The Senior Staff Counselor will provide psychological support and counseling services to Africa CDC staff, enhancing their well-being, productivity, and resilience. This role involves developing and implementing mental health programs, offering individual and group counseling sessions, and advising management on psychological and organizational health matters.

This job involves the following general responsibilities applicable to P3 positions within the African Union system.

• Provide technical support in the preparation and implementation of programmes developed out of the Division’s strategic plan.

• Ensure effective coordination and implementation at various levels.

• Liaise with Member States, Regional Economic Communities (RECs), and other stakeholders on relevant matters.

• Prepare and develop reports, budget and work programmes related to the functioning of the Division.

• Provide technical support for the development of resource mobilization strategy with stakeholders coordination.

• Manage and supervise employees under his/her supervision with regard to organization and performance evaluation.

• Conduct complex analysis and generate accurate reports in a timely manner for the Division and Africa CDC’s internal use.

• Liaise with the various Departments/Units within the organization for coordination and alignment purposes.

• Prepare budgets for the unit in accordance with relevant frameworks.

• Support the promotion of the activities of the Division including preparing leaflets, guidelines and fact sheets as may be required.

• Actively contribute in the development of strategies, policies, programmes and plans.

Duties & Responsibilities

• Undertake psychological risk assessment and design the appropriate response

• Provide individual and group professional counseling services to Africa CDC staff to address work-related stress, personal issues, and mental health concerns.

• Ensure access for staff to counseling services either internally or externally by providing referrals and information about the available resources.

• Design, implement, and evaluate mental health and wellness programs tailored to the needs of Africa CDC staff.

• Offer immediate support during crises, including trauma, grief, and stress-related incidents.

• Conduct sessions on topics such as stress management, resilience building, work-life balance, and mental health awareness.

• Advise management on issues related to staff mental health and well-being, including policy development and best practices for creating a supportive work environment.

• Ensure all counseling sessions and related activities maintain the highest level of confidentiality and adhere to ethical standards.

• Maintain accurate records of counseling sessions and prepare reports on the overall mental health status of staff, while safeguarding confidentiality.

• Build and maintain relationships with external mental health professionals and organizations to provide additional resources and referrals as needed.

• Develop metrics to assess the effectiveness of mental health initiatives and continuously improve service delivery.

• Perform any other duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Job Requirement

• Master’s degree in clinical psychology, Psychology, Counseling, Psychotherapy, Psychiatry and/or Social Work with at least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in clinical psychology or counseling, including experience in stress management, trauma intervention, and crisis management and 3 years at expert level.

• Applicants with bachelor’s degree in Clinical Psychology, Counseling and/or Social Work with will be considered provided they have at least 10 years of progressively responsible experience in clinical psychology or counseling, including experience in stress management, trauma intervention, and crisis management and 3 years at expert level.

• A valid professional license or certification such as a registered mental health professional is required.

• Experience working in an international organization, NGO, or similar setting is highly desirable.

• Previous experience in providing mental health support in high-stress environments, international organization or humanitarian organizations is an asset.

Required Skills

• Strong therapeutic and counseling skills with the ability to handle sensitive and confidential information.

• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.

• Ability to work effectively in a multicultural and diverse environment.

• Proficiency in any of AU official working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, or Spanish).

• Strong organizational and program management skills.

Leadership Competencies

Strategic Insight

Developing Others..

Change Management

Managing Risk….

Core Competencies

Building Partnership:

Foster Accountability Culture

Learning Orientation

Communicating with Influence ….

Functional Competencies

Conceptual thinking ….

Job Knowledge and information sharing:

Drive for result:

Continuous Improvement Orientation

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TENURE OF APPOINTMENT:

The Appointment will be made on a fixed term contract for a period of one (1) year, of which the first three (3) months will be considered as a probationary period. Thereafter, the contract may be renewed for a similar period subject to funding availability, satisfactory performance and agreed deliverables.

GENDER MAINSTREAMING:

The AU Commission is an equal opportunity employer and qualified women are strongly encouraged to apply.

LANGUAGES:
Proficiency in one of the AU working languages (Arabic, English, French, Kiswahili, Portuguese, and Spanish) is mandatory and fluency in another AU language is an added advantage

REMUNERATION:

The salary attached to the position is an annual lump-sum of US$ 96,921.34 (P3 Step 5) inclusive of all allowances for internationally recruited staff, and US$ 78,461.08 inclusive of all allowances for locally recruited staff of the African Union Commission.

How to Apply

Applications must be submitted no later than October 31, 2024 11h59 p.m. EAT. using THIS LINK

• Only candidates who meet all job requirements and are selected for interviews will be contacted.

• Consideration will be given only to those candidates who have submitted a fully completed online application