Org. Setting and Reporting

This position is located in the Service Delivery Management Pillar of the United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon (UNIFIL), Naqoura. The Staff Counsellor reports directly to the Chief Medical Officer (CMO). The Staff Counsellor works under the technical guidelines of the Critical Incident Stress Management Unit in UNHQ. The Staff Counsellor provides guidance and leadership to other members of the counselling cell within the Medical Services Section as well as Counsellors of Troop Contributing Countries (TCCs)

Responsibilities

Within delegated authority, the incumbent will perform the following duties:

Provides adequate counseling services within the Mission area (e.g. overall assessment of the psychosocial needs of the staff members, development of the services, etc.);
Provides supervision, guidance and leadership to other members of the counseling team; share UN guidance with TCC Counsellors and coordinate counselling services;
Performs individual assessments in the case of individual staff members experiencing difficulty coping and/or presenting mental health-related symptoms or syndromes;
Advises the Chief Human Resources Officer and other staff of the human resources section, as necessary, on individual and /or group cases where an identified problem is likely to have professional, vocational and/or counseling effect (e.g. work-related problem due to a psychological problem, conflict resolution, need-oriented medication, etc.);
Advises Section Chiefs, as necessary, or upon request, with the aim at improving the working atmosphere in their Sections and resolving problems of a work-related or personal nature that adversely affect job, performance and productivity;
Performs psychological first aid (e.g. individual and/or group) whenever and wherever there is a need for it;
Assures, in conjunction with the Medical Services, a continuum of services (referral, short-term supportive intervention) to those staff members suffering from serious or chronic diseases or illnesses or drug and alcohol use;
Establish a link and liaises with the members of the Staff Welfare Committee and members in order to develop programmes designed to improve the quality of life of staff members within the Mission area;
Provides training sessions on stress and crisis management, conflict resolution, awareness raising, education & promotion of counselling services and cultural sensitivity as needed;
Monitors environmental factors that could lead to stress, with particular focus on stress related to critical incidents including emergency and crisis situations, with respect to civilian staff members of the Mission;
Develops, organizes and implements a resilience building programme for all staff. Liaises with National Mental health professionals and other Psycho-medical resources;
Ensures the implementation of directives from UNHQ through leadership and explanation of UN technical guidelines and requirements to all Military medical staff of the TCCs;
Acts as advisor to Senior Management of the Mission, as required;
Represents the Mission in developing collaborative arrangements and for coordination activities with UN Agencies/Programmes to exchange ideas for services and processes;
Shares best practices and exchange ideas with UNHQ counterparts;
Performs other related duties as required.

Competencies

Professionalism: Has the ability to apply provide adequate counselling services within the Mission; has the ability to apply UN rules, regulations, policies and guidelines in work situations and develop SOPs procedures, and support to all Staff requiring counselling support in a Field Mission. Has the ability to apply discretion and sound judgment in technical expertise to resolve complex and/or sensitive issues. Has knowledge of UN procedures and practices in a peacekeeping Mission. Has the ability to provide professional technical advice in a range of counselling support areas. Shows pride in work and in achievements. Demonstrates professional competence and mastery of subject matter. Has excellent negotiating, leadership skills; is conscientious and efficient in providing advice to Senior Management or Chief HR or Section Chief/Supervisors on issues affecting the working conditions/staff member situation. Is motivated by professional rather than personal concerns. Shows persistence when faced with difficult problems or challenges. Remains calm in stressful situations. Demonstrates knowledge of strategies and commitment to incorporate gender perspective in all aspects of training and counselling. Planning and organizing: Develops clear goals that are consistent with agreed strategies. Identifies priority activities and assignments; adjusts priorities as required. Allocates appropriate amount of time for counselling and advising, sharing best practices. Monitors and adjusts plans and actions as necessary. Use time efficiently. Accountability: As technical expert in the provision of counselling services, works independently while receiving minimal guidance and supervision from supervisor; Provides effective and adequate counselling services within the Mission; Develops and delivers training programmes designed to improve the quality of life of staff members. Delivers outputs for which one has responsibility within prescribed time, cost and quality standards; Operates in compliance with organizational regulations and rules; Takes ownership of all responsibilities and honors commitments; Judgement/Decision-making: The incumbent makes decisions on the effective delivery of counselling services processes that can foster the social, psychological, and emotional well-being of the staff. Identifies the key issues in a complex situation, and comes to the heart of the problem quickly; Consults with Medical Officers on any issues that can affect the Personnel; Considers positive and negative impacts of situation and the impact on others and on the Organization; Advises Senior Management on potential risks, course of action or makes a recommendation based on all available information; Makes recommendations to determine the methods, processes, and activities that are suitable to address areas and issues, which if left alone, affect the well-being of staff.

Education

A advanced university degree (Master’s or equivalent) in clinical Psychology, Psychiatry or clinical social work. A valid certification to practice at national level in clinical psychology or psychiatry or clinical social work is required.

Job - Specific Qualification

Additional training or certification in a broad range of mental health related fields, such as alcohol/substance abuse, stress management, traumatic stress, cross-cultural communication or conflict resolution is required.

Work Experience

A minimum of 7 years of progressively responsible professional experience in staff clinical counselling, mental health, cross cultural communications, counselling, psychiatry, clinical psychology, clinical social work and related areas is required. Experience in the management and leadership of a team of Mental Health programmes at both national and international level is required. Experience in community mental health and Organizational Intervention is desirable. Experience in Employees Assistance Programme is desirable.

Languages

Language	Reading	Writing	Listening	Speaking
English	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II	UN Level II

Assessment

Evaluation of qualified candidates may include an assessment exercise which may be followed by competency-based interview.

Special Notice

The United Nations Secretariat is committed to achieving 50/50 gender balance in its staff. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply for this position.

This position is temporarily available until 30 June 2027, with the possibility of extension. If the selected candidate is a staff member from the United Nations Secretariat, the selection will be administered as a temporary assignment.
While this temporary assignment may provide the successful applicant with an opportunity to gain new work experience, the selection for this position is for a limited period and has no bearing on the future incumbency of the post.
Subject to the funding source of the position, the eligibility for this temporary job opening may be limited to candidates based at the duty station.
Staff members of the United Nations common system organizations who will reach the mandatory age of separation or retirement within the duration of the current temporary need period are not eligible to apply. Submitting an application or selection for the current temporary job opening does not delay or increase the mandatory age of separation.
Retirees above the mandatory age of separation who wish to be considered for the current temporary job opening must indicate the reason for their last separation as "retirement." Such retirees shall not be employed by the Organization, unless (a) the operational requirements of the Organization cannot be met by staff members who are qualified and available to perform the required functions; and (b) the proposed employment would not adversely affect the career development or redeployment opportunities of other staff members and represents both a cost-effective and operationally sound solution to meet the needs of the service.

United Nations Considerations

According to article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity. Candidates will not be considered for employment with the United Nations if they have committed violations of international human rights law, violations of international humanitarian law, sexual exploitation, sexual abuse, or sexual harassment, or if there are reasonable grounds to believe that they have been involved in the commission of any of these acts. The term “sexual exploitation” means any actual or attempted abuse of a position of vulnerability, differential power, or trust, for sexual purposes, including, but not limited to, profiting monetarily, socially or politically from the sexual exploitation of another. The term “sexual abuse” means the actual or threatened physical intrusion of a sexual nature, whether by force or under unequal or coercive conditions. The term “sexual harassment” means any unwelcome conduct of a sexual nature that might reasonably be expected or be perceived to cause offence or humiliation, when such conduct interferes with work, is made a condition of employment or creates an intimidating, hostile or offensive work environment, and when the gravity of the conduct warrants the termination of the perpetrator’s working relationship. Candidates who have committed crimes other than minor traffic offences may not be considered for employment. Due regard will be paid to the importance of recruiting the staff on as wide a geographical basis as possible. The United Nations places no restrictions on the eligibility of men and women to participate in any capacity and under conditions of equality in its principal and subsidiary organs. The United Nations Secretariat is a non-smoking environment. Reasonable accommodation may be provided to applicants with disabilities upon request, to support their participation in the recruitment process. By accepting a letter of appointment, staff members are subject to the authority of the Secretary-General, who may assign them to any of the activities or offices of the United Nations in accordance with staff regulation 1.2 (c). Further, staff members in the Professional and higher category up to and including the D-2 level and the Field Service category are normally required to move periodically to discharge functions in different duty stations under conditions established in ST/AI/2023/3 on Mobility, as may be amended or revised. This condition of service applies to all position specific job openings and does not apply to temporary positions. Applicants are urged to carefully follow all instructions available in the online recruitment platform, inspira, and to refer to the Applicant Guide by clicking on “Manuals” in the “Help” tile of the inspira account-holder homepage. The evaluation of applicants will be conducted on the basis of the information submitted in the application according to the evaluation criteria of the job opening and the applicable internal legislations of the United Nations including the Charter of the United Nations, resolutions of the General Assembly, the Staff Regulations and Rules, administrative issuances and guidelines. Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their personal profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in inspira to be considered for the current job opening. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be made to applications that have been submitted. Candidates under serious consideration for selection will be subject to reference checks to verify the information provided in the application. All external candidates recruited in accordance with section ‎2.2 (a) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment without limitation and all external candidates recruited in accordance with section 2.2. (c) of ST/AI/2025/3 for a fixed term appointment limited to the entity are subject to an initial probationary period of one year under a fixed-term appointment. Job openings advertised on the Careers Portal will be removed at 11:59 p.m. (New York time) on the deadline date.

No Fee

THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CHARGE A FEE AT ANY STAGE OF THE RECRUITMENT PROCESS (APPLICATION, INTERVIEW MEETING, PROCESSING, OR TRAINING). THE UNITED NATIONS DOES NOT CONCERN ITSELF WITH INFORMATION ON APPLICANTS’ BANK ACCOUNTS.

STAFF COUNSELLOR