Application process

Before you apply please take a good look at the job specification page for the position you would like to apply for and make sure you can commit to working for us for at least nine months (surgeons, anaesthetists, epidemiologists and obstetricians/gynaecologists may do shorter missions, please see the relevant job specification page). We can only accept applications from residents of the Netherlands who have the right to live and work in the Netherlands, or locally hired staff members who are currently working with MSF Holland, or you have consulted where to apply on www.msf.org/work-msf and it says MSF Holland.

It can take several months to review applications. We will give you feedback on your application and may send you a questionnaire. If we think that you have the skills and experience we need, you will be invited to an interview.

Your interview will be online (Teams) or in our Amsterdam office and will last for approximately one and a half hours. For those outside of the Netherlands we may interview you over Teams. Applicants for some positions will be required to take a technical test. We will advise you of this in advance.

Following a successful recruitment you will be accepted into a pool - a database of professionals around the world who are available for deployment to any MSF project that has a vacancy for their job role. We securely store any personal data that you have given us in accordance with our internal retention policy and GDPR. Your CV and contact details may be shared with other MSF offices, both inside and outside of the EU. None of your personal data is shared with any third party. You can request access to that data or ask us not to share internally if you wish. For more details about how we use and keep secure the information you provide us, please see our Privacy Notice. You will not be paid while you are in the pool unless you have been placed in the field.

Once you have been accepted in the pool, you are considered available to work for MSF. It is really important that you take this seriously and are very clear about your availability. Finding a role that is suitable for someone going on their first mission with MSF can take anywhere between one to nine months. We want to make sure that you are matched to a position that is comfortable for you. When considering you for a position, we will take into account your skills, previous experience and language skills (the ability to speak French greatly increases your chances of being matched to a mission quickly). It is not possible for you to choose a particular location. Placements are determined by the operational needs in the field and we ask you to be as flexible as possible so we can place you where you are needed most. This is a competitive process as many people apply globally for a limited number of positions.

Once matched to a mission, you will be sent on a one-week preparation course known as the PPD (preparation for primary departure). You will also have briefings in the Amsterdam office and may have some technical training to prepare you for your role.

We will arrange your flights to and from the project in which you will be working. On arrival in the field you will be given a full briefing by the in-country team, and when you reach the project there will be a handover period with the person you will be replacing.