Programme Officer (Mental Health and Psychosocial Support), NO-1, TA, 364 days, #00138124, Bogota – Colombia, LACR

For every child, the right to a calling

UNICEF’s Strategic Plan 2026–2029 reaffirms mental health as a global priority that cuts across all programme areas. Since its elevation in 2020, UNICEF has transformed mental health from a siloed concern into a multisectoral imperative, supported by dedicated leadership, sustained investment, and growing demand at country level across humanitarian, development, and high-income contexts. By 2025, UNICEF’s global mental health function had advanced a unified vision and operational framework, influenced key global policy dialogues, and driven country-level implementation of integrated mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) services for children, adolescents, and caregivers across sectors. Despite this progress, major challenges persist: high unmet need for mental health services; insufficient financing; limited integration of MHPSS into health, education, and protection systems; stigma and discrimination; and weak institutional capacity in many settings. Addressing these challenges requires cross-sectoral action, systems reform, and scaling of quality, evidence-based, and sustainable MHPSS approaches in both development and humanitarian contexts.

In Colombia, the mental health and psychosocial well-being of children and adolescents represent a critical public health and development challenge. High levels of emotional distress, anxiety, depression and other mental health conditions, combined with exposure to violence, displacement, poverty, social exclusion and humanitarian emergencies, continue to affect the well-being and future opportunities of children and young people. While mental health services and psychosocial support initiatives have expanded in recent years, significant inequities persist in access, quality, coverage and continuity of care, particularly in vulnerable and hard-to-reach communities.

At the same time, Colombia is advancing important policy and legislative reforms that recognize mental health as a fundamental right and call for more comprehensive, community-based and people-centered responses. This creates a strategic opportunity to strengthen the integration of MHPSS across sectors, expand evidence-based interventions, and promote sustainable systems that address prevention, early identification, care and recovery.

Within this context, UNICEF Colombia works with government counterparts, civil society organizations, academia, communities and international partners to strengthen national and territorial capacities for mental health promotion, psychosocial support and mental health care for children, adolescents and caregivers. UNICEF’s work prioritizes evidence-based, community-driven and equity-focused approaches that address the needs of the most vulnerable populations, including those affected by conflict, migration, poverty and other forms of adversity.

How can you make a difference?

• Programme planning, implementation and coordination.
• Technical assistance and multisectoral integration of MHPSS
• Evidence generation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
• Capacity strengthening and knowledge management.
• Partnerships, advocacy and technical coordination.
• Programme resource and operational management.
• Emergency preparedness and humanitarian response.

Minimum requirements

Desirables

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) is desirable.
• Master's degree in Mental Health is desirable.
• Experience with IASC MHPSS guidelines / Experience integrating MHPSS in emergency response is highly desirable.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts is considered an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable persons with disabilities, Indigenous Peoples, Afro-Colombian, Black, Raizal and Palenquero communities, and members of the LGBTIQ+ community are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.