Child Protection Specialist (Harmful Practice) at UNICEF

How can you make a difference?

The Child Protection Specialist reports to the Chief of field Office for general supervision and operational guidance and to the Chief of Child Protection and the Child Protection Specialist (Harmful Practices) for technical implementation of the programme. The CP Specialist is responsible for the management, implementation, monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of the child protection programme within the country programme with a particular focus on the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on the elimination of FGM. This also includes the provision of support to the implementation of the Child Protection programme(s) as it relates to System Strengthening (including data management, community structure and social welfare workforce strengthening, justice for children and birth registration). This role requires a strong background and professional experience in gender and social norms change, in addition to child protection interventions. H/She facilitates the administration and achievement of concrete and sustainable contributions to national and international efforts to create a protective environment for children against all harm, and to protect their rights to survival, development and wellbeing as established under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, international treaties/frameworks and UN intergovernmental bodies.

The CP Specialist contributes to the achievement of results according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM), and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans, standards of performance and accountability framework.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

• Support child protection system programme planning and implementation.
• Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results on harmful practices.
• Networking and partnership building on harmful practices, including with traditional/religious leaders and women and youth-led groups, to scale-up the Movement For Good to end FGM in Nigeria.
• Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields: international development, gender, social norms, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field as it relates to harmful practices and gender issues.
• A minimum of five years of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection and gender related areas is required.
• At least five years of relevant professional experience with demonstrated track record of having undertaken and led evidence-based programming on child protection, gender, social norms or harmful practices, with a cross-sectoral and adolescent girl focus.
• Experience working on community engagement programmes is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in programme development in child protection and gender related areas in a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset.
• Experience in research and analysis, and especially monitoring and evaluation of gender, adolescents, and harmful practices.
• Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is considered an added advantage.
• Fluency in English is required.  Knowledge of another official UN language or the local language of the duty station is considered as an asset