UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to empowerment

UNICEF is striving for a work environment where staff wellbeing, resilience, and work-life balance are integrated parts of people management and organizational culture. UNICEF is committed to prioritizing the mental health and wellbeing of all staff by proactively reducing risks to wellbeing, promoting a supportive workplace culture, and ensuring effective support when concerns arise. The importance of staff wellbeing is reinforced by WHO and ILO Mental Health at Work Guidelines, which affirm that all workers have the right to a safe and healthy environment at work. Due to the nature and location of their work, UNICEF staff members are frequently exposed to high levels of day-to-day and cumulative stress, including stressors related to workload and the demands of living and working in multicultural, often unstable and insecure environments. 

How can you make a difference? 

As a Staff Counsellor at UNICEF, you have the opportunity to make a profound difference in the lives of staff and their families. Your expertise in mental health and wellbeing will be instrumental in developing and implementing programs that support the workforce, enhance team wellbeing, and promote work-life balance. In emergency settings, you will provide critical psychological support and coordinate care for staff facing acute stressors, helping them maintain resilience and continue delivering essential services. By offering these vital interventions and fostering a culture of care, you will strengthen both individual wellbeing and organizational capacity. Your contributions will not only improve the health and satisfaction of staff but also increase UNICEF’s ability to deliver on its mission of advancing children’s rights. Through your work, you will help create a workplace where everyone can thrive, ultimately contributing to the betterment of communities worldwide.

Specifically, the Staff Counsellor will support the following:

1. Preventative and protective psychosocial support
2. Critical Incident Stress Management
3. Monitoring and oversight

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  JD ESAR Staff Counsellor Multi-Country P3 #00136351 (Temporary Appointment).pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

Advanced University degree (master’s or equivalent) in counselling, clinical psychology, organizational psychology or a field related to mental health. Country specific licensure or membership with a certifying authority authorizing the incumbent to deliver mental health services is considered an asset.

Work Experience: 

• Minimum of five (5) years of professional experience – among which three at international level in psychological counselling and training with special emphasis on managing critical incident stress.
• Additional training experience in a broad range of related fields, such as alcohol/substance abuse, stress management and cross-cultural communication would be an asset.

Language Requirements:

Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language (French, Portuguese) is considered as an asset.

Desirables:

• Work experience with developing and delivering online and face-to-face workshops and webinars on a range of well-being and mental health is desirable.
• Experience in United Nations System or international development/humanitarian aid sector is desirable
• Experience either working in a hardship location or providing counselling services to staff working under very difficult and insecure environments is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, 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. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, all eligible and suitable are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.