Benefits & Career Opportunities

The following terms of employment are applied to staff who are residents of Japan with the right to work without restrictions and placed on an employment contract with MSF Japan. For others, the conditions may vary depending on the MSF office you are recruited by and contracted with, although some features are common for all MSF field staff.

Working hours

Working hours can vary considerably depending on the nature of a field project and its period. For example, field staff may have to work intensely for long hours during an emergency. However, they are given time off from work to have the necessary rest.

MSF provides 25 paid holidays per year (or pro rata equivalent). Based on this, the number of vacation days will be calculated according to the contract period of a field assignment. This equates to about one week off every three months.
In addition to annual leave, local public holidays are often followed. Also, depending on the nature of a project, additional holidays may be granted.

Allowance and expenses

  • MSF covers the cost of living and accommodation in a project country as well as transportation cost to and from your field assignment.
  • MSF covers the cost of vaccinations and medical check.
  • MSF covers other administrative expenses e.g. visas etc.
  • Salary ranges from JPY 231,851 - 572,066 (gross salary), calculated based on the levels of responsibility and past professional experience.

Insurance

  • MSF provides all field workers with health coverage (for the duration of one’s field assignment plus three months after returning home), medical evacuation, life and disability insurance coverage.
  • MSF Japan arranges on behalf of a field staff an employment insurance or the Japan National Insurance when the duration of the assignment exceeds 31 days or 2 months, respectively.

Support system

Support in the field

A coordination team, consisting of experienced staff in a nation’s capital or a surrounding metropolitan area of a project country, is assigned to support the field activity of a MSF field staff.
In addition, a dedicated team at the Operations Centre also provides support to the field, and you can also contact professionals by the job type. We also provide mental care during field activities and after returning home from a field assignment.

Psychosocial support

MSF activities are mostly positive experiences. However, communal living, activities in different cultures, new teams, and sometimes insecure situations and contact with heavily affected communities, can take a toll physically and mentally. It is not uncommon for MSF staff to be mentally exhausted.

Therefore, psychosocial support is available, and sometimes required on the premise of "care for the caregiver". This service aims to achieve both prevention and support of psychosocial risks. Psychosocial support is available for consultation before departure, during field activities, and at any time after returning to Japan.

Security management

The personal safety of its staff is of utmost importance to MSF, and we have established and implement a wide range of risk management and security guidelines for all projects.

Staff will be informed of the security status in a country of their field assignment. Upon arrival, staff are provided with a security briefing and a code of conduct. It is imperative that local guidelines be followed individually and as a team.

Career opportunities

MSF is committed to the ongoing professional and career development of its field workers.

Professional development

MSF offers:

  • A very dynamic work environment
  • Mid to long-term career opportunities
  • Support for different career paths
  • Step-by-step consideration of operational opportunities and constraints
  • Chances to work in different projects as field workers to broaden their professional experience

MSF provides field workers with access to various types of training by which to build the skills and knowledge required to be effective in the field.

Training programs can include:

MSF as an organisation provides extensive training programs for its field workers so they can respond to the most urgent and critical needs of our patients, who often require highly specialized types of expertise from medical and support professionals.

Career pathways

There are many career paths open to our field workers.

For example, a medical doctor may do several field placements gaining experience in varying contexts. They may then be offered opportunities to advance their career within the organisation by becoming a medical team leader, responsible for medical leadership at the project level, and then a medical coordinator, responsible for medical leadership at the country level.

There are also opportunities to become a project coordinator, technical referent, or any one of numerous other roles within the organisation. Many of our field workers also choose to undertake regular field placements throughout their career in Japan. They combine a domestic career with a regular field work, availing themselves as personal circumstances permit.

There are also opportunities to work in head officesOpen a new window of countries where MSF is present.

Examples of career paths within MSF

Paramedical:

Logistician:

Doctor:

Submit your application

Please first prepare your CV (free form) and a motivation letter. Some positions may request you to download and fill specific CV (MSF CV template) and a technical check list. Please check the page for the position you would like to apply for, to ensure what document(s) are requested for your profile. You will need to fill all the necessary documents in English or French, then complete your application through our online application form.

Online application Open a new window