UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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For every child, the right to an Advocate

How can you make a difference?

The Child Protection Specialist reports to the Chief, Child Protection for guidance and general supervision. The Specialist provides strategic leadership, technical oversight and coordination for all protection, safeguarding and-co-led with FAWEK-wrap-around components of RISE, with particular emphasis on online safety. 

Purpose of the job

The Child Protection Specialist reports to the Chief, Child Protection for guidance and general supervision. The Specialist provides strategic leadership, technical oversight and coordination for all protection, safeguarding and — co-led with FAWEK — wrap-around components of RISE, with particular emphasis on online safety. The post ensures coherence, compliance and quality assurance, and that adolescent and youth protection principles are embedded across all workstreams. Reporting to the Chief of Child Protection, it works across the Innovation and Education sections for an integrated approach, and advances the wider violence-against-children agenda, including online safety.

Main Responsibilities:

1. Support to programme/project development and planning

• Support the preparation and updating of situation analyses for violence against children to inform UNICEF’s policy advocacy, programme priorities, and intervention design. Keep abreast of trends and evidence to strengthen programme relevance, efficiency and results.
• Contribute to strategic programme discussions and develop proposals that align with UNICEF Strategic Plans, the Country Programme, the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework (UNSCDF), regional strategies and national priorities on ending violence against children.

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

• Plan and work with colleagues and partners to establish monitoring benchmarks and indicators for multisectoral violence against children interventions to strengthen accountability and results.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme and annual reviews with government and other counterparts to assess progress, identify gaps, strengths and weaknesses, determine required actions, and apply lessons learned to strengthen programme management and achieve results.
• Actively monitor programmes/projects through field visits, surveys and exchange of information with partners to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems. Take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely resolution.
• Monitor and verify the optimum and appropriate use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets) confirming compliance with organizational rules, regulations, procedures, donor commitments, as well as standards of accountability and integrity. Ensure timely reporting and liquidation of resources.
• Manage the child protection components of the RISE (Resilience in Secondary Education) programme, including safeguarding with a focus on online safety and wraparound services. RISE is a multi-sectoral initiative implemented by UNICEF Kenya in partnership with the Mastercard Foundation, FAWE Kenya, the Kenya Red Cross Society (KRCS), Government of Kenya institutions, and other strategic partners.

3. Technical and operational support to programme implementation

• Provide technical guidance and operational support to government, NGO, UN and other partners to design and implement violence against children interventions, advancing a multisectoral approach including health, education, justice, social protection with particular attention to parenting support, online safety and survivor-centered programming.
• Participate in child protection programme meetings, including programme development and contingency planning discussions on emergency preparedness in the country or other locations designated, to provide technical and operational information, advice and support.
• Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and/or consideration.

4. Networking and partnership building

• Build and sustain effective partnerships with government, civil society, academia, donors, the private sector, including mobile network operators, and other allies to advance prevention and response to violence against children, strengthen parenting support interventions, and enhance online safety for children.
• Participate in inter-agency discussions and planning on child protection issues to ensure UNICEF’s priorities on ending violence against children are reflected in UNSCDF processes and related programme planning.

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Apply and introduce innovative approaches and good practices to build the capacity of partners and stakeholders, and to support the implementation and delivery of concrete and sustainable programme results.
• Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best practices in child protection management and information systems. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
• Organize and implement capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients and stakeholders to promote sustainable results in child protection and related programmes/projects.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Child Protection Specialist NOC.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements

• Education: An advanced university degree (Master's level or equivalent) in International Development, Sociology, Human Rights, Psychology, International Law, Social Sciences, or another relevant discipline is required.
• Work Experience: At least five years of professional experience in child protection, humanitarian assistance, programme management, violence prevention, online safety, safeguarding, monitoring and evaluation, partnership management, policy advocacy, capacity building, emergency preparedness, or other closely related fields is required.
• Skills: Experience in programme management, partnership management, context knowledge and analysis is required.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables

• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is considered an asset.
• Experience in digital learning, online protection and safeguarding is highly desirable.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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 encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

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 are conditional on the selected candidates’ willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

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 candidates 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.

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.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.