WeC Medical Specialist (Blast Trauma Care) (Geneva (GVA), CH, 32584)

What we do

• Since 1863, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has worked to preserve human dignity and relieve suffering caused by war and armed violence.
• In collaboration with our Red Cross and Red Crescent partners around the world, we do everything we can to deliver life-saving aid, reconnect families and locate missing people – helping those who need it most, regardless of who they are and what side of the front line they are on.
• We engage with authorities and armed forces on all sides, often confidentially, pressing for access to detainees to improve their living conditions and urging compliance with international humanitarian law to protect non-combatants, including from digital threats.

Our values

• At the ICRC, we value impact, collaboration, respect, and compassion. We seek candidates who demonstrate behaviors based on these shared values. For more information on the ICRC values, please visit this page.

Purpose

• The ICRC is seeking experienced medical doctors to join its roster for field-based assignments (field trip missions of 3 months, up to 1 year) in order to support partner organisations engaged in explosive ordnance clearance. In this role, the medical specialist will combine medical expertise, operational understanding, and teaching skills to strengthen the organisation’s capacity to manage trauma related to explosive hazards.

Accountabilities & functional responsibilities

• Review and strengthen medical procedures for mine action operations, including casualty management and evacuation chains;
• Deliver training in Blast Trauma Care (BTC) tailored to operational realities;
• Design and implement a Training of Trainers (ToT) approach to develop a sustainable pool of local instructors;
• Provide practical, context-adapted medical advice to improve preparedness and response;
• May also be asked to provide operational support to ICRC staff, or training similar to the trauma course with a focus on CBRN (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear).

Requirements

• Medical doctor with specialization in anaesthesia, intensive care, emergency medicine, prehospital care or other relevant clinical fields; Candidates without these specific specializations may also be considered if they demonstrate substantial hands-on experience in trauma care;
• 8 years of clinical experience, including in trauma management;
• Experience and/or training in treating blast injuries, and/or provision of medical support for mine clearance operations; work in CBRN settings is an asset;
• Proven experience working in low-resource or humanitarian settings;
• Demonstrated experience in delivering medical training, including practical and simulation-based teaching;
• Specific training on the medical consequences in CBRN-related situations is an asset (e.g., Advanced HAZMAT Life Support Course AHLS);
• Ability to work independently in a field environment and adapt to changing operational contexts;
• Availability to be deployed 3 months consecutively (up to 12 months for some missions);
• Strong communication and interpersonal skills.

Language

• Excellent command of English (C1 level mandatory);
• Knowledge of Arabic, French or Russian is an asset.

Relationships

• Internally, interacts with delegation management (Head of Delegation) and staff dealing with WeC-related issues, and with technical reference persons at headquarters.
• Externally, interacts with representatives of the local authorities, civil authorities (commanding officer of the CBRN/EOD authority, Civil Defence director/operational head), military authorities (liaison officer, colonel), the National Society (disaster management director/officer); interacts with relief and development organizations and UN agencies to maximize the impact of the ICRC’s work and identify high-priority areas for cooperation on conventional and non-conventional WeC-related activities.

What we offer

• Rewarding work in a humanitarian and multicultural environment;
• A unique opportunity to contribute to strengthening life-saving capacity in a high-risk operational environment;
• Work within a multidisciplinary and experienced humanitarian team;
• Exposure to specialised work in weapon contamination and blast injury management;
• Join an ICRC talent pool to be considered for future assignments globally.

Our operational & field constraints

• In line with the principle of neutrality, the ICRC does not assign personnel to a country of which they are nationals
• Candidates must be in good health and will have to do a medical check-up prior to departure in the field
• Candidates must possess a driving license (for manual transmission vehicles)
• Candidates must be prepared to accept unaccompanied postings (i.e. no spouse, partner, children or dependents) for at least the first 24 months