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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 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.

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

For every child, the right to a Champion

How can you make a difference?

Afghanistan continues to face a severe and multi-dimensional child protection crisis, driven by poverty, harmful social norms, restrictions affecting women and girls, the legacy of conflict, unsafe migration, explosive hazards, and recurring humanitarian emergencies. Children face multiple protection risks, including violence, exploitation, abuse, neglect, child labour, child marriage, family separation, grave violations, disability-related exclusion, and significant mental health and psychosocial distress. These vulnerabilities are compounded by weak protection systems, limited availability of qualified social workers, uneven access to services, harmful gender and social norms, and declining humanitarian resources.

UNICEF’s Child Protection programme responds through a more targeted, localized, and integrated approach that aims to strengthen both prevention and response systems. The programme focuses on reinforcing community-based child protection system, strengthening the social service workforce, improving case management and psychosocial support services, expanding birth registration, supporting family tracing and reunification, enhancing 

The Child Protection Specialist (Children Affected by Armed Conflict and Children on the Move) reports to the Chief of Child Protection for guidance and general supervision. The Specialist supports the development and preparation of Child Protection programmes and is responsible for the management, implementation, monitoring, reporting and evaluation of programme interventions within the country programme. The Specialist provides technical guidance and management support throughout programme planning and implementation, reporting processes and contributes to the achievement of sustainable child protection results in line with UNICEF's Strategic Plans, the Country Programme, Results-Based Management principles and international human rights standards. The position directly supervises a Child Protection Officer (NOB) and a Database Associate (GS-7), providing technical guidance, performance management and oversight to ensure effective programme delivery and quality results.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities: 

•  Programme Development and Planning (CAAC/MRM Focus).
•  Programme Management, Monitoring, and Delivery of Results.
•  Technical and Operational Support to Programme Implementation.
• Networking and partnership building.
•  Innovation, Knowledge Management, and Capacity Building.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Job Description, Child Protection Specialist, P-3, Fixed Term Position, Kabul, Afghanistan.pdf

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

Minimum requirements

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Development Studies, Psychology, Sociology, International Human Rights Law, International Law, Migration Studies and related areas.
• Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in Child Protection, Child Protection Programming, Social Development & Programme Management, Protection Systems Strengthening, Case Management, Family Tracing & Reunification, Conflict & Fragile Contexts, and any other related fields.
• Skills: Strong skills in case management, programme management, stakeholder engagement, protection systems strengthening, assessment analysis, coordination and collaboration are required for this role.
• Language Requirements: English - Proficient/Fluent is essential.
  
  

Desirables

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language.
• UN language knowledge, Developing Country Experience, UN System Experience, Humanitarian Preparedness, Humanitarian Response, Maternal & Neonatal Health, Fragile and Development Contexts are considered assets.
• 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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of serious misconduct.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable.

Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these checks.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 female 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.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.