Staff Counsellor

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

12 March 2025-23:59-GMT-05:00 Eastern Standard Time (Panama)

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

About Wfp

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website: https://www.wfp.org and follow us on social media to keep up with our latest news: YouTube, LinkedIn, Instagram, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok.

WHY JOIN WFP?

• WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.
• WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.
• WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.
• A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.
• We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

Background And Purpose Of The Assignment

The challenges of working in difficult conditions to bring much-needed food and support to our recipients, while inherently rewarding, can place a great deal of pressure and stress on WFP staff. As a part of a multidisciplinary team, the Staff Wellness Unit is committed to the promotion of psychological and physical health in the broadest sense so staff can continue to function at high levels to meet the mandate of the organization. We do this by identifying and addressing psychological risk factors in the workplace, and through the provision of counselling services to staff members and their dependents.

WFP is looking for a highly qualified Staff Counsellor to join the Staff Wellness Unit based in Panama City, covering the country offices in Latin America and the Caribbean.

Accountabilities/Responsibilities

The Staff Counsellor will administratively report to the Regional Director and technically report to the Chief of Staff Counselling in Rome. A key requirement of the position will be the ability to summarize data and trends to develop programmes and initiatives that are designed to support staff. Travel may be required from the Staff Counsellor to support the country offices, at times on short notice based on operational needs, and also at times to remote and difficult locations to provide support to staff.

• Contribute to the development of the Wellness Strategy 2025-2030 and implement the psychosocial wellbeing strategy for the region, reflecting global projects and adapting to the specific needs of Latin America and the Caribbean.
• Provide active psychological support and advice on strategic developments in the region involving major implications on staff (i.e. emergency operations, critical incidents, office rightsizing) to ensure continued staff well-being and that managers and staff are provided with the effective support to manage change.
• Provide culturally sensitive counselling services to WFP staff and, if requested, to their dependents on a broad range of issues, including stress management, work-life balance, trauma, and conflict resolution.
• Develop and deliver tailored training sessions and workshops on relevant topics to enhance workplace morale and team dynamics.
• Provide pre and post-deployment briefings to staff being deployed to emergency or hardship duty stations;
• Partner with other functions within WFP and also with institutions outside to address psychological risks at the individual, unit and organizational level and to ensure a psychologically healthy workplace. Identify and liaise with high quality local and regional mental health resources that can be used for referrals and/or during times of crisis.
• Lead initiatives to promote a healthy workplace including partnering with Staff Counsellors at other UN agencies and provide expert guidance to managers within the region on staff well-being issues.
• Support and maintain the WFP Wellness Support Volunteer Regional network (WSV) through training and supervision; disseminate training materials and related protocols.
• Contribute to the development of policies and guidelines, as well as written and visual materials to increase awareness regarding important themes and topics related to Staff Wellness.
• Provide guidance and leadership to the country-based Staff Counsellors in the region to enable high performance levels.
• Maintain at all times, high standard of professional ethics and confidentiality consistent with the Wellness Division Ethical Guidelines and Standards of Practice, actively engage with management and staff, listen to their concerns, and stay approachable.
• Take responsibility for an equitable and inclusive workplace which incorporates all dimensions of the WFP diversity and inclusion framework.
• Complete administrative duties such as maintaining statistics or activities and completing reporting requirements as per the requirement of RBP Management and Staff Wellness Division.
• Participate and collaborate in UNSSCG, CISMU activities, and working groups.
• Other as required.

Deliverables At The End Of The Contract

• Psychosocial support provided on demand and during emergency operations, critical incidents, and office rightsizing.
• Regular reports on trends in the support needed, successful interventions, examples of staff cases handled, and suggested improvements for future responses.
• Implementation of the psychosocial wellbeing strategy across the region.
• Summary and materials of all training sessions and workshops conducted, along with feedback and evaluations from participants.

Education

QUALIFICATIONS & EXPERIENCE REQUIRED:

Advanced university degree (Doctorate, Masters or equivalent) in Clinical or Counselling Psychology, Psychiatry or demonstrably equivalent studies from a recognized institution.

Registration as a mental health professional in the country of origin is required.

Additional training or certification in a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/substance abuse, resilience, cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution, mediation, trauma etc. will be an advantage.

Experience

At least 8 years of postgraduate progressively responsible professional experience relevant to the field is required.

Experience either working in a hardship location or providing counselling services to staff working under very difficult and insecure environments is an asset.

Knowledge & Skills

• Broad 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 coordinate services and create a trusted environment in which others can talk confidentially.
• Ability to coordinate and manage crisis situations which involve diverse actors and stakeholders.
• Ability to strategically plan and deliver counselling services.
• Strong initiative-taker and demonstrated ability to take independent decisions.
• Working knowledge of occupational health and safety strategies to mitigate work-related stress and promote motivated and healthy staff.
• 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.
• Ability to design and manage implementation of trainings/information sessions to a wide range and different audiences.

Languages

Fluency (level C) in both oral and written communication in English and Spanish is required. Proficiency in French is desirable.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

Number of openings: 1

Based in: Panama City, Panama

Type of Contract: Consultant

Level: II

Duration: 11 months.

Successful candidates will be placed in a roster for two (2) years.

WFP LEADERSHIP FRAMEWORK

WFP Leadership Framework guides to the common standards of behavior that guide HOW we work together to accomplish our mission.

Click here to access WFP Leadership Framework

REASONABLE ACCOMMODATION

WFP is committed to supporting individuals with disabilities by providing reasonable accommodations throughout the recruitment process. If you require a reasonable accommodation, please contact: global.inclusion@wfp.org

NO FEE DISCLAIMER

The United Nations does not charge any application, processing, training, interviewing, testing or other fee in connection with the application or recruitment process. Should you receive a solicitation for the payment of a fee, please disregard it. Furthermore, please note that emblems, logos, names and addresses are easily copied and reproduced. Therefore, you are advised to apply particular care when submitting personal information on the web.

REMINDERS BEFORE YOU SUBMIT YOUR APPLICATION

• We strongly recommend that your profile is accurate, complete, and includes your employment records, academic qualifications, language skills and UN Grade (if applicable).
• Once your profile is completed, please apply, and submit your application.
• Please make sure you upload your professional CV in the English language
• Kindly note the only documents you will need to submit at this time are your CV and Cover Letter
• Additional documents such as passport, recommendation letters, academic certificates, etc. may potentially be requested at a future time
• Please contact us at global.hrerecruitment@wfp.org in case you face any challenges with submitting your application
• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.