Strategic Leadership Opportunity: MHPSS and Protection Programme Manager at Action Against Hunger (ACF) - MY NGO JOBS

Strategic Leadership Opportunity: MHPSS and Protection Programme Manager

Location: Sokoto, Nigeria Reporting To: Field Coordinator Application Deadline: December 16th, 2025, 05:00 PM (Nigerian Time)

About Action Against Hunger (ACF)

Action Against Hunger (ACF) is the world’s foremost specialist in tackling life-threatening hunger. For four decades, our humanitarian and development work has placed us on the front lines in nearly 50 countries, leading a global movement to ensure no one suffers from preventable hunger. Our commitment extends beyond nutrition to holistic health, including critical mental health and protection services.

We seek a dynamic and seasoned MHPSS and Protection Programme Manager to drive the strategy, implementation, and quality assurance of our Mental Health, Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), and Protection initiatives in Sokoto. This is a leadership position requiring technical mastery, rigorous management, and a deep commitment to humanitarian principles.

The Role: MHPSS and Protection Programme Manager

You will be the key technical and managerial leader for MHPSS and Protection activities at the base level. Your primary responsibility will be to ensure the programme is strategically relevant, technically sound, deeply integrated with other sectors (like FSL and WASH), and compliant with global humanitarian standards.

Key Strategic & Operational Responsibilities

1. Context Analysis and Strategy (Mission 1)

Continuous Context Monitoring: Systematically analyze the MHPSS humanitarian situation and context of intervention in Sokoto, integrating these findings into monthly internal and sectoral reports (APRs).
Strategic Positioning: Contribute to the definition of the regional intervention strategy and the national sectoral strategy, ensuring alignment with ACF policies, national strategies, and key international guidelines (e.g., SPHERE, IASC, WHO mhGAP).
Integration and Management: Proactively promote the transversal integration of MHPSS & Protection activities across all ACF departments in collaboration with the Field Coordinator. Ensure crosscutting issues (Protection, Gender, Disability) are effectively managed within MHPSS responses.

2. Project Implementation, Monitoring, and Reporting (Mission 2)

Programme Oversight: Guarantee the timely and effective implementation of the MHPSS & Protection project, adhering strictly to the logical framework, budget, and ACF logistical/administrative procedures.
Capacity Building Coordination: Coordinate and supervise all technical training and supportive activities at Primary Healthcare Centres (PHCs), hospital, and community levels. This includes building robust referral systems.
Technical Excellence: Identify technical constraints and propose innovative solutions. Ensure all technical recommendations from the Head of Department and Technical Advisors are implemented.
Rigorous Monitoring: Utilize MHPSS & Protection indicators, internal monitoring tools, and regular field presence to track project performance and manage budgetary control.
Accountability: Ensure ACF and donor visibility on project sites and identify and implement safety measures for teams and assisted populations.

3. Team Management and Capacity Building (Mission 3)

Leadership and Development: Lead, motivate, and manage the MHPSS & Protection team, overseeing recruitment, initial training (on ACF MHPSS & Protection standards and Project Cycle Management), performance evaluation, and conflict resolution.
Clinical Supervision: Drive the continuous development of team skills through targeted training plans and weekly clinical supervision, essential for maintaining high-quality service delivery.
Cross-Sector Training: Provide training on basic MHPSS skills (such as Psychological First Aid – PFA) to other ACF departments to foster integration and staff well-being.

4. Quality, Accountability, and Capitalization (Mission 4)

Standards Compliance: Supervise project quality in line with ACF’s technical and management standards.
Impact Evaluation: Promote and contribute to impact evaluation (internal needs assessments and external evaluations) and learning/capitalization processes.
Ethical Oversight: Implement complaint mechanisms, emphasizing the transparency and ethical delivery of projects, particularly with assisted populations.
Knowledge Transfer: Document and formalize methodologies, lessons learned, and innovations to ensure effective knowledge transmission and project capitalization.

5. Protection Mainstreaming and SGBV/Child Protection (Mission 5)

Focal Point: Act as the base-level focal point for gender and protection mainstreaming.
Technical Support: Ensure the integration and monitoring of protection issues (including GBV and child protection) into all sector activities using dedicated indicators.
Specialized Activities: Support the MHPSS team in specific SGBV and child protection activities through specialized trainings, supervision, and conducting gender and protection assessments.

Position Requirements

We are looking for an exceptional candidate with a solid clinical background, strong field management experience, and a comprehensive understanding of humanitarian protection frameworks.

Essential Qualifications:

Academic: Degree in Clinical Psychology, Psychology, Mental Health Counselling, or Public Health. A Master’s degree is preferred.
Professional Experience: Minimum of 4 years of professional experience, including at least 3 years in a humanitarian/INGO setting and at least 1 year in a managerial role.
Technical Expertise:
- Strong knowledge of mental health service organization in public health and community settings.
- Skilled in applying international guidelines (mhGAP, PM+, MHPSS IASC, WHO) and integrating care into primary health systems.
- Proven experience in training and clinical supervision of health workers and community members.
Contextual Exposure: Demonstrated exposure to humanitarian contexts with vulnerable populations (IDPs, refugees, host communities) and adherence to community-based guidelines.
Management Skills: Excellent program management skills across diverse contexts (emergency, volatile, rural/urban). Familiarity with logistics, finance, and HR procedures.
Personal Qualities: Fluent in English and Hausa. Highly adaptable, autonomous, diplomatic, professional, and resilient under pressure. Willing and able to travel to remote areas with limited services.