Child Protection MHPSS Officer

About the role

The International Rescue Committee is seeking a Child Protection Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) Officer to work from Mykolaiv, Ukraine. Reporting to the Child Protection Manager, the officer will act as the field‑level technical focal point for child and caregiver psychosocial support, strengthening community‑based interventions and ensuring quality, sustainability, and accessibility.

Key responsibilities

• Provide technical guidance to IRC staff, partners, government counterparts and community volunteers on evidence‑based psychosocial approaches such as Now I’m Stronger, SAFE, SEL and Safe at Home.
• Receive selected referrals from case workers and deliver short‑term psychological consultation, crisis support and psycho‑education, while ensuring safe referral to specialised services.
• Mentor and supervise community volunteers and facilitators, conduct regular field visits, coach on‑the‑job and follow up on implementation quality.
• Support adaptation, roll‑out and quality assurance of IRC’s child‑focused PSS and parenting programmes, delivering refresher trainings and documenting implementation gaps.
• Build and maintain partnerships with local NGOs, municipal services and government agencies, providing ongoing technical accompaniment and capacity‑strengthening.

Required profile

• Demonstrated experience in child protection, mental health or psychosocial support in humanitarian settings.
• Ability to provide short‑term psychological consultation and crisis support within professional competencies.
• Strong knowledge of safeguarding, confidentiality, informed consent and Do No Harm principles.
• Excellent communication and coaching skills to work with diverse partners, volunteers and community structures.