierarchically and functionally accountable to Logistics and Supply Director.

Tasks & Responsibilities

As part of the Logistics & Supply Department, the head of ICT contributes to the broader logistics objective of enabling safe, reliable, and efficient operations. The role ensures that ICT solutions support logistics, medical, operations, HR, finance, security, communications, and data needs in Ubuntu missions, while avoiding duplication and parallel systems.  

The role also contributes to exploring and piloting context driven, community aware ICT solutions, ensuring that locally rooted innovations are assessed and shared with MSF partners when relevant and feasible.  

ICT Coordination for Ubuntu Operations 

The Head of ICT:

• support for Ubuntu missions and HQ functions in collaboration with OCB, MSF Eastern Africa (EnA), and MSF Southern Africa SnA), in line with agreed partnership arrangements. 
• Act as the primary ICT focal point for Ubuntu, coordinating and channeling all ICT-related requests. 
• Ensure ICT services are operational, context‑adapted, and aligned with MSF standards. 
• Ensure all Ubuntu ICT Staffs are continuously trained, supported, and developed to maintain high performance and organizational capability.

Interdependent Partnership and Co‑Creation 

• Work in close partnership with EnA, SnA and OCB ICT as technical authority.
• Ensure Ubuntu operational needs are represented in joint ICT planning and represent Ubuntu in coordination forums.
• Ensure that Ubuntu led ICT innovations and lessons learned are shared, discussed, and co-owned with partners, with the aim of strengthening collective MSF capacity rather than creating Ubuntu specific solutions. 
• Works closely with OCB ICT leadership to contribute to ongoing Field ICT training activities, ensuring content is relevant, up-to-date, and aligned with operational needs and with SPARC ambitions of Interoperability and mutualization. 

Innovation, Local Anchoring and Added Value to the Movement 

• Identify opportunities where Ubuntu operations could benefit from innovative ICT.
• Engage, where relevant, with communities, local actors, and partners to ensure ICT solutions are appropriate, accessible, and supportive of community leadership. 
• Pilot and document ICT practices or models that respond to operational gaps not currently addressed within the MSF movement. 
• Share lessons learned and successful approaches with OCB and other MSF entities to inform potential movement wide adoption. 

Operational ICT Support and Quality 

• Ensure availability and reliability of ICT services supporting field operations (connectivity, communications, user support) are delivered as agreed with the partners.
• Coordinate ICT support through OCB and EnA and SnA. 
• Promote maintainable, scalable, and secure ICT solutions. 
• Ensure all ICT services or assets deployed in MSF Ubuntu are documented and that the documentation is maintained up to date. 

Security, Data Protection and Risk Management 

• Ensure ICT practices and usage of digital tools comply with MSF Ubuntu and MSF-wide policies on data protection, security, and access. 
• Support missions in identifying and mitigating ICT‑related risks. 
• Promote responsible and proportionate use of digital tools and data. 
• Raise users’ awareness about cybersecurity concerns in general and specific MSF Cyber exposure. 

Planning, Reporting and Learning 

• Contribute ICT inputs to Ubuntu operational planning, reporting, and risk analysis. 
• Monitor recurring ICT issues and system performance across missions. 
• Document lessons learned and contribute to shared MSF learning initiatives. 
• Contribute to the documentation and dissemination of Ubuntu developed ICT practices or expertise, ensuring transparency, learning, and potential reuse by other MSF entities. 

Capacity Building and Change Support 

• Support onboarding and capacity building of mission‑level ICT focal points. 
• Facilitate adoption of shared MSF ICT tools and systems in Ubuntu missions. 
• Act as a change enabler, supporting teams during system transitions.

Decision‑Making Authority 

• Take operational coordination decisions within agreed MSF ICT frameworks.
• Propose adaptations or exceptions based on field realities. 
• Escalates high‑risk or non‑standard decisions through the Logistics & Supply Director and OCB ICT.  

Organisational Positioning 

• This position is a coordination and enabling role, embedded within the Logistics & Supply Department, contributing to Ubuntu’s commitment to: 
• Interdependence within the MSF movement 
• Operational quality and safety 
• Avoidance of parallel systems 
• Effective support to medical humanitarian action 

This position also contributes to Ubuntu’s ambition to develop new, locally grounded ICT expertise in partnership with others, creating added value for the MSF movement as a whole. 

Qualifications

Education

• Higher degree / Bachelor’s / Masters in ICT, computer science, or a related field.
• Fluency in written and spoken English; French is an asset 

Experience

• Minimum 7–10 years of professional experience in ICT, including: 
• • ICT operations in complex or low resource environments 
  • Coordination across multiple stakeholders or entities 
  • Support to field or operational teams 

Competencies

• Technical Knowledge 
• • Broad understanding of: 
  • ICT infrastructure and connectivity 
  • User support and service delivery 
  • Data protection and information security principles 
  • ICT governance and standardization 
  • Practical, humble, field-oriented, flexible — aligned with Ubuntu’s values 
• Behavioral/General  
• • Strong commitment to MSF values and Ubuntu principles 
  • Cross cultural awareness and security consciousness 
  • Strategic vision, problem solving, and systems thinking 
  • Ability to operate in interdependent and evolving organisational settings 
  • Results oriented with strong planning and organisational skills 
  • Initiative and openness to innovation, balanced with quality and risk awareness 
  • Strong collaboration and partnership mindset 
  • Ability to engage respectfully with communities, local actors, and non-traditional partners