UNICEF is recruiting a Child Protection Specialist. Proficiency in child protection programming, safeguarding, and partnership management is required.
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:
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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…
- Builds and maintains partnerships
- Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
- Drive to achieve results for impact
- Innovates and embraces change
- Manages ambiguity and complexity
- Thinks and acts strategically
- Works collaboratively with others
Deadline: 21 Aug 2026 E. Africa
Standard Time
How to Apply
