About the opportunity
The World Health Organization (WHO) is seeking a Staff Counsellor for a temporary appointment under Staff Rule 420.4 based in Bunia, Democratic Republic of the Congo. Operating within the Incident Management System of the WHO Health Emergencies Programme, the successful candidate will provide essential psychosocial services, mental health programs, and workplace well-being initiatives for WHO personnel engaged in Ebola virus disease response operations. The role involves assessing psychosocial needs, providing individual and group psychological support, conducting briefings and debriefings, and ensuring compliance with UN staff support standards. Frequent travel to North Kivu and other affected operational areas within the DRC is required.
Salary and benefits
- Annual base salary starting from 71,335.00 USD (subject to mandatory pension and health insurance deductions)
- Variable post adjustment reflecting the cost of living at the duty station, currently set at 3,091.18 USD per month
- 30 days of annual leave
- Dependent allowances
- Home leave
- Education grant for dependent children
Who can apply?
- Advanced university degree (Master's degree or equivalent) in counselling psychology, clinical psychology, psychiatry, clinical social work, or psychiatric social work from a recognized institution
- Valid professional license, registration, or certification in the relevant field
- Minimum of five years of relevant professional experience in psychosocial counselling obtained after obtaining the professional license, certification, or registration
- Experience within the United Nations system or comparable international organizations
- Experience in providing psychosocial support in emergency contexts
- Expert-level proficiency in English and French
Required documents
- Curriculum Vitae / Resume
- Scanned copies of required degrees and professional certificates (requested for candidates invited for an interview)
When to apply
- Job Posting Date: October 9, 2026
- Closing Date: October 16, 2026, at 9:59 PM UTC
How to apply
- Access the official World Health Organization career portal via the provided job vacancy link
- Create or sign in to your applicant account
- Complete the online application form and submit your profile along with required supporting details before the deadline
Additional information
- This vacancy notice may be used to fill other similar positions at the same grade.
- A written test and/or asynchronous video assessment may be used as part of the screening process.
- Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with WHO.
- WHO maintains a smoke-free workplace policy and does not recruit smokers or users of tobacco products.
Our Take on This Opportunity
This section reflects Open Opportunities’ own analysis of the opportunity from an applicant’s perspective.
You may be a strong fit if…
- Strong fit for mental health professionals with extensive clinical or counselling experience in high-stress humanitarian emergencies or outbreak responses.
- Ideal for candidates who possess bilingual fluency in English and French and are comfortable with frequent field travel in remote environments.
- A compelling opportunity for professionals looking to contribute directly to staff health and operational readiness within the United Nations system.
What should you think carefully about?
- This is a temporary appointment of 6 months duration based in Bunia with frequent travel to conflict-affected regions like North Kivu.
- Relocation to an active emergency response duty station in the Democratic Republic of the Congo is required.
- Rigorous professional certification requirements and a minimum of five post-qualification years of experience are strictly enforced.
How could this fit your current goals and plans?
This temporary assignment offers a high-impact platform to deploy specialized mental health expertise within a major international health emergency framework, strengthening field-level emergency response capacities.
Our take
Licensed clinical psychologists, psychiatrists, or specialized social workers with emergency experience and bilingual English-French skills should seriously consider applying if prepared for a demanding field assignment in the DRC.
Ready to apply?
Review the opportunity on the official website before applying.
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