Senior Protection Officer (MHPSS)

The Senior Protection Officer (MHPSS) leads the design, implementation, and quality assurance of integrated mental health and psychosocial support services for children, caregivers, and women in the West Bank. The role provides technical leadership and clinical supervision to MHPSS staff, ensuring safe, ethical services aligned with IRC standards and international guidelines, and represents IRC in coordination forums.

Responsibilities

• Lead the design, adaptation, and implementation of group-based and individual MHPSS interventions aligned with IRC approaches and IASC MHPSS guidelines.
• Ensure a layered MHPSS approach including community-based PSS, focused non-specialized interventions, and referral pathways to specialized services.
• Adapt programming to the emergency context ensuring relevance, feasibility, and safety.
• Develop and oversee tools, guidance, and SOPs for MHPSS service delivery.
• Oversee structured group and individual interventions for children, adolescents, caregivers, and women, adapting curricula to context, age, gender, and vulnerability.
• Ensure fidelity and quality through observation, feedback, and coaching of facilitators; monitor participation and outcomes.
• Ensure effective integration between MHPSS, Child Protection case management, and GBV case management including safe referral pathways.
• Support frontline staff to identify and refer individuals with heightened protection risks.
• Promote safe, confidential, survivor-centered approaches across all MHPSS services.
• Provide regular technical supervision to MHPSS Officers, psychologists, and frontline staff including partners.
• Support case conceptualization, intervention planning, and risk management including complex and high-risk cases.
• Ensure individual services are delivered safely, ethically, and to professional standards; review case records for quality and confidentiality.
• Identify capacity gaps and lead coaching, mentoring, and training.
• Directly supervise MHPSS Officers, psychologists, and community workers providing technical and line management.
• Foster a supportive, cohesive team and prioritize staff wellbeing including mitigation of stress and secondary trauma.
• Implement MHPSS MEAL activities including monitoring quality, outcomes, and client feedback.
• Analyze data and trends to inform program adaptation.
• Ensure feedback and accountability mechanisms are functional and used.
• Contribute to internal and donor reporting.
• Lead planning, implementation tracking, and reporting of MHPSS activities.
• Ensure timely, high-quality work plans, reports, and documentation maintained securely.
• Support proposal development and program design as required.
• Liaise closely with Child Protection and Women’s Protection and Empowerment teams for coordinated support.
• Represent IRC in MHPSS Technical Working Group and other coordination forums.
• Strengthen collaboration with partners, service providers, and stakeholders to improve access to MHPSS services.
• Coordinate with IRC internal sectors including Health and Protection.
• Attend IRC trainings and stay informed on protection situation in target communities.
• Monitor safety and security of field teams and report concerns to management.
• Uphold IRC’s principles and code of conduct.
• Provide translation and interpretation at meetings and trainings when needed.
• Help identify new implementing partners and meet with partners to discuss implementation.
• Perform other tasks requested by supervisor to support IRC programs.

Requirements

• Degree in Psychology, Social Work, Mental Health, or a related field.
• 5–7 years of MHPSS programming experience in humanitarian settings, including emergencies.
• Demonstrated experience in designing and implementing group and/or individual MHPSS interventions.
• Experience providing technical supervision to MHPSS staff.
• Experience working with conflict-affected populations, including children and GBV survivors.
• Strong understanding of IASC MHPSS Guidelines and Child Protection and GBV minimum standards and principles.
• Strong interpersonal, leadership, and communication skills.
• Fluency in Arabic and good English.
• Willingness to travel within the West Bank as required.
• Preferred: Experience in highly volatile, resource-constrained environments.
• Asset: Experience coordinating and representing agencies in inter-agency forums.

Skills

• MHPSS Programming
• Group MHPSS Interventions
• Individual MHPSS Interventions
• Technical Supervision
• Conflict-Affected Populations
• Child Protection Standards
• GBV Service Standards
• IASC MHPSS Guidelines
• Clinical Supervision
• Mental Health Services
• Psychosocial Support
• Program Design
• Inter-agency Coordination
• Humanitarian Emergency Response Coordination
• Team Leadership in Humanitarian Contexts
• Ethical Service Delivery
• Quality Assurance
• Arabic Language
• English Language

Languages

Arabic, English