Staff Counsellor

Introduction

Established in 1951, IOM is a Related Organization of the United Nations and the leading UN agency in the field of migration. Working closely with governmental, intergovernmental and non-governmental partners, IOM promotes humane and orderly migration for the benefit of all. It saves lives and protects people on the move, drives solutions to displacement, and facilitates pathways for regular migration, while providing services and advice to governments and migrants.

IOM is committed to fostering a respectful, inclusive and supportive workplace where all employees can thrive professionally and feel valued. By creating such an environment, IOM aims to better harness the full potential of migration and strengthen its support to people on the move.

IOM invites candidates from diverse backgrounds to apply and provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process when required. Learn more about IOM’s workplace culture at IOM workplace culture | International Organization for Migration

Project Context and Scope

On 15 May 2026, the Ministry of Health of the Democratic Republic of Congo declared the country’s 17th Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak. IOM is on the front lines with staff completing health screenings, engaging with local communities, capacity building, etc. Staff are exposed daily to high levels of stress and fatigue while working long hours under difficult conditions. The staff counsellor for DRC will support IOM personnel through a variety of interventions including providing counselling services to staff in the field.

Under the direct supervision of the Chief of Mission (CoM) of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, technical guidance of the Regional Staff Welfare Officer in Regional Office (RO) Nairobi, Kenya, the Head of the Staff Welfare Unit(HQ), Switzerland, and the administrative supervision of the Head of Sub-Office (HoSO).

Organizational Department / Unit to which the Consultant is contributing

Staff Health and Welfare

Tasks to be performed under this contract

1. Provide psychological and counselling support to staff members in the Ebola response
2. Conduct psychosocial risk assessments in the workplace, as appropriate, to address highlighted issues.
3. Provide recommendations to the CoM and relevant stakeholders on improvements for the effective implementation of the UN Mental Health Strategy and IOM People Strategy in Country Offices in relation to the Ebola emergency response.
4. Develop a psychosocial emergency response plan for the mission.
5. Participate in and, when required, coordinate Staff Welfare responses to emergencies and critical incidents; liaise with the Head of the Staff Welfare Unit in case of complex emergencies requiring a coordinated response; ensure that Country Office’s security plans include provisions to provide for the psychosocial needs of staff during emergencies and following critical incidents.
6. Develop and provide training to all staff on relevant topics including managing stress during Ebola, emotional processing, dealing with critical incidents, wellbeing; provide targeted training to Managers/ Heads of Units to increase their knowledge and skills to create a supportive working environment and increase awareness on mental health issues.
7. Provide pre-deployment preparation, support throughout time in mission, and post-deployment check-ins for staff.
8. Produce psycho-educational material for dissemination.
9. Offer consultations to the Managers/Heads of Units to address specific needs on request and/or to explore avenues for enhancing humanitarian staff wellbeing and mental health in accordance with the UN Mental Health Strategy.
10. Collaborate with colleagues in UN/ international non-governmental organization (INGO) staff in relevant units (e.g. UNDSS, Staff Welfare, Human Resources etc.)
11. Identify and liaise with local and regional mental health resources that can be used for referrals ; refer staff members, who are in crisis, and require emergency psychological and/psychiatric support to appropriate external providers.
12. Ensure that reports and other administrative duties are carried out to a professional standard; develop tools for data collection, analysis, monitoring and reporting mechanisms at Country Office level while maintaining records and producing regular reports; keep the Senior Staff Welfare Officer updated on numbers and statistics of services provided in Country Office.
13. Participate in Staff Welfare team meetings and activities (monthly group supervision, team coordination meetings, team retreats, etc.) Participate to the relevant UN Working Group and other relevant technical fora, and liaise with UN counterparts on matters related to the staff welfare.
14. Ensure the adherence to the professional standards of the United Nations Stress and Staff Counsellors Group (UNSSCG) as well as the Code of Ethics for UN Staff Counsellors.
15. Perform such other duties as may be assigned.

Performance indicators for the evaluation of results

• Timely provision of confidential counselling and psychosocial support to staff involved in the Ebola response.
• Psychosocial risk assessments conducted and practical recommendations provided to management and relevant stakeholders.
• Psychosocial emergency response plan developed and aligned with the mission’s Ebola response needs.
• Staff welfare interventions, including pre-deployment support, in-mission support, and post-deployment check-ins, delivered effectively.
• Relevant trainings and awareness sessions on stress management, wellbeing, critical incidents, and mental health delivered to staff and managers.
• Psycho-educational materials developed and disseminated to support staff wellbeing.
• Timely referral of staff requiring specialized psychological or psychiatric support to appropriate service providers.
• Regular reports, statistics, and updates on staff welfare activities submitted to the Senior Staff Welfare Officer and relevant supervisors.
• Effective coordination maintained with Staff Welfare, HR, UNDSS, UN counterparts, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Services delivered in line with UNSSCG professional standards, the Code of Ethics for UN Staff Counsellors, confidentiality requirements, and IOM policie

Required Qualifications and Experience

Education

• Masters degree in Clinical Psychology, Counselling, or Psychiatry or a related field from an accredited academic institution with five years of relevant professional experience; or, University degree in the above fields with seven years of relevant professional experience.
• Must possess an active license or certification, or demonstrate registered membership in legitimate professional organization in the field most relevant to their degree, including psychiatry (medicine or nursing), psychology, counseling, marriage and family therapy, or social work.

Experience

• Minimum of four years of relevant counseling experience post licensure/certification/registration, with experience in a similar setting such as an international and/or humanitarian organization is preferred;
• Experience with counselling and psychosocial interventions;
• Experience of working with other UN Agencies, International Humanitarian Organizations, or Employee Assistance Programmes is considered essential;
• Demonstrated familiarity with the impact of working conditions of humanitarian workers on their well-being; Experience in emergency settings

Skills

• Excellent communication and writing skills;
• In depth knowledge of the broad range of migration related subject areas dealt with by the Organization; Familiarity with diversity and its implementation;
• Knowledge of modern technologies, e.g. teleservices; and,
• Readiness to travel and work in emergency contexts.

Languages

For this consultancy, Fluency in French and English is required

Proficiency of language(s) required will be specifically evaluated during the selection process, which may include written and/or oral assessments.

Travel Required

Travel to the field will be required within DRC and potentially neighboring countries.

Required Competencies

IOM’s competency framework can be found at this link. Competencies will be assessed during the selection process.

Values – all IOM staff members must abide by and demonstrate these five values:

• Inclusion and respect for diversity: Respects and promotes individual and cultural differences. Encourages diversity and inclusion.
• Integrity and transparency: Maintains high ethical standards and acts in a manner consistent with organizational principles/rules and standards of conduct.
• Professionalism: Demonstrates ability to work in a composed, competent and committed manner and exercises careful judgment in meeting day-to-day challenges.
• Courage: Demonstrates willingness to take a stand on issues of importance.
• Empathy: Shows compassion for others, makes people feel safe, respected and fairly treated.

Core Competencies – behavioural indicators

• Teamwork: Develops and promotes effective collaboration within and across units to achieve shared goals and optimize results.
• Delivering results: Produces and delivers quality results in a service-oriented and timely manner. Is action oriented and committed to achieving agreed outcomes.
• Managing and sharing knowledge: Continuously seeks to learn, share knowledge and innovate.
• Accountability: Takes ownership for achieving the Organization’s priorities and assumes responsibility for own actions and delegated work.
• Communication: Encourages and contributes to clear and open communication. Explains complex matters in an informative, inspiring and motivational way.

Notes

IOM covers Consultants against occupational accidents and illnesses under the Compensation Plan (CP), free of charge, for the duration of the consultancy. IOM does not provide evacuation or medical insurance for reasons related to non-occupational accidents and illnesses. Consultants are responsible for their own medical insurance for non-occupational accident or illness and will be required to provide written proof of such coverage before commencing work.

Any offer made to the candidate in relation to this vacancy notice is subject to funding confirmation.

Appointment will be subject to certification that the candidate is medically fit for appointment, accreditation, any residency or visa requirements, security clearances.

IOM has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and IOM, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities.

IOM does not charge a fee at any stage of its recruitment process (application, interview, processing, training or other fee). IOM does not request any information related to bank accounts.

IOM only accepts duly completed applications submitted through the IOM e-Recruitment system (for internal candidates link here). The online tool also allows candidates to track the status of their application.

No late applications will be accepted. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

For further information and other job postings, you are welcome to visit our website: IOM Careers and Job Vacancies

How to apply

Interested candidates are invited to submit their applications HERE by 29 August 2026 at the latest, referring to this advertisement

Tagged as: Consultant