UNOPS

The Europe and Central Asia Regional Office (ECR), based in Geneva, is responsible for the effective management, coordination and oversight of UNOPS operations across the region. The ECR region spans the Western Balkans, Ukraine and Eastern Europe, Central Asia, South Caucasus, and Türkiye, where UNOPS works with partners to achieve sustainable impact in health, education, environmental management, housing, rule of law, good governance, economic development, and social inclusion. With a wealth of experience in procurement, infrastructure, project and grant management, UNOPS in the region directly implements projects, provides technical advisory services and capacity building to advance the Sustainable Development Goals in support of national governments.

The UNOPS Ukraine and Eastern Europe MCO (UEMCO) operates in Ukraine, Moldova, and Poland, supporting urgent humanitarian needs while building pathways for recovery and development. In Ukraine, UEMCO delivers large-scale infrastructure, energy, housing, education, and mine action projects in partnership with UN agencies, international financial institutions, the European Union, and bilateral donors. Its agile portfolio responds to fast-evolving needs with strong procurement and implementation capacity. In Moldova, UEMCO supports justice sector reform and is exploring opportunities to expand its role across public sector modernization and infrastructure. In Poland, UEMCO works with government and private sector actors to strengthen ties with UN procurement and contribute to Ukraine’s recovery, leveraging Poland’s EU experience to support Ukraine’s future accession and integration.

The UNOPS Ukraine Mine Action Programme is providing planned MHPSS support as part of an integrated project to Ukrainian law enforcement. As part of this programme, UNOPS is recruiting a qualified MHPSS Specialist to design and deliver MHPSS and trauma resilience components into the training curriculum for personnel. The role involves working closely with the law enforcement’s existing MHPSS Representative and UNOPS Mine Action Team.

As part of UNOPS’ partnership with Ukrainian law enforcement to support Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) capacities, the MHPSS Specialist  will lead the design and implementation of the mental health component of the programmer. The incumbent is also responsible for working with Law Enforcement representatives to map the baseline needs and ongoing initiatives and to translate this into a training curriculum.

Required

• Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) in psychology, psychiatry, social work, or a closely related mental health or social sciences discipline or related fields with 7 years of relevant experience OR

• Master’s degree (or equivalent) in any of the above or related fields with 5 years of relevant experience is required

Required

• Relevant experience is work on the development of MHPSS training and capacity building programs for non-mental health professionals or related areas. 

• At least 2 years experience facilitating and delivering MHPSS training to diverse audiences.

• At least 1 year experience conducting organizational assessments related to MHPSS, ideally within high-risk or security-sector environments. 

• Willingness to travel within Ukraine, subject to security restrictions.

Desired

• Experience working in multicultural environments or UN system organizations.

• Experience working with the police forces, military, veteran organizations, and/or with similar populations that work within high-stress and trauma environments.

• Strong coordination and program management skills. 

• Ability to work within short timeframes and high-pressure environments. 

• Strong advocate for MHPSS with teams that are not well sensitized to this topic.

• UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and invited to proceed to the next stage of the selection process, which may include various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of a wide range of nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. We strive to sustain and strengthen this diversity, fostering an inclusive working environment where all personnel are treated with respect and have equal access to opportunities.
• UNOPS evaluates all applications based on the skills, qualifications and experience outlined in the vacancy announcement. We are committed to a fair and transparent selection process and welcome diverse perspectives, including those of women, indigenous and racialized communities, individuals of diverse gender identities and sexual orientations, and persons with disabilities.
• We are committed to enabling all candidates to perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require support or reasonable accommodation to complete any assessment, please inform our human resources team upon receiving your invitation.
• UNOPS has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA), sexual harassment, and other forms of abusive conduct, including discrimination, abuse of authority, and harassment. To uphold these standards, background checks are conducted for all final candidates to help ensure that individuals with a history of such conduct are not hired. By applying for a position with UNOPS, candidates acknowledge and consent to these verification processes.
  

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.