Nurse specialist supervisor at Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent medical humanitarian organization that provides emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, and exclusion from healthcare. MSF offers assistance based on need, regardless of race, religion, gender, or political affiliation, and is guided by the principles of neutrality and impartiality. These principles apply to all MSF staff.

Job details

Job title: Nurse Specialist Supervisor
Employment type: Full-time – 100%
Organization: Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)
Direct report: Nursing Activity Manager
Location: Liwale, Lindi

Main purpose

The Nurse Specialist Supervisor will be responsible for ensuring quality care, maintaining and organizing the operation theatre, and supervising OT nurses, OT nurse aides, and sterilization technicians.

The role must be carried out according to MSF protocols, values, universal hygiene standards, and operation theatre procedures to ensure high-quality patient care.

Main accountabilities

The Nurse Specialist Supervisor will be responsible for the following duties:

• Report to, communicate with, and collaborate with the Hospital Head Nurse to ensure the smooth and efficient running of operation theatre activities according to approved theatre procedures.
• Work together with the surgical team to achieve quality patient care and assist in theatre and sterilization when necessary.
• Maintain patient confidentiality and dignity at all times while respecting patients’ rights and conditions.
• Show compassion and responsiveness to patient needs.
• Maintain the organization of the operation theatre by defining daily and weekly programs in collaboration with surgeons.
• Anticipate operational needs and adapt theatre planning as required.
• Plan and delegate tasks to team members, ensuring all tasks are completed and staff follow their work schedules.
• Coordinate with departments involved in operation theatre activities, including laundry, stretcher bearers, surgical wards, and emergency room teams, to ensure proper supply, quality, quantity, and timing.
• Ensure the general organization of the department and verify that care protocols, security rules, hygiene standards, and sepsis prevention measures are followed by healthcare and maintenance staff.
• Monitor the quality of overall patient case management and continuity of care.
• Participate in medical rounds to understand patients’ needs and follow department activities.
• Encourage daily health education sessions within the unit.
• Supervise and support OT nurses, OT nurse aides, sterilization technicians, and cleaners.
• Plan and organize the team’s work, including work areas, schedules, absences, visits, and holidays.
• Coach team members, with a strong focus on adherence to appropriate protocols and procedures.
• Ensure quality of care by respecting and enforcing MSF operation theatre procedures.
• Propose action plans to improve hygiene, sterilization, and compliance with procedures.
• Conduct regular assessments of OT procedures and inform the Hospital Head Nurse of assessment results and any identified problems.
• Ensure that staff using medical devices are qualified and trained.
• Ensure cleaning and maintenance tasks are performed according to protocols.
• Report any equipment malfunction to the project biomedical service.
• Manage departmental stock and weekly orders, including pharmacy items, sterilization room items, cleaning supplies, and stationery.
• Monitor consumption of drugs, consumables, medical materials, and equipment under the role’s responsibility.
• Ensure OT registers are properly completed and maintained.
• Ensure administrative procedures, patient data, and documents are correctly completed and registered.
• Compile monthly reports reflecting department activities.
• Participate in collecting and analyzing medical data.
• Identify areas causing problems and implement necessary measures to improve service functioning.

Context-specific accountabilitie

The Nurse Specialist Supervisor will also be expected to:

• Coordinate operation theatre and sterilization activities to support 24/7 emergency and elective maternal surgical interventions in collaboration with Ministry of Health and MSF teams.
• Ensure proper coordination and patient handover between Maternity, Neonatal, OT, and Inpatient departments to support continuity of care.
• Promote adherence to Operating Theatre SOPs among OT staff, support staff, and visitors through orientation, supervision, and continuous reinforcement of infection prevention and control, patient safety, and theatre flow.
• Strengthen compliance with infection prevention and control and sterilization standards through regular supervision, coaching, and follow-up of OT and sterilization staff.
• Monitor availability and rational use of surgical supplies, instruments, emergency drugs, and biomedical equipment.
• Promote proper weekly consumption tracking, inventory management, and ordering to prevent service interruption, ruptures, expiry, and overstocking.
• Coordinate preventive maintenance and cleaning with hygienists, biomedical, and logistics teams.
• Report malfunctioning biomedical equipment to PMR.
• Collaborate with the Ministry of Health OT in charge and hospital Nurse in Charge to organize staff rosters, task allocation, and leave planning to ensure 24/7 OT coverage and continuity of care.
• Support quality improvement initiatives through regular audits and data review.
• Ensure completeness and accuracy of OT registers, patient files, monitoring forms, reporting, and follow-up of key maternal and newborn care indicators.
• Conduct regular departmental meetings and support implementation of corrective actions to improve quality of care, incident reporting, surgical safety monitoring, and participation in related clinical meetings.
• Build the capacity of Ministry of Health OT nurses and sterilization staff through on-the-job training and supportive supervision.
• Ensure proper use and handling of OT equipment by trained staff to maintain functionality and patient safety.
• Collaborate with the Nursing Activity Manager, IPC Supervisor, Biomedical team, and Logistics team to address operational challenges affecting OT and sterilization services.
• Promote respectful maternity care, patient dignity, confidentiality, and ethical clinical practice at all times.
• Ensure adherence to MSF principles and Ministry of Health protocols.

Minimum educational qualification

• Diploma in Nursing is essential.

Experience

• At least two years of previous experience as an OT nurse is essential.
• Previous experience with MSF or other NGOs in developing countries is desirable.

Languages

• Swahili and English are essential.

Knowledge

• Computer literacy is essential, including Word, Excel, and internet use.

Competencies

Applicants should demonstrate the following competencies:

• Results and quality orientation
• Teamwork and cooperation
• Behavioural flexibility
• Stress management
• Commitment to MSF principles
• Service orientation

Equal opportunity and safeguarding statement

Women, people living with disabilities, and anyone who identifies as part of a minority group are encouraged to apply.

MSF is dedicated to fostering a safe work environment and has zero tolerance for any form of abuse.

MSF is committed to an inclusive culture that encourages and supports diverse voices among staff members. The organization strives to create workplaces where people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas, and experiences work together to support MSF’s social mission and improve outcomes for patients and communities.

Applications are welcome from individuals of all genders, ages, sexual orientations, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, beliefs, ability statuses, and other diversity characteristics.

MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation, abuse, discrimination, or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will undergo reference checks.

Applications should be sent by email to:

[email protected]

Applications may also be submitted physically at any of the following MSF offices:

• MSF offices located at Uporoto Street, Plot No. 74, House No. 22, Ursino Estate, Victoria, Dar es Salaam
• MSF Guest House Kibondo
• MSF office located in Liwale, Lindi

Selection notice

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Applicants who do not receive any contact within six weeks should consider that they have not been pre-selected.