Plan International is a rights-based development and humanitarian organization working for better lives for all children. We are independent of government and have no political or religious affiliation. Our purpose is to strive for a just world that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We have been building powerful partnerships for children for more than 80 years, and are now active in more than 70 countries.

Our global strategy has a specific focus on girls, as they are often the most marginalized and most often left behind. We have committed ourselves to the ambitious target of reaching 100 million girls over 5 years, to ensure they can learn, lead, decide and thrive. This is our contribution to reaching the sustainable development goals, and in particular the goals on gender equality. Our organization is transforming itself to meet this enormous challenge everywhere we work. We need bold, forward-thinking and innovative individuals to lead our country operations, driving change and delivering results that will allow us to reach our target of 100 million girls. 

In Ethiopia, Plan has more than 25 years of experience in implementing its programme. Currently PIE mainly operates in seven geographical areas; Amhara, Oromia, SNNPR, Gambella, Benishangul Gumuz, Afar, and Addis Ababa City Administration on different projects funded by different donors including sponsorship. Plan International Ethiopia's main purpose is to seek Gender Justice for Girls, Adolescent Girls, and Young Women. We aim to help create an enabling environment where girls, adolescent girls, and young women are safe, valued, equally cared for, and have equal opportunities. PIE will contribute to the global strategy by aiming to reach directly 2.1 million Girls, Adolescent Girls and Young Women over the period of the strategy 2020-2024 and to reach an additional 6.3 million beneficiaries through its interventions.

The MHPSS Counsellor is responsible for support designing and implementation of all emergency and recovery Health related activities specially MHPSS at local level using participatory and community-based approaches. S/he is also responsible to provide surge technical support and guidance at local level to Woreda health office experts and other staff working in the area of MHPSS. S/he is also responsible for compiling progress reports and documentation and sharing of best practices and lessons learnt in MHPSS, SGBV and nutrition.

management scope, reporting lines, key relationships

Reports to: Ethiopia, (Health and Nutrition Coordinator)

Direct Reports: Health and Nutrition officer

Key Relationships

Internal: The job holder has a close internal work relationship with the following: 

• MHNT team and all staff of PIE for quality health and nutrition implementation

External: The job holder has a close external work relationship with the following

• Government (women affair, woreda & regional health office) and other partners

Level of Contact With Childtren 

Medium level: low to Medium frequency of interaction with children

Physical Environment

The position is typical intensive field travel working environment

Accountabilities and MAIN WORK ACTIVITIES

Objective: - Planning and Implementation of the Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Activities (30%)

• Ensure correct identification and recruitment of peoples with minor to sever mental problem to individual and group therapy based the established screening criteria 
• Ensure correct identification of cases with GBV and disability provide appropriate psychosocial support
• Proved basic stress management and PFA to affected IDP and host community
• Follow-up and track client attendance and participation and document client and project progress to asses MHPSS efficacy
• Document and share learning from counseling, integration with other health/nutrition activity
• Coordinator with MHNT and other MHPSS counselors
• Implement and facilitate awareness-raising sessions at centers and community levels, based on a guidebook; particularly on child development, mothering practices, mother and child interactions and breastfeeding practices
• Ensure IYCF and hygiene sanitation key messages are integrated in MHPSS activity
• Use established protocols to refer clients in need of clinical treatment
• Maintain confidentiality in all matters relating to group participants, consistent with organizational policies and laws
• Collect key client data and prepare reports on progress made, together with observations, challenges faced, and lessons learned
• Work closely with project technical staff in ensuring coordination and integration across all activities

Objective: - Technical Support and Capacity Building (30%)

• Jointly develop monthly, weekly work plan with other MHNT staffs
• Develop and maintain close working relationship with partners responsible for MNCH-N, DRM, MHPSS TWG in their designated area
• Provides support for health and nutrition trainings, workshops, and meetings conducted at zonal/woreda/Kebele level
• Conduct training need assessment to identify relevant community members (Women affair, CSW, HAD, HEW, HWs) knowledge gap and design appropriate training accordingly
• Assist project staffs MHNT and others to include MHPSS key messages in their activity
• Train staffs, CSW, volunteers on mental health impact on nutrition and child development
• Ensure community level referral linkage and collaboration
• Strengthen referral linkage of critical cases between PHCUs and Hospitals

Objective: - Monitoring and Supervision (20%)

• Maintain up-to-date data related to nutrition and MHPSS activities and deliver to H &N coordinator
• Ensure close working relationship with the MHNT and establish coordination and integration of the health and nutrition and the MHPSS activities.
• Facilitate/Conduct joint, supportive supervision with MHNT and CO level health and nutrition thematic specialist on the activities.
• Facilitates and encourages regular review meeting and review schedules at all woreda levels and help the different institutions have it institutionalized commitment;
• Together with other health and nutrition team sets project quality standards and action steps and monitor the performance accordingly; 
• Prepare a monthly program and program support plan that helps to visit field activities and provide formal and informal feedback to the program staff in terms of recommendations for improved performance;
• Conducts regular mentoring to community health workers and health extension workers and develop their group and individual counselling skills.

Objective: - Ensuring on time reporting, data quality and learning documentation (20%)

• Prepare and submit weekly, monthly, quarterly high-quality reports
• Establishes and maintains documentation system for all program activities including, minutes of technical meetings
• Document project learning, success stories, case studies, and learning briefs 
• Ensure improved data collection and reporting systems during supportive supervision or monitoring field visits to each project operational areas

Safeguarding Children and Young People (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)

• Understand and put into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC).
• Ensure that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day to day work.
• Ensure that Plan Ethiopia contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.
• Leadership and BUSINESS management COMPETENCIES

Leadership COMPETENCIES

• Courageous in taking a lead, focused on Plan International's purpose and making the most effective contribution within my own work context.
• Behave in line with our values and safeguarding practices, inside and outside work.
• Challenge own attitudes, unconscious bias and behaviour and speaks up when they see wrong doing, especially by those who use their power over others to create fear or abuse.
• Understand and adhere to the policies, processes, practices and standards relevant to own work and keeps their knowledge and skills up to date.
• Honest and efficient in use of resources, including own time.
• Take responsibility for own performance and development: reflecting; seeking and listening to feedback; learning from mistakes; finding people or resources to help them learn.
• Constructive and optimistic in facing setbacks, challenges and change, using own initiative to analyze issues and improve things.
• Good team player, communicating effectively and being open and supportive towards those around them.

BUSINESS management COMPETENCIES

• Understand relevant sectoral context including how the sector operates in terms of funding and governance and awareness of Plan's purpose, values, and global strategy
• Manage legal and reputational risk including risk assessment, communication, risk management and reporting in full compliance with risk-related standards, including in areas such as Child and Youth Safeguarding and Protection, Gender equality and inclusion, Counter Fraud, Safety and Security
• Manage activities and resources including skills in strategic thinking, planning and organizing, financial planning and monitoring, negotiation and program and project management
• Manage people and information including skills in assessment and coaching, evidence-based management, communication skills, both speaking and writing, and digital working, including personal digital skills

Job Requirements

QUALIFICATIONS AND EXPERIENCE REQUIREMENTS

Qualifications/Experience Essential:

• Education Bachelor's degree or equivalent
• 3 (three) years of relevant professional experience in a similar position

Qualifications/Experience Desirable:

• In depth knowledge and experience of mental health and psychosocial programming in the  humanitarian context essential.
• Familiarity with IASC Guidelines on Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings
• Training experience required on mhGAP & Proven counselling skill
• Strong organizational and supervisory, Strong writing and reporting skills
• Ability to work within a team structure, flexible, and can cope with stressful workloads and working with limited resources
• Strong interpersonal skills and the ability to work within different cultural environments and Cross-cultural Awareness

Languages Required

• Excellent English verbal and written skills. Knowledge of local language mandatory

Plan International’s Values in Practice

We are open and accountable

We create a climate of trust inside and outside the organization by being open, honest and transparent. We hold ourselves and others to account for the decisions we make and for our impact on others, while doing what we say we will do.

We strive for lasting impact

We strive to achieve significant and lasting impact on the lives of children and young people, and to secure equality for girls. We challenge ourselves to be bold, courageous, responsive, focused and innovative.

We work well together

We succeed by working effectively with others, inside and outside the organization, including our sponsors and donors. We actively support our colleagues, helping them to achieve their goals. We come together to create and implement solutions in our teams, across Plan International, with children, girls, young people, communities and our partners.

We are inclusive and empowering

We respect all people, appreciate differences and challenge inequality in our programs and our workplace. We support children, girls and young people to increase their confidence and to change their own lives. We empower our staff to give their best and develop their potential.

How to Apply

The closing date for the application is February 22, 2022. Qualified candidates should submit their application with the below link.

CLICK HERE

This position is only open to Ethiopian Nationals, who must be eligible to live and work in Ethiopia.

Please note that: 

Note: Applications and CVs written in English will be accepted and note that we are not accepting CVs that are not sent through the indicated link. Shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Female applicants are highly encouraged to apply. Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.