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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. 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 personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, a champion

How can you make a difference? 

The Child Protection Officer (P2) will report to the Child Protection Specialist (Output II) in BCO and will support the Output II team by providing technical and operational assistance in the planning, administration, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of social service workforce strengthening and mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) program initiatives. This role is essential to establishing effective and robust child protection mechanisms. The Officer utilizes both technical and theoretical expertise, as well as a comprehensive understanding of organizational goals, policies, rules, and procedures, to carry out these responsibilities.

Key functions, accountabilities and related duties/tasks:

1. SUPPORT TO STRATEGY DESIGN AND STRENGTHEN SOCIAL SERVICES WORKFORCE

• Support in rolling out the Social Service Workforce development initiative.
• Support in establishing and strengthening community-based child protection mechanisms through capacity building and advocacy.
• Support in reviewing and updating the country's Social Service Workforce development curriculums.
• Support in developing a normative framework for the Social Service Workforce in Bangladesh.
• Support in developing an accreditation system for social workers.
• Support the National Social Service Training Academy of the Department of Social Services to develop/upgrade child protection social work foundation course.
• Support in initiating Master/Executive Courses or Certificate Courses on child protection social work with public and private universities.

2. SUPPORT FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF CHILD PROTECTION ACTIVITIES

• Collaborate and/or consult with internal and external partners to provide operational and technical support to research, develop, and produce evidence-based strategies. 
• Assess and recommend potential contacts, networks, resources, and tools to support the maximum impact and outreach of CP initiatives. 
• Follow up and monitor the production of CP materials to ensure the technical quality, consistency and relevancy of the materials that are developed, produced, and disseminated to target audiences (e.g. individuals, communities, government officials, partners, media etc.).
• Collect, assess, and organize information for budget planning and management of programme funds and prepare documentation and related materials for financial planning for CP initiatives. 
• Monitor/track the use of resources as planned and verify compliance with organizational guidelines, rules and regulations and standards of ethics and transparency. 
• Support in designing, launching, and conducting CP studies and evaluations.
• Draft donor reports and project proposals. 
• Liaison with other UNICEF sectors, FOs, and programmes as per the needs of the CP programme. 

3. SUPPORT MENTAL HEALTH AND PSYCHO-SOCIAL SUPPORT (MHPSS) PROGRAMME INITIATIVES

• Strengthen the capacity of Psychosocial Counselors, DSS officials, and Para Psychosocial Counselors (Social Workers) in mental health and psychosocial support (MHPSS) through targeted training and other relevant activities.
• Design and manage MHPSS programs that address mental health needs and provide psychosocial support to children and their families.
• Conduct thorough assessments to identify specific mental health and psychosocial needs, particularly among vulnerable or crisis-affected populations.
• Tailor MHPSS interventions to align with the specific needs, cultural context, and available resources of the target community.
• Develop and maintain a robust referral network for individuals needing advanced mental health services, ensuring timely access to specialized support. 

4. ADVOCACY, NETWORKING AND PARTNERSHIP BUILDING

• Build and maintain partnerships through networking and proactive collaboration with sub-national, national, and international organizations, community groups, and other critical partners and civil society.
• Reinforce cooperation through engagement, empowerment and self-determination and pursue opportunities for greater advocacy to promote UNICEF mission and goals for child rights, social equity, and inclusiveness.
• Collaborate with internal global/regional CP partners to harmonize, link and/or coordinate messaging to enhance CP outreach and contribution to programmatic outcomes. 

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

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in one of the following fields is required: social work, social and behavioral science, sociology, anthropology, psychology, education, or another relevant technical field. Social Work preferred. 
• Work Experience: A minimum of two years of professional experience in one or more of the following areas is required: child protection, social work, social development, programme planning, public advocacy, or another related area.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                  Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.                                                           Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage. 
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.

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

The 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.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background, and persons with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization. To create a more inclusive workplace, UNICEF offers paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements. Click here to learn more about flexible work arrangements, well-being, and benefits.

According to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual, or sensory impairments which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others. In its Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy 2022-2030, UNICEF has committed to increase the number of employees with disabilities by 2030. At UNICEF, we provide reasonable accommodation for work-related support requirements of candidates and employees with disabilities. Also, UNICEF has launched a Global Accessibility Helpdesk to strengthen physical and digital accessibility. If you are an applicant with a disability who needs digital accessibility support in completing the online application, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF.

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 may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

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 an equal-opportunity employer, we actively encourage applications from female candidates, gender-diverse individuals and people with disabilities.

UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

The VA is open to all (internal and external candidates)

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.

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.

Internal candidates may be given preference over external candidates. The term "Internal" refers to all staff members with fixed term, continuing or permanent appointments. Internal candidates who are legally permitted to work for UNICEF in Bangladesh, independently of UNICEF appointment, will also be considered.

Applicants must provide complete and accurate information pertaining to their candidate profile and qualifications according to the instructions provided in the Applicant system in order to be considered.  The information submitted will be used for administrative purposes, salary/step determination and conditions of employment. No amendment, addition, deletion, revision or modification shall be accepted for applications that have already been submitted for this position.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.