Staff Counsellor (home-Based) (open To Internal And External Applicants)

Organizational Context

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) is a global organization focused on sustainable development and achieving the Sustainable Development Goals. Within the Bureau of Management Services (BMS) / Office of Human Resources (OHR), the People Performance Unit (PPU) leads strategies for a positive employee experience, a safe and respectful work environment, and personnel engagement and performance. This role supports the PPU's efforts to enhance psychosocial and mental health care for UNDP personnel.

Job Purpose

The Staff Counsellor will provide essential psychological support, crisis intervention, and critical incident management for UNDP personnel, particularly within the Asia and Pacific region. This role is crucial for maintaining a healthy and supportive working environment by addressing the psychosocial and mental health needs of staff. The incumbent will offer individual and group counselling, advise managers on fostering a psychologically healthy workplace, and develop proactive well-being initiatives. By delivering timely and effective support, the Staff Counsellor contributes directly to personnel resilience, engagement, and overall organizational performance, ensuring staff can effectively pursue their duties in challenging operational contexts.

Responsibilities

Provide direct psychological support to individual personnel through tele-counselling and in-person sessions. Deliver crisis intervention and organizational psychological support across the region, coordinating with security, HR, and management in high-stress environments. Manage critical incidents affecting personnel, ensuring clinical supervision, professional oversight, and ethical accountability. Lead coordination with relevant sections and local services during emergencies and participate in crisis deployments as needed. Proactively monitor factors contributing to stress and burnout, offering advice and psychosocial support to managers to promote a healthy workplace. Develop policies, guidelines, and awareness materials on mental health and well-being. Design and deliver workshops and training sessions on various well-being topics. Analyze counselling service data, prepare reports, and contribute to the strategic planning of counselling services. Lead knowledge sharing on best practices and lessons learned in staff well-being.

Work Experience

A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in individual and group counselling (remote and in-person) is required with a Master's degree, or 7 years with a Bachelor's degree. Experience in the Asia and Pacific region, with the UN system, and in crisis contexts is desired. Additional certifications in trauma intervention, substance abuse counselling, or cross-cultural communication are advantageous.

Skills

Core Competencies: Achieve Results, Think Innovatively, Learn Continuously, Adapt with Agility, Act with Determination, Engage and Partner, Enable Diversity and Inclusion. Technical Competencies: Psychosocial support, System Thinking, Human-centered Design, Communication, Risk Management, Managing Client Relations, Employee Engagement. Fluency in English and Thai is required.

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