Career Development Officer

Country: Kenya Organization: Médecins Sans Frontières Closing date: 20 Aug 2026 MSF Eastern Africa is looking for a Career Development Officer 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. Rationale/Objective for Position The Career Development Officer is responsible for managing the career development, talent progression, mobility and placement of Mobile and Country-based staff, ensuring the availability of a diverse, competent and future-ready workforce capable of meeting MSF's operational and leadership needs. The job holder is also responsible for providing career coaching, succession planning, talent development and workforce insights to support both individual growth and organizational objectives. This position will be hierarchically and functionally accountable to the Career Development Manager. Tasks & Responsibilities • Develop and maintain talent pipelines for key operational and leadership profiles, ensuring the availability of qualified staff to meet current and future organizational needs. • Implement and maintain career development frameworks, competency pathways and professional growth tools to support staff career progression across the MSF movement. • Conduct periodic talent reviews and monitor career progression indicators, ensuring timely interventions to support employee growth, retention and mobility. • Provide professional career coaching and guidance to staff, supporting informed career decisions, mobility opportunities and long-term development planning. • Partner with Learning and Capability Development teams to identify capability gaps and facilitate targeted learning interventions that support individual and organizational talent needs. • Utilize performance and potential assessments to recommend development opportunities, mobility pathways and readiness for advancement. • Promote equitable career development opportunities and support diverse representation within leadership and specialist talent pipelines • Analyze workforce and career development data to generate insights, identify trends and provide evidence-based recommendations to support strategic HR decision-making through the application of HRIS systems. • Facilitate internal mobility and developmental assignments across MSF entities to broaden competencies, enhance career growth and support organizational workforce needs. • Develop and implement career development initiatives for Country-Based Staff (CBS), facilitating career planning, talent development, and internal mobility while collaborating with managers to enhance workforce capability and support succession planning activities. Other Responsibilities • Contribute to HR activities and process improvements through various individual projects. • Integrate EDI & Safeguarding aspects in area of work responsibility by incorporating safeguarding into career development discussions and serving as an intermediary to ensure staff have access to duty-of-care mechanisms after challenging assignments. • Recognize, respond, and document any form of abuse or inappropriate behavior and alert the safeguarding unit of any suspected potential abuse. • Proactively participate in the individual performance management process including objective setting, performance monitoring and performance evaluation. Qualifications Education • A Bachelor’s degree in Human Resource Management, Business Studies, Psychology, Humanities, or an equivalent qualification from a recognized institution. • Knowledge of Career Development and Staff Development. • Fluency in English is required, and knowledge of French is an added advantage. Experience • At least two (2) to three (3) years of relevant working experience in placement and career development. • Field experience with MSF or other humanitarian NGOs is an added advantage. Competencies • Technical Competencies Familiarity with a variety of different talent acquisition and selection methods (interviews, behavioral and cognitive tests, assessment centers etc. Excellent interviewing skills and networking skills. Ability to engage or lead difficult/uncomfortable discussions. Career Development & Coaching. Talent Management & Succession Planning. Workforce Planning & Talent Mobility. Competency Assessment & Performance Development. HR Analytics & HR Information Systems (HRIS). Stakeholder Engagement & Cross-functional Collaboration. Employee Wellbeing, Safeguarding & Duty of Care. • Behavioral/General Competencies Interpersonal and communication skills Strong team player, ability to work independently Flexible Ability to manage stress. Cross-cultural Awareness Strategic Vision Results and Quality Orientation Service Orientation Planning and Organizing Initiative and Innovation Teamwork and Cooperation People Management and Development Networking and Building Relationships Security awareness and Management Ethics: High ethical standards and a commitment to protecting the data of individuals and furthering MSF mandate Conditions and Benefits: • Job Location: MSF Eastern Africa office in Nairobi (Kenya) • Contract: Open-ended Full-time contract. • Start date: ASAP. • Salary: An annual salary of EUR 23,296 at HQ Grade 7 based on a full-time appointment with an annual increment of 2% every year up to a maximum of 10 years. • Work-life balance financial benefit; ranging between EUR 247 to 295/month based on individual & administrative status. This amount may be used to cover accommodation and utilities, transportation, etc. • Other benefits include; 25 days of annual leave, Employer Pension contribution and medical insurance cover (staff and family) based on MSF EA terms/conditions. How to apply • The vacancy closing date is: 20thAugust 2026. • This vacancy is open to Local Applicants (Kenyan residents with valid authorization to work). • By applying to this position, the applicant confirms they have read, understood and agreed to fully comply with MSF Charter and MSF Behavioral Commitments and Data Privacy Policy. • In line with MSF’s Safeguarding Principles, successful candidates undergo a rigorous vetting process that includes background checks and self-declaration. • If you recognize yourself in this profile, we welcome you to apply directly via the vacancy link. • Applicants are required to submit a single PDF document containing a Letter of Motivation and a Curriculum Vitae (CV) (in English). Please note that applications submitted without a Letter of Motivation will not be considered. If you have any questions regarding your application, please contact recruitment@nairobi.msf.org before the vacancy closing date. Kindly use this email only for technical issues related to your application, for example, if you do not receive an automated response or encounter problems uploading documents. Applications sent directly to this email will not be considered. Information The protection of your personal data is important to MSF. By submitting your application, you consent to MSF using your personal data only for the recruitment process to have all the information and documents necessary to proceed with the recruitment, validation of your application and selection of the most suitable candidate. Your personal data will be treated confidentially. MSF will not use your personal data in any other way not foreseen for purposes of recruitment. MSF is an equal opportunity employer and does not charge any application/ recruitment fee. Lately, MSF is a civil society initiative that brings together individuals committed to the assistance of other human beings in crisis. As such MSF is by choice an association. Each individual applying for MSF roles does it out of conviction and is ready to uphold the values and principles of MSF.