Staff Counsellor

IMPORTANT NOTICE REGARDING APPLICATION DEADLINE: please note that the deadline for applications is indicated in local time as per the time zone of the applicant’s location.

1. Organizational Context

a. Organizational Setting

The post is located in the Human Resources Operations Service, Human Resources Management Department (HRMD) in the Sector of the Director General. HRMD aims to ensure that WIPO has the human resources necessary to fulfill the Organization's mandate, through working in strategic and operational partnerships with all sectors of the Organization and providing a professional environment for the staff with good employment practices in a client-oriented and efficient manner. HRMD actively contributes to the development of a more open, dynamic and collaborative organizational culture, essential to creating a healthy, inclusive workplace where high performance and innovation can thrive.

b. Purpose Statement

The Staff Counsellor leads the Organization’s employee assistance, mental health and staff welfare initiatives, providing counselling and support to staff and families while advancing the mental health pillar of the Occupational Health and Safety framework and promoting well-being across individual, team and Organization levels while working closely with HRMD, management, the Medical Unit, other staff support services (including the Ombudsman and Ethics Office), and relevant task forces and committees.

c. Reporting Lines

The Staff Counsellor reports to the Head of the Human Resources Operations Service (for administrative supervision with matrix reporting to the Senior Medical Adviser for functional supervision.

2. Duties and Responsibilities

The incumbent will perform the following principal duties:

Counselling and psycho-social support

a. Provide confidential counselling and psychosocial support to WIPO staff on work-related or personal issues, including assessing staff experiencing coping difficulties or mental health concerns, making referrals to appropriate internal or external resources when necessary, and participating in organizational interventions during critical incidents, including acting as family liaison focal point.

Staff and Managerial Support

b. Provide consultations and support to managers on well-being related matters, including return to work, reasonable accommodation and other issues within the wider OHS context, and provide guidance to staff and their families on adaptation to new duty stations and life transitions, including separation or retirement.

Organizational Well-being Strategy and Risk Management

c. Lead the data collection and analytical work related to well-being and mental health at WIPO, analyze trends, produce actionable insights, and formulate recommendations to identify and address the risks through proactive institutional actions.

d. Contribute to the implementation of the OHS framework at WIPO by providing subject matter expertise and advancing the well-being and mental health pillar, while supporting the mainstreaming of well-being and mental health considerations in organizational policies and processes.

e. Act as subject matter expert and advisor to the Director of HRMD on the identification, assessment, monitoring and management of well-being and mental health related risks at WIPO and coordinate the implementation and reporting of relevant components of the UN Mental Health Strategy in line with the activities of the UN Mental Health Strategy Implementation Board.

Communication

f. Develop and maintain information platforms on mental health, well-being and staff welfare topics, and prepare and implement a communication plan to facilitate access to resources and to ensure a constant flow of information on these subjects.

g. Keep abreast of developments within and outside of the UN System in organizational psychology, solution-focused counselling, stress management and best practices.

h. Perform other duties as required.

3. Requirements

Education (Essential)

First-level university degree in the field of psychology, counselling, clinical social work, or other behavioral sciences or a related field.

Registration as a mental health professional in the country of origin is required.

Education (Desirable)

Certification in a broad range of mental health related fields, such as occupational health and safety, psychosocial risk-assessment, stress management, cross-cultural communication, conflict resolution, wellbeing aspects of diversity and inclusion, reasonable accommodation, etc.

Experience (Essential)

A minimum of six years of progressively responsible professional experience in the field of counselling and/or social work, involving occupational mental health, welfare, medical, and/or work-related psycho-social problems, including at least two years at the international level either in the public or private sector.
Experience working at the institutional level, providing expert advice to senior management to inform strategic decisions on matters related to mental health, well-being and welfare topics using evidence-based analysis.

Experience (Desirable)

Professional work experience with the United Nations or similar international Organizations, including experience working in multi-disciplinary teams.
Experience in leading the design and implementation of an impact-driven organizational strategy or action plan on occupational health and safety, mental health and well-being, welfare, or related subject.

Language (Essential)

Excellent command of English or French, and knowledge of the other.

Language (Desirable)

Knowledge of a third WIPO official language (Spanish, Russian, Arabic, Chinese) would be an advantage.

Job Related Competencies (Essential)

Sound discretion, tact and diplomacy in relating to staff at all levels, respecting cross-cultural differences, and exercising sound judgment in evaluating situations and building partnerships.
Strong commitment to client and service orientation excellence.
Excellent planning and organizing skills.
Ability to adapt tone and style to communicate effectively with different stakeholders on complex technical and sensitive matters.
Broad knowledge of staff-management relations.
Good knowledge of subjects related to organizational psychology and occupational health and safety.
Understanding policy development implications related to well-being and mental health at the workplace.
Ability to critically analyze complex situations and to identify systemic/organizational trends in the field of occupational mental health and well-being involving large volumes and/or various sources of data to produce actionable insights, formulate impact and data-driven recommendations, and evaluate the effectiveness of actions and interventions beyond counting activities.

Job Related Competencies (Desirable)

Familiarity with the United Nations Mental Health Strategy and the UN System-wide support structures and networks in this field.

4. Organizational Competencies

1. Communicating effectively.

2. Showing team spirit.

3. Demonstrating integrity.

4. Valuing diversity.

5. Producing results.

6. Showing service orientation.

7. Seeing the big picture.

8. Seeking change and innovation.

9. Developing yourself and others.

5. Information

Annual salary:

Total annual salary consists of a net annual salary (net of taxes and before medical insurance and pension fund deductions) in US dollars and a post adjustment. Please note that this estimate is for information only. The post adjustment multiplier (cost of living allowance) is variable and subject to change (increase or decrease) without notice. The figures quoted below are based on the March 2026 rate of 90.5%

P3

Annual salary

$64,121

Post adjustment

$58,030

Total Salary

$122,151

Currency USD

Salaries and allowances are paid in Swiss francs at the official rate of exchange of the United Nations.

Please refer to WIPO’s Staff Regulation and Rules for detailed information concerning salaries, benefits and allowances.

Additional Information

Temporary appointments are renewable, subject to continuing needs, availability of budget and satisfactory performance with a maximum cumulative length of two years.

Applications from qualified women as well as from qualified nationals of unrepresented Member States of WIPO and underrepresented geographical regions are encouraged. Please click on the following links for the list of unrepresented Member States and the list of underrepresented regions and the WIPO Member States in these regions.

The Organization reserves the right to make an appointment at a grade lower than that advertised.

___________________________________________________________________

By completing an application, candidates understand that any willful misrepresentation made on this web site, or on any other documents submitted to WIPO during the application, may result in disqualification from the recruitment process, or termination of employment with WIPO at a later date, if that employment resulted from such willful misrepresentations.

In the event that your candidature is shortlisted, you will be required to provide, in advance, a scanned copy of your identification and the degree(s)/diploma(s)/certificate(s) required for this position. WIPO recognizes higher educational qualifications obtained from institutions accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list maintained by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed here: http://www.whed.net/. Some higher educational qualifications may not be listed in WHED, and will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

Additional testing/interviewing may be used as a form of screening. Initial appointment is subject to satisfactory professional references.

Additional background checks may be required.