MHPSS Specialist – Ukraine

Handicap International/Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is an independent and impartial international solidarity organization, which intervenes in situations of poverty and exclusion, conflicts and disasters. Working alongside people with disabilities and vulnerable populations, it acts and speaks out to meet their essential needs, improve their living conditions and promote respect for their dignity and fundamental rights. More info: www.hi.org

HI is committed to an employment policy in favour of persons with disabilities.

JOB CONTEXT:

Since the beginning of the war, HI has set up a two-country program covering Ukraine and Moldova. Aligning itself with the priorities of the Ukraine Flash Appeal and Regional Refugee Response Plan, HI pillars of interventions are the following:

• Health: HI aims to improve access to quality physical rehabilitation and mental health and psychosocial services (MHPSS) for conflict-affected vulnerable population.
• Protection: Given the scale of humanitarian and protection needs, HI intervenes at various levels to ensure that vulnerable conflict-affected populations have access to multi-sectoral services tailored to their needs. In addition, HI aims to foster a disability-inclusive humanitarian response.
• Armed Violence Reduction: Recent and ongoing attacks dangerously exacerbated Explosive Ordnance (EO) contamination in Ukraine. In light of this, HI is conducting a multi-pronged approach to EO Risk Education and Conflict Preparedness and Protection (CPP), adaptable to the evolution of the conflict.
• Basic needs: to respond to the most acute needs for displaced households hosted by the local population or living in collective settings, HI is providing hygiene and non-food item kits, with an approach various modalities of intervention including in-kind and/or cash-based transfers. HI also delivers multi-purpose cash assistance to vulnerable conflict-affected populations, to enable them to meet their basic needs.
• Humanitarian-to-humanitarian logistics (ATLAS Logistique): To facilitate the delivery of humanitarian assistance as close as possible to the most affected populations, HI proposes mutualized storage and transportation services to other humanitarian actors – with a specific focus on “last-mile transportation”.

To carry out of this project, HI Ukraine is looking for MHPSS Specialist for 12 months (6 months renewable)

YOUR MISSION:

Under the responsibility of the Program Manager, the MHPSS specialist contributes to the implementation of the mandate and 10-year strategy of Humanity & Inclusion.

He/She ensures the optimization of the quality and impact of the projects implemented in the program, through a delegation system with appropriate control mechanisms. He/she shares with all other HI managers the responsibility for a sound management and a good functioning of the global organization.

Main objectives to be met on the project — information related to the Project Action Plan or program strategy (e.g.: eventual nationalisation of position, transfer of activities to a partner, HR policy renewal, development of partnerships, definition of a X-year strategy, etc.).

The main objective of the position is to contribute to the deployment of the HI emergency response. The issues and priorities will therefore be:

Expertise

• Contribute to the national technical strategies in line with the global strategies
• Ensure technical support to projects in line with the global technical frameworks and standards in your sectorial scope
• Ensure technical learning from projects
• Ensure the control & monitoring of the technical quality and the relevance of HI’s activities in the Programmes under your scope
• Ensure compliance of the technical proposition with nexus stakes
• Contribute to the development of research and innovation projects in the country when relevant, in your sectorial scope
• Contribute to the Technical Divisions professional channel animation

Influence

Contribute to the local external prestige and influence of HI’s expertise in your sectorial scope :

• Represent the technical expertise of HI throughout the local relevant networks
• Contribute to advocacy on specific themes in line with the global advocacy priorities (focus on humanitarian access)
• Contribute to communication messages locally in line with the global communication priorities

Business development

Ensure the development of major opportunities or new projects in country under his sectorial scope :

• Contribute to the context analysis in your sectorial scope
• Contribute to the design and writing of new projects in the region
• Identify & transform major opportunities in the region
• Contribute to the conception of major projects (multiple countries, one theme) or of new projects in the region
• Identify & develop local partnerships and/or consortium with NGOs, Institutions, Companies on technical priorities or important topics in the region

Other :

• Any other services/tasks related to the program that may be required.
• Participates in the program’s security risk analysis and ensures that security rules are respected by all team members.
• Shares all background information that facilitate team safety management during operations.

YOUR PROFILE:

• You hold an advanced university degree (Master’s level or equivalent) in mental health, psychology or related fields from a recognized university or academic institute
• You have at least 3 years of experience in the field of MHPSS
• You have experience of training and technical supervision in the field of MHPSS with INGOs, in protracted crisis as well as in development contexts
• You have experience and/or technical understanding of the protection sector
• You have ideally some experience in public health and health system strengthening
• You have ideally some experience of INGO representation, donor reporting and project development from technical perspective
• You have a comprehensive knowledge of the IASC Mental Health and Psychosocial Support in Emergency Settings guidelines and associated products
• You have excellent written and spoken English
• Strong capacity building skills
• You have excellent networking capacities for building constructive relationships government bodies and humanitarian actors
• Strong analytical, organizational interpersonal and intercultural skills Capacity to build and promote partnerships across sectors and with government counterparts
• You demonstrate ability to work in a tensed and volatile context with strict security measures

CHARACTERISTICS OF THE POSITION:

The security situation in Ukraine remains relatively stable, although there are frequent days and nights of air alerts. However, markets, restaurants and cafes are open and life continues as normal. There is a strict curfew, the hours depend on the region. There have been a few ballistic missile and drone attacks since the beginning of the war on the airport, military and logistical facilities on the outskirts, as well as a few hits on the city centers against administrative and logistical buildings. More recently, the majority of attacks have targeted energy structures, mainly power grid and power plants, which reduces the supply of electricity, water, heating system, and communication networks.

HI has 3 hubs, one in the East (based in Dnipro), one in the West (based in Lviv) and the 3rd one is in Mykolaiv. The coordination office is in Kyiv. We have activities in other cities like Kharkiv and Poltava). HI staff is accommodated in guesthouses or in a hotel (depending on the location), usually near HI offices, restaurants, cafes, and shopping centers within walking distance and near a shelter (the shelter is either in the building or very easy to reach).

Movements between sites can be made by car (Hi drivers) or by train, depending of the region and time.

CONDITIONS:

At HI, the conditions offered are up to your commitment and adapted to the context of your mission. https://hi.org/en/join-the-team

• 12 months International contract starting as soon as possible
• The international contract provides social cover adapted to your situation:
  • Unemployment insurance benefits for EU nationals
  • Pension scheme
  • Medical coverage with 50% of employee contribution
  • Repatriation insurance paid by HI
• Salary from 2 757 € gross/month upon experience
• Perdiem: 557 € net/month paid with your salary
• Hardship: 500 € net/month paid with your salary
• Paid leaves: 25 days per year;
• Position: unaccompanied
• Housing: Collective taken in charge by HI