Job Description

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT 

JOB TITLE: 
MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT (MHPSS) TECHNICAL SPECIALIST

COUNTRY  PROGRAM: 
Sierra Leone

REPORTS TO: 
Operations Manager

LOCATION: 
Freetown – with travels to field offices

HI is seeking for a qualified individual to fill the above mentioned National Position. WOMEN AND PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES ARE HIGHLY ENCOURAGED TO APPLY 

PLEASE NOTE:  

Handicap International has clear institutional policies on “Child Protection”, “Anti-fraud, Bribery and  Corruption”, “Disability, Gender and Age” and “Protection of Beneficiaries from Sexual Exploitation,  Abuse and Harassment”. It is therefore mandatory for all staff to commit themselves to respect, uphold  and promote these policies, and to sign the HI Code of Conduct. 

PROGRAM BACKGROUND 

Handicap International “HI” (operating as Humanity & Inclusion) is an International NGO which has been  working closely with the Government of Sierra Leone, international and national partners in the country since  1996 supporting vulnerable groups and people with disabilities. Program areas include inclusive education,  social and economic inclusion, rehabilitation, prevention of disabilities, advocacy and rights. Currently, HI is  implementing four projects for the promotion of Inclusive Education, Mental Health, Accessible and Technical  support and Protection. HI is currently in design/approval process for new projects to create a comprehensive  portfolio, in line with the implementation strategy for 2022 and onwards.

Position’s context:  

The MHPSS Technical Specialist will be working with the Touching Minds Raising Dignity project (funded by  AFD), which has been implemented in Sierra Leone from 2018 and is now starting its second four year’s  phase.

The project builds capacity of MHPSS stakeholders to enable them to provide quality services both at  community and facility level. S/he will be working in remote or slums communities to conduct monitoring and  technical supervision of actors/stakeholders trained by the project implementing partners.

The MHPSS Technical Specialist will not be involved in any team management role. He/she will be in charge  of ensuring that the project activities meet technical standards.

Please note that final JD may differ in some areas from this document General Mission 

The Field Technical Specialist contributes within the country where he/she is based to the implementation of  the mandate and the 10 year’ strategy of Humanity & Inclusion. He/she ensures optimal quality and impact 

of the projects implemented in the country, through a delegation system with appropriate control  mechanisms. He/she shares with all HI managers the responsibility of a sound management and successful  functioning of the global organization, through paradigm changes. 

Missions / Responsibilities: 

1. Contributes to the regional strategies in line with the global strategies

2. Ensures technical support to projects in line with the global technical frameworks and standards in  his/her sectorial scope

a. Provides adequate technical guidance and support to Project Managers

b. Ensures adequate support to multi-sector responses within projects

3. Ensures technical learning from projects

a. Contribute to projects’ capitalization and ensure technical learning from projects within  his/her sectorial scope

4. Ensures the control & monitoring of the technical quality and the relevance of HI’s activities in the  Programmes under his/her scope

5. Contributes to the development of research and innovation projects in the region when relevant, in  his/her sectorial scope

6. Contribute to the local external prestige and influence of HI’s expertise in his sectorial scope  a. Represent the technical expertise of HI throughout the local relevant networks  b. Contribute to advocacy on specific themes in line with the global advocacy priorities  c. Contribute to communication messages locally in line with the global communication  priorities

7. Ensure the development of major opportunities or new projects in the region under his sectorial  scope

a. Contributes to the context analysis in his sectorial scope

b. Contributes to the design and writing of new projects in the region and when asked in other  countries within the Geographic Division

c. Contributes to the conception of major projects (multiple countries, one theme) or of new  projects in the region

d. Identify & develop local partnerships and/or consortium with NGOs, Institutions, Companies  on technical priorities or important topics in the region under his sectorial scope

Main Activities: 

1. Provide technical support and capacity building for HI project staff and one implementing partner  (staffed with psychosocial counselors and clinical supervisors).

2. Carry out capacity building for health agents at national level including mental health nurses and  Community Health Officers (CHW) on MHPSS related topics.

3. Carry out mental health baseline and endline Knowledge, Attitude, Beliefs and Practice (KABP) study PROFILE SOUGHT

Essential 
Preferable

Qualification(s):
 Master’s degree in clinical  psychology or Bachelor’s degree  with knowledge and experience in  technical support for Mental Health  and Psychosocial Support programs  (MHPSS),  or  Master’s degree in public health  with a strong knowledge and  experience on MHPSS  Proven expertise in MHPSS

Experience (type and  amount of experience) :
 Minimum of 4 years’ experience on  projects in the field of community  or human rights based mental  health and psychosocial support   Knowledge of MHPSS framework  and references   Experience in analysis (donor  environment, geopolitics) and  ethical positioning  Experience in partnership  mobilization   Experience in research, in planning  and coordinating qualitative and  quantitative surveys, with  dissemination of results
 Experience in HI and/or the  related sector of activities is a  plus

Skills (knowledge,  abilities required for the  position, refer to skills  repository document) :
 Excellent communication and  writing capacities in English  Synthetic and analytic thinking   Pedagogical skills  Team motivation   Strategic thinking Proficient: Microsoft Word, Excel,  PowerPoint
 Good communication and  writing capacities in French is  an asset

Personal qualities:
 Excellent communication skills and  diplomacy  Ability to work independently and  as a member of a team  Flexibility  Strong attention to details  Good capacity to coordinate and  consult with others  Good organizational skills  Practical, dynamic and solution  oriented  Open to cultural differences
 Good capacity to withstand  pressure and manage stress  Emotional maturity

Salary: As per HI salary scale for National Staff & candidate’s experience

Probation Period: 4 months 

Duration of Contract: One (01) year with possibility of renewal based on performance and funding  availability. 

All interested candidates should send their CVs and cover letters only, with attachments bearing  your full name; example: John Doe – CV (for your CV) and John Doe – Cover Letter (for your cover  letter) with the subject of the position applied for by email only to: recruitment@sierraleone.hi.org 

Closing date for applications is 21^st March 2022

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