Staff Counsellor

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme (WFP) is the world's largest humanitarian Agency, fighting hunger worldwide. WFP has been working in Afghanistan since 1963. WFP food assistance aims to help the most vulnerable, food insecure Afghans, including women and children, as well as families affected by conflict and natural disasters. In 2016, WFP fed over 3.6 million vulnerable Afghans  through various programme activities such as general distributions (food, and/or cash and voucher as the transfer modality); nutrition programmes, through targeted supplementary feeding; school take-home rations; food for assets creation, Purchase for Progress (P4P), training and capacity development activities.  For more information, see wfp.org

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

This job is based in Kabul Country Officer. Staff Counsellors report to the Country Director or the designate, and functionally to the Chief of Staff Counselling Unit in HQ. When required, a few large Country Offices may share one Staff Counsellor. This job requires regular or on short-notice travelling to Country/Area/Field offices.  

JOB PURPOSE

To provide efficient and effective psychological counselling to staff requiring support related to work-place difficulties or personal issues. A large emphasis is placed on extensive engagement with staff and promotion of staff well-being.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

1. Provide culturally sensitive psychosocial support to individuals, groups of staff and/or their immediate family members, to ensure staff are assisted in difficult situations and that comprehensive assessments and treatment plans are prepared.
2. Provide active psychosocial support during emergencies and/or after critical incidents to ensure continued staff well-being.
3. Actively engage with management and staff to establish relationships based on trust and respect.
4. Contribute to the staff readiness for deployment in difficult duty stations through briefings, counselling sessions and other activities to ensure proactive support is extended to staff.
5. Deliver workshops, trainings, and information sessions on a wide range of topics (e.g. stress management, team-building, problem-solving, conflict resolution, etc) to ensure that staff regularly receive relevant information, and are aware of sources where to find information or assistance.
6. Contribute to the design of corporate policies and guidelines, design information booklets/materials to increase awareness of important themes and promote staff welfare.
7. Lead the establishment of Peer Support Volunteers (PSV) network and manage capacity building of this group. 
8. Prepare comprehensive reports, plan budget for missions, trainings and plan and implement other staff counselling activities to ensure the provision of cohesive counselling services.
9. Hold accountability for maintenance of professional confidentiality at all times, practice ethics, actively engage with staff, listen to their concerns, and stay approachable.
10. Other as required.

OTHER SPECIFIC JOB REQUIREMENTS

• Utilizes understanding of WFP’s Strategic Objectives to communicate linkages to team objectives and work.
• Proactively identifies and develops new methods or improvements for self and immediate team to address work challenges within own work area.
• Identifies opportunities to further align individual contributions with WFP’s mission of making an impact on local communities.
• Helps colleagues to see the link between their individual tasks and the contributions of their unit’s goals to the broader context of WFP’s missions.
• Is able to identify, support and encourage focused on the job learning opportunities to address gaps between current skillsets and needed future skillsets for WFP.
• Recognizes the contributions of teammates, and encourages contributions from culturally different team mates to recognise the value of diversity above and beyond just including it in programming for beneficiaries.
• Provides and solicits ongoing constructive feedback on strengths and development opportunities to help develop individual skills, whilst also helping others identify areas for improvement.
• Sets clear targets for self and others to focus team efforts in ambiguous situations (e.g., unprecedented issues and/or scenarios).
• Thinks beyond team’s conventional approaches to formulate creative methods for delivering food aid and assistance to beneficiaries.
• Maintains focus on achieving individual results in the face of obstacles such as volatile for fragile environments and/or organizational roadblocks.
• Takes personal accountability for upholding and delivering upon team’s commitments and provides assurance to stakeholders.
• Demonstrates ability to adjust to team’s plans and priorities to optimize outcomes in light of evolving directive, while also responding quickly in high pressure environments, such as in emergency settings. 
• Demonstrates an understanding of when and how to tactfully engage other units in conversation on impact, timing, or planning.
• Networks regularly with key external partners using formal and informal opportunities to understand each partner’s unique value propositions, and to build and strengthen relationships.
• Demonstrates ability to adapt engagement approach in the context of evolving partner circumstances and expectations.
• Demonstrates ability to articulate to internal and external audiences the value that individual contributions and immediate teams bring to partnerships.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES AND SKILLS FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Specialist expertise in the assessment of mental health needs and the assessment of risk.
• Broad knowledge of all facets of counselling services and demonstrated skills to create a trusted environment in which others can talk confidentially.
• Ability to manage crisis situations which involve diverse actors and stakeholders.
• Ability to identify clients’ needs and suggest appropriate solutions.
• Excellent communication skills (oral, written and presentation).
• Conflict resolution and mediation skills.
• Ability to communicate effectively with people of both genders and diverse national and cultural backgrounds.
• Skills in designing and delivering trainings/information sessions on a number of subjects and ability to adapt those to different audiences.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in Psychology, Psychiatry, Counselling or other related field. Registration as a Psychologist, Psychiatrist, Counsellor or equivalent in the country of origin is required.

Experience: Typically five years or more of relevant experience in the field of mental health including experience in working in UN or other humanitarian organizations. Experience in hardship duty stations providing counselling services to staff working in difficult and hazardous environments is required.

Language: Fluency (level C) in English language and in Dari and/or Pashto;

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Position Title: Staff Counsellor

Grade: National Officer - Level B  (NOB)

Contract: Fixed-term - One-year renewable

Duty Station/travel: Kabul, Afghanistan with travel inside Afghanistan and occasionally internationally

Salary: Starting at USD 45,101.04 net per annum (exempted from Afghanistan income tax)

Pension: USD denominated pension plan

Medical Plan: International valid medical plan valid also for staff, spouse and dependents children under 18 years

Annual leave: 30 working days per annum

WFP Work Envirionment

WFP is committed to ensuring that all its workplaces are free from abuse, offensive behaviour, harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. WFP is also committed to promoting a work culture in which every employee understands, and is able to carry out, his/her personal responsibilities for maintaining the dignity of work colleagues. WFP seeks to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women. We believe our mission of fighting global hunger worldwide can only be achieved if women, men, girls and boys are offered equal opportunities in terms of access to resources and services and participation in decision making roles.

Female applicants are especially encouraged to apply

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Wednesday, 21 March 2018