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. 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 personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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

For every child, Education!

Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent with an estimated population of 115 million. It borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people.

Over the past two years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in the northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has programmes in Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.

How can you make a difference?

Background and Strategic Context

Oromia, the largest region in Ethiopia, holds that distinction both in terms of land mass and population size. It is estimated that the region’s population is 43 million. Despite the concerted efforts by the government, development partners, and other stakeholders, the region has encountered significant challenges to development resulting from a combination of both man-made and natural disasters that include conflicts, droughts, outbreaks of diseases, as well as destructive windstorms and occasional flooding. According to Oromia Busa Gonofa (DRMO) report, there are over 1.48 million conflict IDPs, of this, many are displaced in Western Oromia.

UNICEF is providing child protection response and resilience building services covering over 30 most conflict affected woredas in the region through direct partnership with Government and local and international partners. The interventions focus on strengthening the child protection systems, delivering services like case management, preventing and responding to Violence Against Children/Gender Based Violence (GBV), and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support.

Summary of Key Functions and Accountabilities

• In line with the Core Commitments for Children for Child Protection and UNICEF Ethiopia CP strategy, the officer is expected to provide field level technical and programmatic support for the design, implementation, monitoring and reporting of child protection programs in partnership with zonal BOWCYA, and other partners.
• She/he is responsible to ensure that interventions included in the child protection priority focus areas are implemented, monitored, and managed in a timely and effective manner.
• Support the development of child protection emergency plans of action, workplans, emergency appeals, and in the mobilization of donor response.
• Support area level coordination of UNICEF child protection programs.
• Support monitoring of child protection program implementation.

• Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end-results.
• The following are some of the specific roles and expectations.
• Ensure the design and development of zonal and wereda level child protection program supported with contextual, accurate, complete, and up-to-date data and information.
• Support Government and other IPs for the effective implementation, management, monitoring and evaluation of CP programs for both emergency and development contexts.
• Enhance program efficiency and effectiveness through implementation follow-up and technical support on activities with various partners, including monitoring UNICEF inputs, local conditions, and resources.
• Ensure the appropriateness of financial, administrative and supply documentation; verify that Child Protection project expenditures are within allotments and that data is consistent with the project information.
• Identify capacity building needs of partners and develop and implement appropriate capacity building training and orientation programs.
• Ensure effective coordination, communication, and networking for the effective implementation of CP programs.
• Technical support on CPIE, case management MHPSS and other areas of engagement in child protection
• Identify stakeholders, services, and partners with the capacity to address violence, exploitation, or abuse, including GBV; and build capacity of partners to provide multi-sectoral response services (e.g., health, psychosocial support, security and legal/justice) to victims and survivors.
• Provide an ongoing capacity assistance and monitor the implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for UASC in coordination with the ZoWCYA and their woreda offices and other implementing partners of UNICEF. Follow up and support the implementation of the zonal and wereda emergency response plan and Program documents with UNICEF supported Government and NGOs:
• Provide technical support to ZoWCYA and NGO partners to implement the overall CP/GBV regional response plans and PCAs and support rapid assessments as deemed timely.
• Child Protection in Emergencies situation and response monitoring and reporting including regular Sit Reps and 5W reporting: On monthly basis (and ad hoc requests as needed) collect, analyze information and report against the Ethiopia Country Office (ECO HAC Results framework and CP/GBV monitoring framework). Reports will be shared with the ECO through the Child Protection Specialist and P&M Officer for quality assurance. Ensure key reporting requirements are met including inputs for weekly/bi-weekly and monthly sitreps, donor reports and systematic coordination of appropriate responses on child protection in emergency operational response plan, with other relevant sectors, especially health, education, and WASH.
• Provide technical assistance and play facilitator role to strengthen child protection and GBV coordination platforms at zonal and wereda levels.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: 

• University degree or above in Social Science, Development Studies, Gender, Human Rights, Sociology, or another relevant field.

Work Experience:

• At least one year of relevant work experience at the national or international level in child protection issues such as child protection in emergencies, violence against children and harmful practices (FGM and child marriage), and birth registration.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of Amharic as the National language of Ethiopia and Afan Oromo as the local language is a strong asset.
• Any other official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) is an asset.

Desirables:

• Experience in assisting or facilitating training is desirable.
• Understanding of the cluster systems and formal training in cluster information management and emergency response is desirable.
• Experience in the development and use of a database (e.g., M&E system) is desirable.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency.

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 (1)

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (1)

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact (1)

(4) Innovates and embraces change (1)

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

(6) Thinks and acts strategically (1)

(7) Works collaboratively with others (1)

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.

We offer a wide range of measures to include a more diverse workforce, such as paid parental leave, time off for breastfeeding purposes, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will 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.

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’s active commitment to diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates and persons with disability 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.

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.