Job Opportunity: Project MHPSS Officer (roster-based vacancy) position available at SOS Children's Villages in Ethiopia in Mekelle, Tigray. Development and Project Management jobs in Ethiopia are in high demand. Apply now through GeezJobs - Ethiopia's leading job portal.

Who we are

SOS Children’s Villages Ethiopia is an International Non-governmental organization and a member of SOS Children’s Villages International Federation. We started our humanitarian work in Ethiopia with the opening of our first Village in Mekelle, Northern part of Ethiopia in 1974. Since then, we have expanded our programs to different regions where there are significant needs for intervention and where we believe we can work in partnership with all relevant actors to bring sustainable positive outcomes for children’s and young people.

Today, we have grown significantly to meet the persistent challenges that confront Ethiopian children who have lost parental care and those that are at risk of losing their parental care. Working in close collaboration with international donors, local government and community based organizations across seven program locations; we aspire that every child grows up with love, respect and security.

Why we need you?

We’re building a pool of great candidates for upcoming roles- come join the roster!

What we provide? 

An amazing work environment that promotes personal growth through providing professional space to grow and advance your career!

POSITION SUMMARY

The position holder is required to plan and provide comprehensive and integrated psychological, emotional, and protection social services for the most needy and affected population. Moreover, the holder is responsible for mapping available services for children at risk and working closely with other SOS Children’s Village staff and other relevant governmental and non-governmental organizations at the Woreda level. In general, he/she should contribute to the overall result of the improvement of affected people’s mental, psychological, and emotional and protection needs of minors and other people at risk of abuse.

PRIORITY TASK AND RESPONSIBILITY

IDENTIFY AND ASSESS BENEFICIARY

• Assess MHPSS and protection needs and identify vulnerabilities and risks in the project implementation areas at both the health facility and commune levels.
• Implement MHPSS & protection activities and provide psychological consultation on regular bases.
• Conduct regular awareness-raising sessions with target communities
• Assist in building and maintaining relationships with schools, communities, partners and state contacts.
• Responsible for the day-to-day implementation of MHPSS activities in the project implementation areas at both health facility and community level
• Identify elements and changes in Child Psychology as the result of conflict such as playstyle changes and unhealthy emotion, grief, trauma, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder.
• Provide appropriate information and level of vulnerability such as cases of Gender-Based Violence and child abuse for sectoral, holistic and need-based support

PROVIDE PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT TO THE COMMUNITY

• Organize data and document the number of reported Gender-Based Violence, psychological and physical abuses, pregnancy-related complications, people with chronic illnesses and people with disabilities
• Develop methodologies and data collection techniques for assessments, indicators, program management, evaluations, and research related to MHPSS and Protection
• Support regular participatory activities with different groups of children, adolescents and youths to identify issues affecting children in their communities, and assist the teams to develop appropriate responses;
• Coordinate the designing of children, adolescents and youth and family assessments and psychometrics tools and supervise their administration.
• In cooperation with other Technical Advisors, ensure that the integrated MHPSS and protection activities are implemented according to SOS CV and international standards.
• Responsible for the planning and implementation of MHPSS activities, closely monitoring, evaluating, reporting their development and flag potential issues on time.
• Supervise with humanitarian response co-workers of SOS Children’s Village and implement jointly planned activities to improve the mental health and welfare of target groups.
• Strengthen the community-facility referral system for care for survivors of Gender-Based Violence with psychosocial problems.

 REPORTING

• Capture evidence and learn from MHPSS interventions to advocate and inform future programming.
• Provide monthly, quarterly, bi-annual and annual reports based on the plan to the supervisor.

SAFEGUARDING

• Lead child protection and safety programming in emergencies including assessment, program development, training for and management of Child-Friendly Spaces.
• Support humanitarian colleagues in the implementation of emergency programs and establishment of recovery programming
• Organize discussions on protection risks, concerns with stakeholders, children, young and adult people on community members
• Strengthen the Safeguarding through creating awareness with the woreda and community leaders.
• Ensure adherence to SOS CV policies such as the Code of Conduct, Safeguarding Standards and others as well as the minimum standards of humanitarian relief
• Ensure that all support is provided in the best interest of the child.
• Responsible to take part in awareness-raising sessions and capacity building training in relation to Safeguarding and Code of Conduct and to protect children, young and adult people from all forms of abuse, abandonment, exploitation, violence and discrimination
• Support children, young and adult people to make them understand the safeguarding risks and protection mechanisms
• Responsible for reporting any safeguarding suspicion, concern, allegation or incident immediately, following safeguarding reporting procedures.

Up for the challenge...

Then check out our criteria’s:

Must Criteria

• Education: BSc degree in Psychology, Social work, Nursing and Sociology or related field with at least 4 years of counselling and social work experience
• Experience: At least 3 years of experience in child protection or working with highly vulnerable children who lost their parents or are unaccompanied
• Experience in community-based child protection approaches
• Experience and ability to work in humanitarian or emergency context

Competencies – Knowledge, Skills, Abilities 

• Ability to analyze protection issues, and risks and organize timely responses.
• In-depth knowledge and experience of mental health and psychosocial interventions in a humanitarian response context, tailored to care for Gender-Based Violence is essential.
• Additional training on issues of mental health and psychosocial support.

Core Competency

• Kindness: Act with empathy towards everyone he/she works with.
• Continuous Learning: Make an effort to learn, understand and grow as a person, admitting your own mistakes.
• Inclusiveness: In any actions show respect and care for others.
• Initiative: speak up when things are not right, do not hesitate to act, and adapt to change when necessary.
• Results Orientation: look for solutions and focus on desired results.

How To Apply

Excited to take on a new Challenge...

Please make sure to complete the MANDATORY SCREENING QUESTIONS 

Then send us your application (application letter, detailed CV containing contact details of their references) electronically through SOS Children Villages Application portal (ICIMS)

Click to view our EVP Brochure

Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia holds strict child safeguarding principles and a zero-tolerance policy for conduct of sexual harassment, exploitation, and abuse in the workplace and other places where the organization’s activities are rendered.  Parallel to technical competence, recruitment, selection, and hiring decisions will give due emphasis to assessing candidates value congruence and thorough background checks, and police clearance reference check processes.

SOS Children's Villages in Ethiopia provides equal employment opportunities to all co-workers & qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, disability, marital status, or class.