Lead, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support

Lead, MHPSS

Save the Children International has an exciting opportunity for a Lead, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) to join our global team.

Team Purpose

• The Breakthrough team drives strategic, technical, and operational leadership for Save the Children’s global goals in order to achieve programmatic breakthroughs while ensuring high-quality, evidence-based, and integrated programming across our portfolio. The team delivers context-responsive, demand-driven technical support to Country Offices to enhance programme effectiveness in line with local needs and global priorities. The team also advances sector innovation and learning through external engagement in clusters, in inter-agency groups, with donors, peer agencies and foundations. The team is responsible for new business development and resource mobilization efforts as well as developing partnerships to strengthen our collaborative impact globally.

Role purpose

The Lead, MHPSS provides senior technical leadership and day-to-day oversight of Save the Children’s global MHPSS support to country offices. Reporting to the Head, Learn Breakthrough, the postholder manages a team of advisors, ensuring the delivery of high-quality, timely, and context-appropriate support to country teams. The role contributes to strategic planning, leads on new business opportunities, leads the coordination of technical assistance and resource allocation, and plays a key role in fostering collaboration, innovation, and continuous improvement across the Learn portfolio.

• Job Title: Lead, MHPSS
• Reports To: Head, Learn Breakthrough
• Work Pattern: Hybrid/Remote with flexible working options available
• Location: Kenya. For a full list of locations that Save the Children International can hire in, please visit: SCI Careers
• Required Time Zone: East Africa Time
• Contract Length: Permanent
• Right to Work: The successful candidate must have the right to work in the country where the role is based, for the duration of employment.
• Language

Requirements

• English (additional language of French, Spanish or Arabic preferred)

• International Travel: up to 20%

• People Management: Number of people managed in total: 3; Manager of a team: Yes; Team Manager (manager of multiple teams): No

• Remit: Global

• Principal Accountabilities

• Lead the provision of Country Office facing technical support for MHPSS, ensuring the highest standards are maintained and adjusting strategies to meet evolving needs and priorities of COs.

• Line manages a team of technical experts, fostering an inclusive and collaborative work environment, promoting continuous professional development, and ensuring the team brings and applies experience across humanitarian, nexus, and development contexts

• Ensure technical support to all new rapid onset emergencies

• Coordinate and prioritise the team's efforts across multiple awards and activities, ensuring efficient allocation of technical resources to maximise impact.

• Deputise for the Head, Learn Breakthrough as needed, ensuring seamless continuity of strategic and operational leadership in their absence, and contributing to strategic planning and decision-making.

• Advocate for diversity, equity, and inclusion within the team and across programmes, ensuring that sector interventions are inclusive and accessible to all children, regardless of their background or identity.

• Collaborate with internal and external stakeholders to innovate and integrate new sector solutions, reflecting the organisations’ values of creativity, integrity, and ambition.

• Experience and Skills

• Essential

• Extensive experience working directly in humanitarian and development settings, including in complex contexts to design, implement, and evaluate programs. Experience involving significant international travel and working in diverse cultural settings to ensure programmes are culturally competent and inclusive.

• Technical Expertise: Proficient expertise in designing, implementing, and evaluating sector specific interventions and programmes. Significant competence in adjusting strategies to evolving needs and priorities.

• Leadership and Team Management: Significant experience in leading and overseeing strategic initiatives in a global setting, with an ability to deputise for leadership effectively. Demonstrates empathy and strong people management skills, and able to foster a culture of collaboration, diversity of thought, agility, and continuous learning.

• Analytical and Problem-Solving

Skills

• Strong ability to analyse complex data, review programme performance metrics and translate findings into actionable improvements.
• Capacity Building and Mentoring: Considerable experience in building capacity, delivering training, and mentoring staff and local partners on sector specific practices and broader technical approaches.
• Proposal and Strategic Plan Development: Proven experience in developing high-quality proposals and strategic plans. A track record of writing successful proposals for donor-funded projects is essential.
• Compliance and Quality Assurance: Proficient experience in reviewing and assuring compliance of awards with donor requirements and organisational policies. Demonstrated ability to identify and implement areas of improvement.
• Communication and Interpersonal

Skills

• Exceptional communication skills, including experience in negotiation, influencing, and presentations. Must demonstrate the ability to build and maintain effective relationships with internal and external stakeholders.

• Operational Flexibility: Ability and willingness to travel extensively and occasionally work in challenging environments, potentially on short notice.

• Education and Qualifications

• Essential

• Advanced degree in psychology, mental health, social work, counselling, public health, global mental health, psychosocial support, or another relevant social or behavioural science discipline or a related field

• Desirable

• Professional training or certification in programme management, humanitarian principles, or related areas.