Role purpose

The Interim Head of Office – Ireland is the most senior leader within our Irish operation, reporting to the Deputy Executive Director, UK & IE, and is responsible for the overall operational and financial leadership of the office, and strategic leadership. This includes overseeing change, finance & governance, people/recruitment, fundraising, communications, advocacy and overall internal operations.

You will lead the Irish management team and ensure that the organisation continues to deliver high-impact work in alignment with its mission and values. The role requires a strong and empathetic leader who thrives in a collaborative environment and brings a strategic mindset, operational excellence, and a deep commitment to our medical humanitarian cause.

With a talented and dedicated team of c20 employees, we are now seeking a strategic and operational leader to lead a period of stabilisation and renewal for the branch office, with a strong focus on people, culture and organisational relationships. The immediate priorities for the role are:

• Building a positive and supportive office culture.
  • Lead the development of a respectful, collaborative and inclusive workplace where staff feel valued, supported and motivated.
  • Setting clear behavioural expectations and modelling constructive leadership.
  • Foster open communication, trust and team cohesion through transparent management and consistent staff engagement.
• Supporting staff to deliver in their roles.
  • Ensure all staff have the direction, resources and coaching needed to perform effectively.
  • Clarify roles and priorities to reduce uncertainty and build confidence in the office’s leadership.
  • Reinforce a sense of shared purpose and pride in enabling the social mission and positive engagement with staff hosted in Ireland for other parts of the MSF movement.
  • Support staff engagement with senior colleagues to identify and develop long-term strategic opportunities.
• Ensuring continuity and operational stability
  • Build trust, confidence and collaboration between the branch office and its sponsoring section, MSF UK, ensuring alignment on strategic priorities, compliance requirements and reporting expectations.
  • Uphold financial and governance standards and ensure the office remains compliant with organisational policies and external regulations.
  • Maintain effective delivery of fundraising, communications and recruitment activities during the leadership transition.
  • Uphold financial and governance standards and ensure the office remains compliant with organisational policies and external regulations.

Dimensions

• The role reports to the Deputy Executive Director of MSF UK & IE.
• The role has six direct reports and leads the Ireland office of c20 employees.
• Requires collaboration with stakeholders in MSF UK and senior stakeholders across the wider movement.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

Strategic & Organisational Leadership

• With the Deputy Chief Executive for UK & IE, review, develop and execute the interim strategic plan for Ireland, ensuring alignment with the regional section’s and global mission’s goals.
• Lead the Irish management team, fostering a culture of innovation, accountability, learning, and inclusion.
• Act as a key voice in strategic leadership conversations with the Committee of Directors, bringing the Irish perspective and contributing to organisational-wide decisions.

Operational & Financial Oversight

• Ensure the effective day-to-day management of the Irish office, with robust systems, policies, and processes in place.
• Hold ultimate accountability for the Irish office’s financial performance, including budgeting, forecasting, and risk management.
• Ensure full compliance with legal, regulatory, and governance standards applicable in Ireland.

External Relations, Fundraising & Advocacy

• Represent the organisation in Ireland, building and maintaining relationships with senior stakeholders across government, civil society, funders, regulators, and media.
• Lead public positioning, policy engagement, and thought leadership to advance our social mission.
• Oversee the development and implementation of the fundraising strategy for Ireland, in collaboration with the teams in the UK & I, ensuring the highest level of income growth, return and efficiency.

People & Culture

• Lead, support, and develop the Irish team, ensuring high levels of engagement, performance, and well-being.
• Promote and embed an inclusive, values-based organisational culture.
• Develop leadership capability within the team, ensuring strong succession planning and talent development.
• Develop the functioning of the associative dimension of MSF in Ireland, as part of a joint MSF UK and Ireland Association.

Programme Oversight & Impact

• Ensure the effective design, delivery, and evaluation of all change projects or continuous improvement initiatives in Ireland.
• Uphold a high standard of evidence, accountability, and continuous improvement across all areas of impact.
• Foster partnerships and innovation that expand our reach and effectiveness.

Key Performance Indicators

• Plan delivery rate – agreed milestone delivered on time and to budget.
• Cross-regional/movement alignment – evidenced and feedback.
• Change project delivery – delivered on time, within budget, and achieved impact targets.
• Financial performance – budget management, income growth and funding diversification.
• Culture – increased employee engagement and development.
• Risk and governance – compliance with obligations and legislation.

Challenge & Creativity / Decision Making

• To drive collaboration and further integration at all levels with MSF UK.
• To lead change projects, aligned to the strategy for MSF UK & IE.

Profile

• Proven leadership experience, ideally as a Country Director, Head of Office, or equivalent, in the charity, NGO, public or social enterprise sectors.
• Significant experience leading fundraising initiatives and teams is highly desirable.
• Strong strategic planning and execution skills, with experience operating at the organisational leadership level.
• Significant experience leading change projects.
• Demonstrated success managing complex budgets and operational frameworks.
• Strong understanding of governance and regulatory environments in Ireland.
• Experience representing organisations at senior external levels, including media, funders, and government.
• Strategic thinker with excellent judgement and decision-making skills.
• Inclusive and values-led leadership style, with a commitment to equity, diversity, and social justice.
• Outstanding interpersonal, influencing, and communication skills.
• Degree or professional training/qualification in a relevant field.
• Financially literate, with strong operational discipline.
• Resilient, adaptable, and proactive in navigating ambiguity and change.
• Demonstrable commitment to the principles of diversity, equity and inclusion and their practical application and integration in the work environment.
• Fluency in written and spoken English.
• Genuine interest in and commitment to the aims and values of Médecins Sans Frontières.
• Experience in the practical use of personal IT equipment and the Microsoft Office 365 suite. The ability to effectively collaborate and communicate within a hybrid working environment utilising Teams, SharePoint, OneDrive and Yammer.

Competencies

Respect:

• Invites team members and colleagues from other departments to provide input on topics of discussion and considers their contribution and experience.
• Participates in and involves the team in the discussion and decision-making process that may affect all team members before the final decision is made.
• Values colleagues as human beings, demonstrated through equal respect for staff and beneficiaries.

Integrity:

• Acts by example, modelling the behaviour expected from team members.
• Seeks out and offers each team member an equal opportunity and tools to succeed.
• Works to achieve cohesion and a spirit of cooperation in the team.

Humanity:

• Strives to learn and get to know more about each team member in order to better understand their needs, potential and ascertain ways to better support and work with them.
• Shows interest and empathy through active listening. Is approachable: listens actively, observes and acknowledges what they hear.
• Removes obstacles that may hinder potential improvements and ways of working in the team, i.e. need to expand and try new things.

Accountability:

• Admits mistakes, misjudgements or errors and immediately informs others when unable to meet a commitment and seeks support to do this if needed.
• Strives for efficiency in every aspect of their work.
• Demonstrates willingness, ability and readiness to change attitudes and behaviours to achieve agreed outcomes and works with team members to ensure these are reached.

Empowerment:

• Instils acceptance and optimism in the team.
• Allows time and space for people to open, take appropriate risks, leading to a sharing of knowledge and open communication.
• Ensures that team and individual objectives are well-defined, shared and acknowledged by the organisation.

Collaboration: Collaboration is at the centre of all we do.

Terms of Appointment

Length of Contract: A fixed-term contract of 12 months, until the end of 2026.

Salary: This position is classified under internal salary grade 19, with an annual salary range of €86,006.51 to €105,119.06.

Benefits:

28 days’ annual holiday entitlement (pro rata for part-time staff) plus Public/ Bank Holidays.

MSF offers a Group Income Protection Scheme after 13 weeks of sick leave (which is provided at full pay). This covers up to 70% of an employee’s salary going forward.

MSF currently provides an employer pension contribution of 10% of salary after 3 months of continuous employment.

Access to independent, free and confidential 24/7 advice on a range of issues, including personal relationships, mental health, bereavement, finances, childcare or work-related issues.

Group Life insurance.

Role Location

Dublin Office – hybrid (3 days per week in office, usually Tuesday to Thursday)

How to Apply

To apply for this position, please ensure you complete the Application Form provided below. It is essential that you submit your CV in English, specifically in Microsoft Word format (.doc/.docx), not exceeding 10MB.

Applications in other languages or formats will not be considered.

Rest assured, all information will be handled with the utmost confidentiality.

SRI Executive is exclusively retained by Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) to undertake this assignment.