Staff Counsellor

UN Secretariat; Damascus (MD); On-site; USD 70,000 - 110,000; Full time

Job summary

UNRWA in Damascus seeks a Staff Counsellor to provide psychosocial support to staff and dependents during emergencies. You will lead psychoeducation, psychological first aid, and coordinate interventions with relevant agencies to build resilience and ensure continuity of care.

The role requires advanced mental health training and fluency in English, with experience in humanitarian settings. You will develop resilience programs, strengthen referral networks, and advise management on stress

Qualifications

• Advanced university degree in a mental health field is required.
• Additional training in traumatic/critical incident stress is strongly desired.
• Country-specific licensure to deliver mental health services is desirable.

Responsibilities

• Provide direct psychosocial support to staff and dependents during emergencies and critical incidents.
• Conduct impact assessments, develop interventions, and coordinate with relevant agencies.
• Develop psychoeducation materials and implement resilience programs.
• Strengthen mental health networks and refer staff when needed.
• Advise management on stress mitigation strategies and staff welfare.
• Support staff with serious illnesses or substance use issues; collaborate with MHPSS teams.
• Maintain detailed records, provide reports, and capture lessons learned.
• Build capacity of peer support groups and perform other assigned duties.

Skills

Psycho-social support

Crisis intervention

Psycho-education

Resilience

Stress management

Mental health support

Records management

Reporting

Advising management

Collaboration

Communication

Influencing

Leadership

Decision-making

Adaptability

Team building

English fluency

Education

Masters' degree in Counselling Psychology or related field

Job description

Organizational context: The United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) is seeking a Staff Counsellor based in Damascus. This role operates within the Human Resources department, specifically under the Staff Care and Wellbeing Division, reporting to the Technical Supervisor and administratively to the Deputy Director UNRWA Affairs (Operations).

Job purpose:

The Staff Counsellor provides essential psychosocial support to UNRWA staff and their dependents, particularly during emergencies and critical incidents. This involves offering psycho-education, psychological first aid, and coordinating services to mitigate the impact of traumatic events. The role also focuses on developing resilience-building programs, strengthening referral mechanisms, and advising management on strategies to enhance staff welfare and well-being. By ensuring a continuum of care and collaborating with various stakeholders, the incumbent aims to foster a healthy work environment and support staff through personal and professional challenges, contributing to overall organizational resilience and operational continuity.

Responsibilities:

The Staff Counsellor is responsible for providing direct psychosocial support to staff and dependents during emergencies and critical incidents, including psycho-education, psychological first aid, and coordinating interventions. This includes responding to critical events by conducting impact assessments, developing interventions, and coordinating with relevant agencies. The role involves developing psychoeducation materials, implementing resilience programs, and strengthening mental health networks. Additionally, the incumbent advises management on stress mitigation strategies, supports staff with serious illnesses or substance use issues, and collaborates with MHPSS teams for an integrated approach. Maintaining detailed records, providing reports, and capturing lessons learned are also key duties. The role may also involve building capacities of peer support groups and performing other assigned duties.

Education:

An advanced university degree (Masters' or equivalent) in Counselling Psychology, Clinical Psychology, Psychiatry, Social Work, or a related mental health field is required. Additional training or certification in traumatic/critical incident stress, and country-specific licensure to deliver mental health services are strongly desired.

Work experience:

A minimum of five years of relevant experience in providing professional counselling services is required. Experience in managing or coordinating mental health programs, conducting training in humanitarian settings, and at least two years of international experience outside UNRWA and one's home country are assets. Familiarity with emergency duty stations is also beneficial.

Skills:

Psychosocial support, psychological first aid, crisis intervention, psycho-education, resilience building, stress management, mental health support, record keeping, reporting, advising management, collaboration, communication, influencing, technical expertise, decision-making, adaptability, coping with pressure, leadership, goal setting, data presentation, team building. Fluency in English is essential; knowledge of Arabic is desirable.

Required languages:

Desired languages:

English, Arabic