Child Protection Specialist

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.

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.

1. Support to programme/project development and planning
2. 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.
3. 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.
4. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results
5. Plan and work with colleagues and partners to establish monitoring benchmarks and indicators for multisectoral violence against children interventions to strengthen accountability and results.
6. 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.
7. 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.
8. 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.
9. 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.
10. Technical and operational support to programme implementation
11. 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.
12. 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.
13. Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic programme materials for management use, information and/or consideration.
14. Networking and partnership building
15. 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.
16. 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.
17. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
18. 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.
19. Keep abreast, research, benchmark, and implement best practices in child protection management and information systems. Assess, institutionalize and share best practices and knowledge learned.
20. 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.

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. Skills: Experience in programme management, partnership management, context knowledge and analysis is required.
4. Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.
5. Desirables: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is considered an asset.
6. Desirables: Experience in digital learning, online protection and safeguarding is highly desirable.
7. Desirables: Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.