Associate Director, MHPSS - AEMEA

Position description

Position Title: Associate Director, MHPSS – AEMEA

Location: Remote in CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OR, PA, Puerto Rico, TN, TX, VA, and WA; the role is expected to travel approx. 20% of the time for MHPSS work in humanitarian response and development contexts.

Compensation: 100,555 USD to 110,500 USD gross annually

About Americares:

Global Health Starts with YOU!

Americares is a global health and disaster relief organization that helps people and communities around the world access health in times of disaster and every day. Each year, Americares reaches 85 countries on average, including the United States, with life-changing health programs, medicine, medical supplies and emergency aid. Americares is one of the world’s leading nonprofit providers of donated medicine and medical supplies. For more information, visit americares.org.

Americares Values:

We create global community, treating people as they want to be treated.

We respond effectively and responsibly, putting plans into practice.

We embed ethics and equity in our work and workplace.

We are better together; partnership is at our core.

We ask and listen, to create sustainable solutions for a healthier tomorrow.

We commit to quality, growing and improving to ensure individuals and communities thrive.

About the position:

The Associate Director supports MHPSS business development, design, implementation, monitoring, advising, training and evaluating MHPSS projects and programs within the AEMEA (Asia, Eurasia, Middle East, and Africa) region including support of MHPSS global team lead deployment, roster training and mentoring. The role also includes technical supervision of MHPSS consultants within the region, regular project meetings with country offices, support of the global MHPSS team and global MHPSS community of practice, as well as new project and country development and expansion of MHPSS within the climate-MHPSS, perinatal mental health, and other areas stated in the MHPSS 5-year strategic plan.

Key Outcomes:

In the first 90 days, the Associate Director will:

• Learn and live the Americares values.
• Complete all required new hire onboarding trainings.
• Meet with all AEMEA project managers, MHPSS staff / consultants and departmental staff related to AEMEA MHPSS projects
• Meet with all country level MHPSS, global MHPSS team and project management staff
• Meet with and start to interact with cross-functional staff and teams including: MERL, Climate and Disaster Resilience(CDR), Medical / EMT, Global Readiness, and MHPSS-Americas colleagues
• Review global MHPSS guidelines, Humanitarian Programs MHPSS-related materials, PDWs, the 5 year strategic plan, handover documents related to ongoing projects
• Complete requirements for Global Readiness to be ready for potential deployments including the MHPSS team lead role

In the first 6 months, the Associate Director will:

• Review and revise project MHPSS operational / technical plans for each country or project with a more in depth understanding of technical and operational issues going forward.
• Have regular meetings with AEMEA project managers, consultants and country level MHPSS staff and project managers (including MERL) while gaining a greater understanding of global, regional and country level strategies and plans.
• Start to engage in and with business development, curriculum development, MARCOMMS and development, QIL and other cross-functional departments.

In the first year, the Associate Director will:

• Provide leadership, stability and strategic planning / project monitoring within the global MHPSS team, AEMEA team, within MHPSS deployments (if any) and with AEMEA project managers
• Develop and lead strategic development of climate- MHPSS, perinatal mental health and other areas where new strategies, proposals, implementation and development is needed
• Demonstrate leadership of organizational values and IASC Core MHPSS guidelines

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Develop AEMEA MHPSS program strategies that are culturally competent and align with IASC guidelines and Americares global MHPSS and organizational strategy to effectively support local health clinics, Ministries of Health and local NGOs to support established needs voiced by populations being served.
• Provide ongoing technical support for the MHPSS programming in the AEMEA region, including but not limited to Tanzania, Liberia, Bangladesh, and Philippines, in terms of technical input, capacity building, and mentorship.
• Support the design, implementation, and scale-up of adolescent and perinatal mental health programming within national health systems.
• Expand Americares’ global Climate Disaster Resilience and MHPSS portfolio, with a focus on:
  • Integrating MHPSS into climate-disaster resilience and disaster risk reduction planning.
  • Supporting locally led adaptation and anticipatory action in health systems.
  • Developing indicators and models for climate-linked MHPSS interventions in community and health facility settings.
  • Adapting and expanding the current Climate Toolkit to include MHPSS elements.
• Provide high-quality technical inputs into program design, donor proposals, and strategic planning documents for new and ongoing MHPSS initiatives.
• Deploy and provide or coordinate MHPSS interventions (i.e. basic psychosocial support, PFA, surge support) for potentially vulnerable groups.
• Serve as point of contact for EMT MHPSS AEMEA work (training, roster, etc).
• Provide MHPSS technical guidance to country and program offices assigned to; routinely meet with MHPSS officers remotely and conduct site-visits as needed Actively model and contribute to Americares values, work culture and mission.
• Engage in and contribute to team spaces with openness, global competencies, and a growth mindset.
• Model Americares values.
• Other duties and responsibilities as assigned.

Degrees and/or experience required for the role:

• Advanced degree in psychology, public health, international development, social work, or related field.
• Clinical license in the US.
• Prior experience living or extensively working in Asia, Eurasia, Middle East and/or Africa with strong knowledge of regional health systems, cultural contexts, and community-led approaches.

These competencies are required for the role:

• Excellent oral and written communication including experience engaging with donors, ministries of health, and local partners.
• Demonstrated global competency and ability to coordinate and collaborate with country offices, government departments, staff and consultants.
• Demonstrated ability to contribute technical MHPSS inputs to high-quality donor proposals and strategic plans, ensuring alignment with organizational priorities and donor requirements.
• Deep technical understanding in at least one of the following, with a proven record of integrating MHPSS into these areas: climate and disaster resilience, disaster risk reduction, anticipatory action, RMNCAH, perinatal mental health, or adolescent health.
• Demonstrated ability to work within a team across geographies, cultures, and working styles.
• Demonstrated success in designing and delivering capacity-building initiatives for health workers, NGOs, and government partners.
• Understanding of MHPSS program monitoring, evaluation, and learning, using data to inform program improvements.
• Impeccable judgment and clinical technique in high stress humanitarian contexts.

US work authorization without restriction and 20% travel are required for this role.

Candidates must be currently living in and will continue to live in one of the following states/territories: CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, MD, MA, NC, NJ, NY, OR, PA, Puerto Rico, TN, TX, VA, or WA.

These competencies would be great to have, but are not required:

• Fluency in languages that are spoken in at least one of our core locations (India, Philippines, Tanzania, El Salvador, Puerto Rico, Colombia, etc.), in addition to English.

Additionally, our core competencies as an organization are:

• Ownership and results
• Communication
• Problem solving
• Equity and inclusion
• Teamwork and conflict resolution
• Leadership
• Prioritization
• Management
• Strategy and planning
• Decision making

We know not all applicants will demonstrate all the competencies we’re looking for. We encourage you to apply even if you do not check all the boxes above, and we look forward to reviewing your application holistically.

What you can expect, if you move forward in all steps of the recruitment process:

1. Video interview with People and Talent
2. Written competency exercise
3. Video interview with AEMEA leadership
4. Panel video interview with internal stakeholders
5. Reference check
6. Offer!
7. Background check and onboarding

Application instructions

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