There are currently limited positions for general doctors and nurses, unless they have significant experience in low-resource settings, and speak a second language, ideally French or Spanish.
Over the last few years, more program roles have been filled by local professionals rather than internationally hired professionals. MSF recognises an urgent need to attract and retain senior locally hired staff to meet operational needs. This means that more locally hired staff are being recruited for program roles, which aligns with our HR principles to aim to improve staff mobility and team diversity.
So where professionals from Australia and New Zealand, Europe, and North America, would fly in to support health services and systems, these roles are increasingly being filled by professionals in our program countries across Africa, Asia, South America, and the Middle East. This means that there are fewer positions available for internationally hired staff.
Globally, we recognise this as a positive step. Recruiting locally enables communities to build sustainable capacity in medical and healthcare, it offers local people more job opportunities, and it reduces our carbon footprint. We are committed to placing the decision making power closer to the delivery of healthcare.
But for international recruitment, this means it is harder to secure a first or even second assignment than it used to be. Once you have gained experience, however, more opportunities open up. As you add to your knowledge and experience, you can build a career with MSF.