Staff Counsellor

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

12 March 2025-23:59-GMT-05:00 Eastern Standard Time (Panama)

ABOUT WFP

The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity, for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change.

At WFP, people are at the heart of everything we do and the vision of the future WFP workforce is one of diverse, committed, skilled, and high performing teams, selected on merit, operating in a healthy and inclusive work environment, living WFP's values (Integrity, Collaboration, Commitment, Humanity, and Inclusion) and working with partners to save and change the lives of those WFP serves.

To learn more about WFP, visit our website:
WHY JOIN WFP?- WFP is a 2020 Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.- WFP offers a highly inclusive, diverse, and multicultural working environment.- WFP invests in the personal & professional development of its employees through a range of training, accreditation, coaching, mentorship, and other programs as well as through internal mobility opportunities.- A career path in WFP provides an exciting opportunity to work across the various country, regional and global offices around the world, and with passionate colleagues who work tirelessly to ensure that effective humanitarian assistance reaches millions of people across the globe.- We offer an attractive compensation package (please refer to the Terms and Conditions section of this vacancy announcement).

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT:
The challenges of working in difficult conditions to bring much-needed food and support to our recipients, while inherently rewarding, can place a great deal of pressure and stress on WFP staff. As a part of a multidisciplinary team, the Staff Wellness Unit is committed to the promotion of psychological and physical health in the broadest sense so staff can continue to function at high levels to meet the mandate of the organization. We do this by identifying and addressing psychological risk factors in the workplace, and through the provision of counselling services to staff members and their dependents.

WFP is looking for a highly qualified Staff Counsellor to join the Staff Wellness Unit based in Panama City, covering the country offices in Latin America and the Caribbean.

ACCOUNTABILITIES/RESPONSIBILITIES:
The Staff Counsellor will administratively report to the Regional Director and technically report to the Chief of Staff Counselling in Rome. A key requirement of the position will be the ability to summarize data and trends to develop programmes and initiatives that are designed to support staff. Travel may be required from the Staff Counsellor to support the country offices, at times on short notice based on operational needs, and also at times to remote and difficult locations to provide support to staff.
- Contribute to the development of the Wellness Strategy 2025-2030 and implement the psychosocial wellbeing strategy for the region, reflecting global projects and adapting to the specific needs of Latin America and the Caribbean.
- Provide active psychological support and advice on strategic developments in the region involving major implications on staff (i.e. emergency operations, critical incidents, office rightsizing) to ensure continued staff well-being and that managers and staff are provided with the effective support to manage change.
- Provide culturally sensitive counselling services to WFP staff and, if requested, to their dependents on a broad range of issues, including stress management, work-life balance, trauma, and conflict resolution.
- Develop and deliver tailored training sessions and workshops on relevant topics to enhance workplace morale and team dynamics.
- Provide pre and post-deployment briefings to staff being deployed to emergency or hardship duty stations;
- Partner with other functions within WFP and also with institutions outside to address psychological risks at the individual, unit and organizational level and to ensure a psychologically healthy workplace. Identify and liaise with high quality local and regional mental health resources that can be used for referrals and/or during times of crisis.
- Lead initiatives to promote a healthy workplace including partnering with Staff Counsellors at other UN agencies and provide expert guidance to managers within the region on staff well-being issues.
- Support and maintain the WFP Wellness Support Volunteer Regional network (WSV) through training and supervision; disseminate training materials and related protocols.
- Contribute to the development of policies and guidelines, as well as written and visual materials to increase awareness regarding important themes and topics related to Staff Wellness.
- Provide guidance and leadership to the country-based Staff Counsellors in the region to enable high performance levels.
- Maintain at all times, hig