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 Protection

How can you make a difference

As a Child Protection Specialist, you will contribute to achieving sustainable results by strengthening systems that protect children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and harmful practices, and improving sector coordination. You will be responsible for providing strategic and technical leadership in strengthening the social service workforce and the case management system, and you will support the effective design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of child protection programmes. Working under the Chief Child Protection, you will engage with internal and external partners, including government counterparts, development partners and civil society, to facilitate and coordinate programming, and to mobilize and leverage resources. You will engage in policy dialogue, review and formulation, as well as high-level advocacy.

You will also support evidence generation, innovation for programme delivery, knowledge management and capacity building. Through proactive coordination and a strong drive for results, you will help strengthen programme quality and reach, while at the same time maximizing effectiveness and efficiency.

UNICEF is seeking a dynamic and committed professional to join its team as a Child Protection Specialist, supporting the delivery of high-impact programmes that safeguard children’s rights and well-being. The role plays a critical part in the Approx. 2hours/month provision of technical assistance to prevent and respond to violence, abuse, exploitation, and harmful practices, and supporting programme design and implementation, monitoring progress, and strengthening child protection systems, contributing to reaching the most vulnerable children with critical services. You will work closely with government counterparts, civil society, and development partners to support systems strengthening, evidence-based approaches, and scalable solutions.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File Child Protection Specialist Level 3

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field.
Work Experience: 5 years of relevant work experience in leading and supporting Child Protection (CP) policy review and formulation, as well as systems strengthening and sector coordination is required. Experience in engaging in high-level advocacy and policy dialogue with government counterparts and key partners is required. Experience in the provision of technical assistance to Government partners. Experience in coordinating demand generation and behaviour change interventions (including birth registration) in collaboration with SBC teams is required. Experience in managing donor relations, partnerships, and stakeholder engagement is required and experience in any other related fields.
Skills: Cross-sectoral collaboration. Analytical and planning. Child protection systems strengthening. Budget analysis. Evidence generation and data analysis.
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 an asset.
Experience working in a developing country is considered as an asset.
UN system experience is considered as an asset.
Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is considered as an added advantage.
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

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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

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 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 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 committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable 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.

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.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.

Child Protection Specialist (NO-3), Fixed Term Position, #00137628, Malawi, Lilongwe, (Open to Malawian Nationals Only)