Data Protection Advisor at Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF) - Switzerland

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) translates to ‘doctors without borders’. We provide medical assistance to people affected by conflict, epidemics, disasters, or exclusion from healthcare. Our teams are made up of tens of thousands of professionals working in health and medical care, logistics, administration, communications, skilled trades – all bound together by our charter and serving people in need. Our actions are guided by medical ethics and the principles of impartiality, independence, and neutrality. We are a non-profit, self-governed, member-based organisation.

MSF was founded in 1971 in Paris by a group of journalists and doctors. Today, we are a worldwide movement of over 69,000 people.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Data Protection Advisor

Location: Abuja (FCT)

Scope of Responsibilties and Accountabiltiies
The Data Protection Advisor is expected to work on the following actions, in collaboration with the relevant Data Protection Officer and under the responsibility of the Country Representative and Heads of Mission:

• Implement data protection best practices, with some relevant and realistic means such as provision of advice and recommendations on data protection to departments and field missions and assist in their implementation 
• Manages two data protection implementors
• Provide training in data protection, pairing up with the relevant stakeholders (IT officers, record management officers, etc.) to guarantee 100% of the staff are aware and autonomous in their actions
• Draft or review policies and procedures necessary to apply data protection principles to MSF activities 
• Map the data flows generated by the activities and ensure proper maintenance and updating of the register of processing activities 
• Ensure that data protection is considered when choosing MSF service providers and partners, particularly in contracts 
• Manage any personal data breaches 
• Carry out the necessary data protection impact assessments with the missions
• Collaborate with other stakeholders such as project Managers, document/record management teams, IT teams, legal department or medical and operation directions for the implementation of specific processes and ensure consistent application of the recommendations   
• Identify and train focal points in missions to handle data protection responsibilities such as maintaining relevant registers, producing assessments and diffusing information
• Monitor local data protection regulations

Minimum Qualifications
Education:

• Bachelor’s Degree in any of the following fields: Law, Computer Science, Information Communication Technology, Informatics, Statistics or their equivalent from a recognized and accredited institution
• Technical data strategy and protection certification standards such as protection information management (PIM), Certified Information Privacy Professional (CIPP/E) or Certified Data Privacy Solutions Engineer (CDPSE) is an added advantage.

Experience:

• Legal and technical expertise in data protection and at least 2 years of experience in data protection
• Experience with digital security awareness topics and best practices, particularly cybersecurity is a plus
• Strong experience in change management and process implementation
• Previous experience with MSF/ NGOs is a plus.

Languages:

• B1 independent user English
• B1 independent user French is an added advantage.

Competencies:

• Ability to report to the Steering Committee, including fine report writing and presentation skills
• Requirements collection and prioritization
• Highly literate in Microsoft Office tools: PowerPoint, Excel, SharePoint, Teams
• Excellent interpersonal, communication and negotiation skills
• Resilient, excellent time management, multi-tasking and prioritization skills
• Excellent administrative and organizational skills and an eye for details
• Demonstrated ability to establish and maintain effective relationships with key stakeholders (transversally & remotely)
• Well-developed multicultural awareness and ability to work under pressure in a challenging environment
• Motivation and interest to work within humanitarian domain and MSF.

Application Closing Date
24th April, 2026.

Method of Application
Interested and qualified candidates should send their applications in English and include a Complete CV, Cover Letter, contact details, and ID, and contact information of the previous employer/s for reference to: msfch-nigeria-recruitment@geneva.msf.org using "DATA PROTECTION ADVISOR – ABUJA" as the subject of the mail.
And
Click here to apply online

Opening Note

• Do your qualifications and experience not exactly match all requirements of the job?
• At MSF, we are committed to an inclusive culture that supports and amplifies the diverse voices of our staff members. We strive to create workplaces where teams of people with diverse backgrounds, characteristics, perspectives, ideas, and experiences work together to advance MSF's social mission and create better outcomes for our patients and the communities we work with.
• We understand that some people may hesitate to apply for employment if they don't meet all listed job requirements. Research shows that this is especially true for women. If you believe your profile is a good match for this position, we invite you to apply even if you don’t fulfill every listed qualification.
• We encourage applications from individuals of all genders, ages, ethnicities, backgrounds, religions, beliefs, disability status, and all other diversity characteristics.
• MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of discrimination or harassment, including sexual harassment. All selected candidates will undergo reference checks.

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted
• Incomplete applications will be automatically discarded.

Notices

• MSF is an equal opportunity employer, both men and women are encouraged to apply.
• No monetary transactions, neither demands of favors in kind, or other types of favoritism will be tolerated in the recruitment process. MSF reserves the right to refuse the hiring of a candidate having benefitted from such acts. All illicit demands of these types may be pursued through the judicial system.
• By submitting your application, you consent to MSF staff using your 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.
• Plagiarism (particularly copying and pasting sources without citing them) as well as the use of artificial intelligence to assist in researching and formulating responses to this assessment is strictly prohibited and will result in your exclusion from the selection process.
• MSF thanks all the candidates for their interest in this position.