Advisor for Regional Government Cooperation, Community-based MHPSS and Peacebuilding

GIZ- Internal/External Vacancy Announcements- 106/2026

Position: Advisor for Regional Government Cooperation, Community-based MHPSS and Peacebuilding

Project: Building Inclusive Institutions for Resilience, Reconciliation and Reforms (BIRRR)

Duty Station: Tigray, Mekelle 

Contract Duration: 30.11.2027

Required Candidate:1

Brief and attractive description of the project/ unit

The Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH is a German public-benefit federal enterprise. GIZ works worldwide in the field of international cooperation for sustainable development and has over 50 years of experience in a wide variety of areas. We work to shape a future worth living in over 120 countries around the worldwide.

The Project “Building Inclusive Institutions for Resilience, Reconciliation and Reforms (BIRRR)”is accompanying the transitional justice process (TJ), that has been initiated by the Ethiopian Government. This process is an essential element in the national peace process to secure reconciliation and long-lasting and sustainable peace. The project aims at advising and strengthening key government institutions as well as Civil Society Organisations to ensure that the TJ process is conducted in an inclusive, gender responsive, survivor and victim-centred manner and according to international human rights standards.

 The project will be implemented in selected regions of Ethiopia. The regional implementation includes a focus on:

1. Implementing capacity development and networking activities on TJ and gender for and with local civil society organizations.
2. Strengthening the capacities of regional governments, especially the Bureaus of Justice, Bureaus of Women, Bureaus of Social Affairs and Bureaus of Health with regards to TJ, peacebuilding and gender equality for their involvement in the national TJ process. This includes advising regional governments on the provision of holistic mental health and psychosocial support services (MHPSS) to conflict-affected communities.
3. Providing holistic, gender-responsive and community-based MHPSS to IDPs, marginalized groups and survivors of conflict and grave human rights abuses, such as conflict-related sexual and gender-based violence (SGBV).

As an Advisor for regional government cooperation, community-based MHPSS and peacebuilding in Tigray, you will be responsible for facilitating the regional cooperation with the relevant Bureaus on TJ, peacebuilding and MHPSS. Moreover, you will be facilitating the regional project implementation on holistic MHPSS and peacebuilding measures to promote a gender-responsive and victim-centered TJ process. This includes cooperating with regional government, local MHPSS service providers and community-based organizations.

Responsibilities and Duties

• You are facilitating capacity development and networking activities for and with local civil society organisations on TJ and gender, in line with the responsible team members based in Addis Ababa.
• You are responsible for implementing the activities of the project output on the strengthening of capacities of regional governments (training and networking events), especially the Bureaus of Justice, Bureaus of Women, Bureaus of Social Affairs and Bureaus of Health with regards to TJ, peacebuilding and gender equality for their involvement in the national TJ process. This includes technical support and advisory services.
• You are responsible for implementing the regional project activities around community-led initiatives on MHPSS, community activities, and peacebuilding for survivors of war, conflict, and conflict-related SGBV (especially women, youth IDPs) in Tigray.
• You are facilitating the roll out of a funding mechanism for community-led activities around MHPSS, peacebuilding and dealing with the past in the project regions, including setting up and accompanying financial agreements with local government bureaus, CSOs and community-based organizations.
• You support the identification of suitable medical- and community-based MHPSS providers in the selected regions of the project.
• You prepare financing, local subsidy and consulting contracts and supervise their implementation.
• You support the implementation of the capacity development strategy on how to strengthen community initiatives on peacebuilding and transitional justice, such as local mechanisms of dealing with the past and community healing. This also includes income generating activities for livelihood and economic empowerment where necessary.
• You anticipate potential push backs and elaborate strategies to deal with them jointly with partners on the ground
• You facilitate the monitoring and mitigation of unintended, negative consequences of project activities in the area of MHPSS and peacebuilding in cooperation with BIRRR team and partners and you contribute to the project monitoring and evaluation system in cooperation with the BIRRR M&E expert
• You are in charge of general cross-cutting support activities in your area of responsibility, e.g. knowledge management and documentation, communications and administrative processes if requested

Qualifications

• University degree in Psychology or Social Work, Public Health, Political Science, Peace and Security/ Conflict Studies or similar
• Profound understanding of the situation of conflict survivors in Tigray, especially women, youth and children and other marginalized population, traumatized by grave atrocities and human rights abuses
• Sound knowledge of the civil society organizations who work on peace, MHPSS, gender and TJ in Tigray.
• Profound expertise of the holistic MHPSS concept and implementation at community level in (post-) conflict settings in Tigray.
• Knowledge of MHPSS and psychological service providers in Tigray, understanding of traditional MHPSS and community healing approaches, as well as knowledge of gaps and opportunities of psychological service provision in Tigray are an asset.
• Knowledge of survivor associations in Tigray is an asset.
• Sound understanding of the concept of transitional justice and the role of regional governments in its implementation in the Ethiopian context is an asset.
• Knowledge of GIZ internal structures is an asset.

Professional experience

• A minimum of 5 (five) years of experience in working on at least two of the three areas: MHPSS, conflict prevention or peacebuilding, and/or transitional justice.
• Multiple years of work experience in donor-funded projects, including managing grants and sub-grants.
• Multiple years of experience in cooperating with and advising Tigray regional bureaus on peace-, gender- and/or MHPSS-related issues.
• Multiple years of experience in implementing projects at community level in Tigray region on peace, MHPSS and/or livelihood/income generating activities.
• Multiple years of implementing projects, trainings and networking events with Tigrayan civil society organizations on peace, MHPSS and gender.
• Working experience in conflict affected areas in Tigray, proven experience in working with a do-no-harm and conflict-sensitive approach.
• Proven experience in the field of MHPSS and peacebuilding interventions for and with victims of sexual gender-based violence and other post-traumatic stress disorder related issues.
• Working experience in the area of economic empowerment and livelihood creation of survivors of human rights violations, war, conflict and conflict-related sexual violence.
• Working experience with survivor/victim associations is an asset.

 Other knowledge, additional competencies

• Very good analytical skills, self-reflective, empathetic, and non-judgemental attitude.
• High gender competence, intercultural competence and resilience, emotional stability to cope with human suffering.
• Strong commitment, team spirit, reliability, conflict sensitivity, gender competence and intercultural competence
• Ability and willingness to travel to conflict affected regions.
• Sensitivity to accommodate survivors of human rights violations.
• Excellent training competences
• Excellent written and spoken skills in English Amharic and Tigrinya. Fluency in other Ethiopian languages (, Afar) is an advantage.
• Very good working knowledge of ICT technologies (related software) and computer applications (e.g. MS Office)
• Exhibits conscientiousness, integrity and loyalty