Community Engagement Officer

About MSF

Doctors without Borders (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organisation committed to two objectives: providing medical assistance to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, healthcare exclusion, natural and man-made disasters; and speaking out about the plight of the populations assisted. MSF offers assistance to people based only on need and irrespective of race, religion, gender or political affiliation.

Today, MSF is present in more than 70 countries, where thousands of MSF doctors, nurses, logisticians, water-and-sanitation experts, and other medical and non-medical professionals work together to bring essential health services to people caught in humanitarian crises.

The MSF movement has historically been built around six operational directorates supported by MSF’s 24 sections, 24 associations and other offices together worldwide. MSF Ubuntu is MSF’s newest and seventh operational directorate, approved in June 2025 and operations have since commenced. MSF Southern Africa is one of the founding partners of MSF Ubuntu.

Purpose

The Community Engagement Officer’s primary responsibility is to support the Community Engagement Unit within the ERAA (Engagement, Representation, Analysis and Advocacy) Department in providing the technical support, capacity strengthening, and operational guidance to MSF projects and partner organisations to ensure that community engagement is systematically integrated into project design, implementation, monitoring, and learning processes in a sustainable manner. The Community Engagement Officer will also support in the engagement and empowerment of community-based organisations (CBOs) to encourage effective community-led patient care delivery systems through effective organisational management and identifying areas that need strengthening or further development to provide effective capacitation. Key tasks include coordination of tasks, administrative support to the unit and operational projects, ensuring a smooth relationship with local and national authorities, supporting with tool development, webinars, research, reporting and other project objectives, and contributing to context analysis and follow-up according to MSF protocols, standards and procedures in order to ensure the smooth running of the dossier.

Working under the leadership and direction of the Community Engagement Coordinator and with the Community Engagement Specialist, the Officer supports the operationalisation of MSF’s evolving community engagement framework, contributes to organisational learning, reinforces accountability to affected people (AAP), and strengthens partnerships with community-based organisations (CBOs) and civil society actors.

Reporting Structure

The Community Engagement Officer reports to the Community Engagement Coordinator. The position is a member of the ERAA team but also engages with external stakeholders and across other departments within MSF Southern Africa and other Operational Directorates. This may include departments such as communications, human resources, finance and association departments.

Accountabilities

• Supporting the Community Engagement Coordinator in implementing the Community Engagement strategy, including administration, logistics, reporting, context analysis, facilitation of community leadership initiatives, development and integration of CE tools and frameworks, monitoring systems, and follow-up on departmental CE priorities.
• Representing MSF externally together with the Community Engagement Coordinator (CEC) and Community Engagement Specialist (CES) to external partners in community engagement, capacity strengthening, knowledge-sharing, and partnership-building platforms, while promoting community-centred approaches and safeguarding MSF's reputation and principles.
• Monitoring, analysing and reporting on key issues relating to communities/community-based organisations (CBOs) and providing contextual information, effectiveness of community engagement interventions, community leadership structures, community feedback mechanisms, and CBO capacity strengthening initiatives, generating evidence to support programme learning and decision-making.
• Assist in exploratory missions, community assessments, emergency preparedness assessments, and operational planning processes, ensuring meaningful community participation and integration of CE approaches into programme design and implementation.
• Assist the Community Engagement Coordinator in internal and external communication sessions and events about MSF to improve awareness, understanding of MSF principles and services and public opinion cohesion. Write meeting minutes and contribute to the meeting logbook.
• Maintain and strengthen relationships with community structures, civil society organisations, humanitarian actors, academic institutions, and strategic partners to promote collaboration, shared learning, and community-led approaches
• Support the coordination stakeholder engagements, advocacy meetings, partnership forums, and community consultations that contribute to community-informed programming and policy dialogue.
• Performing assigned additional responsibilities or tasks as required by the Community Engagement Coordinator
• Assist with the documentation, dissemination and promotion of community engagement experiences, case studies, community-led initiatives, success stories, lessons learned, and evidence-based practices across MSF and external platforms.
• Support the facilitation of staff orientation and training on Community Engagement approaches, tools, and accountability mechanisms.
• Support the development, adaptation, harmonisation, rollout and monitoring of Community Engagement tools, frameworks, guidance documents, leadership development resources, and CBO capacity strengthening materials across MSF projects.
• Identify and engage strategic partners from civil society, academia, humanitarian organisations, and donor networks to support organisational strengthening, leadership development, fundraising, learning exchanges, and sustainability of community-based organisations.
• Map and assess international/national funding opportunities for both local and regional CBOs and provide guidance, mentorship and training in grant applications and fundraising.
• Facilitate leadership and governance capacity strengthening initiatives for community representatives and partner organizations.
• Support the development and maintenance of Community Engagement monitoring systems, dashboards, indicators and quality review processes.
• Support the integration of Community Engagement approaches into emergency preparedness, response and recovery activities.
• Ensure regular sharing of planning and results with supervisors.

Be flexible and ready to take over some other responsibilities and tasks according to needs, HR availability and context situation;

Knowledge, Skills and Experience

Essential

• Experience in working in or conducting capacity building of community-based organisations
• Some experience in data collection, reporting and analysis
• Fluency in English, and other languages spoken in and around Southern Africa (high level command oral and written)
• Essential computer literacy (word, excel, internet/social media)
• Excellent understanding of MSF’s principles and values
• Knowledge of and interest in humanitarian issues
• In-depth contextual knowledge and analysis skills
• High level of knowledge of local culture and customs

Desirable

• University Degree in Social Sciences/Behavioural Sciences will be an added advantage.
• Two years’ previous experience in similar jobs in the field of humanitarian aid with MSF or other NGOs.
• Knowledge of technical support in building community-based organisations.

Competencies

• Cross- cultural awareness
• Teamwork and Coope