The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian international NGOs, provides relief, rehabilitation and development support to vulnerable people and communities in over 40 countries. We began work in Ethiopia in 2000 in response to severe drought in Ethiopia’s Somali region and are currently providing assistance to Ethiopians and refugees in six regions in Ethiopia, implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Senior MHPSS officer under the direct supervisor of technical manager will be primarily responsible for supporting mental health project implementation in three refugee camps. And a focal person to coordinate and lead the camp-based team working in the refugee camps on mental health projects. In addition, responsible for accurate planning, coordination, supervision, and monitoring of mental health intervention. The Senior MHPSS officer Will be for responsible to guide the health team, facilitate technical assessment for the preparation of a new project proposal. The position is based at Assosa Field Office and frequently travel to implementation sites (Bambasi, Tsore, and Sherkole) refugee camps of BGRS for technical supports on mental health services, to assist on data quality and provide support to field teams on implementation of the project activities.

Major/Key Responsibilities and Tasks: 

Specific responsibilities include but are not limited to the following.

• Assist the health and nutrition manager for the accurate and timely planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of health projects at camp.
• Responsible for implementation of Mental health project, management of budget and reporting a per the donor and IRC regulation when the health and nutrition manager is absent.
• Ensure implementation of all MHPSS planned activities upon expected quality and schedule at all levels.
• Assess the gaps related to mental health services at the camps (health facilities) and take a remedial action timely with the health and nutrition manager.
• Assist health and nutrition manager to make sure that the quality of monthly Mental health activity reports that collected from camps and give immediate feedback on the improvements to the clinical MHPSS officers.
• Collect and compile monthly progress reports, quarter and annual donor reports and submit them to the health manager before the due date.
• Prepare monthly project performance review for each active grant and share with the health and nutrition manager.
• Represent IRC at camps especially during coordination meetings and discussion forums.
• Assist health and nutrition manager on leading technical team on-field assessment, proposal writing, and post-project monitoring and evaluations.
• Design culturally accurate and acceptable social and behavioral change communication approaches.
• Prepare relevant mental health content guiding materials.
• Conduct monthly and quarterly auditing of Community and facility data; report the finding to responsible body.
• Fully follow IRC safety and security procedures and provide input to security monitoring and assessments to enable and promote a safe and secure environment for program implementation.
• Stay up to date on health-related humanitarian situations in the country, specifically on mental health.
• Perform other tasks as assigned by supervisor/s.

Grants Management

• Prepare weekly BVA and PR audit report and communicate to Clinical mental health officers, finance, and supply chain team for immediate action.
• Check the status of PR for all active grants in line with procurement and spending plan.
• Responsible for revision and updating of activity, spending, and procurement plans for the active grant.
• Control the proper use of materials procured under different grants before or within the grant period to avoid old grant depositions.

Monitoring & Evaluation

• Work with the health and nutrition manager for monitoring and evaluation of the program activities and make sure that monthly & quarter indicators met or not as per the plan.
• Assist the health and nutrition manager to check the efficiency of the program and recommend changes in goals, objectives, interventions strategies, measurable outputs, and timelines.
• Collaborate with the MEAL field office team collect feedback from clients and closely work on response provision mechanisms.
• Attend encouraging supervision, quarter monitoring visits, and annual monitoring visits conducted in the camps and share the finding with the health and nutrition manager.
• Actively participate in the internal and external evaluation of emergency response interventions.

Human Resource Management

• Actively take part in recruitment, coaching, and training of health the staff.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit, and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to efficient do in their positions.
• Prepare and submit performance review of project health staff.

Key Working Relationships:

Internal

• Ensure integration of mental Health with CWI and WASH programs in the camp.
• Work closely with the support department and other program departments.

External

• Work closely with RRS, MoH, UNHCR, and regional health bureau, and other implementing partners.
• Actively participate in health coordination meetings and other relevant meetings facilitated by implementing partners at the camp level and Field Office in the absence of health and nutrition manager.

Job Requirement

Qualifications

• BSc Degree /Post Graduate Degree with clinical background and experience.
• Minimum experience of 2 years for BSc degree or equivalent experience and 2 years for MPH/MSC Degree holders.
• experience in INGO is a plus.
• One year’s experience in directly leading/supervising mental health projects is mandatory.

Educational Requirements:

• BSC/MSC in psychiatric, health officer with direct experience in the mental health case management.
• Trained on MhGAP-HIG, MSP, IPT, CBT

Preferred experience & skills:

• Has Knowledge of Mental health in refugee settings.
• Basic managerial and supervisory skills in the NGO context.
• Experience in project management and the ability to plan, coordinate, and supervise the implementation of different projects.
• Experience in coordinating and facilitating workshops, meetings, and training.
• Shown experience in staff management, budget management, and creating effective teams.
• Excellent coordination and representation skills with different partners.
• Excellent technical and report writing skills and MS offices (Outlook, Excel, PowerPoint, Publisher, Access, and words).
• Ability to working under pressure and travel frequently to project sites.
• Excellent analyzing and problem-solving skills.
• Knowledge of Assosa context and working in refugee operation is an advantage.

Language Skills:

• Excellent verbal and written communication and fluent spoken and written English.
• Knowledge Local langue (Arabic) an advantage.