Child Protection Specialist (Gender-Based Violence in Emergencies (GBViE)), Temporary Appointment (364 days), P-4, Nairobi, Kenya, Eastern & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO)

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.

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For every child, protection.

UNICEF is a leading humanitarian and development agency with global reach and long-standing experience and expertise in addressing gender-based violence in emergencies (GBViE). UNICEF is directly involved in GBViE in some of the world’s most complex humanitarian settings. Preventing and responding to GBViE is recognized as a life-saving measure and an essential component of humanitarian action. Addressing GBViE is a core element of UNICEF’s gender equality programming priorities and sectorial responsibilities in its Strategic Plan and Gender Action Plan (2022-2025). UNICEF’s response to GBViE is shaped by its humanitarian responsibilities and commitments set out in the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action (CCCs) [1], the IASC GBV Guidelines, the IASC GBV Minimum Standards and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.

The East and Southern Africa Region (ESAR) has some of the highest rates of GBV globally and adolescent girls are among the most vulnerable.  In humanitarian settings, the situation is even worse. Across the region, risks of GBV including sexual violence, exploitation and abuse and intimate partner violence (IPV) are becoming even more acute due to drought, widespread food insecurity and displacement. Female-headed households, adolescent girls, older women and those with disabilities face heightened threats. Adolescent girls are particularly vulnerable to sexual violence, exploitation, abuse with child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM) on the rise as families adopt negative coping mechanisms for survival.

As a lead agency in addressing GBViE and in line with Executive Director Fore’s high-level commitments on GBV at the 2019 Oslo Ending Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (EndSGBV) conference, UNICEF Eastern and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) continues to expand specialized GBViE programming and work to reduce GBV risks across UNICEF-led clusters and sections. UNICEF is scaling up GBViE prevention, response and risk mitigation across ESAR to respond to growing needs in emergency settings including in Horn of Africa drought response, public health emergencies as well as ongoing conflicts and protracted crises. The purpose of this position is to continue strengthening UNICEF’s work on prevention, response and mitigation to GBViE.

How can you make a difference? 

The GBViE Specialist (P-4) will be responsible for providing high quality technical guidance on GBViE prevention, risk mitigation and response for the design, planning and expansion of programming across UNICEF programming in ESAR. Under the supervision of the ESARO Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) Specialist, the incumbent will provide oversight for quality assurance and coherence with UNICEF’s global level GBViE Operational Guidance and Resource Pack, as well as other global standards and guidelines and the UNICEF Strategic Plan and Gender Action Plan. S/he will ensure that the GBViE programming is aligned with the Core Commitments for Children.

The GBViE Specialist will work directly with UNICEF GBViE Specialists, officers and focal points in the Child Protection team at the country offices and will work collaboratively with UNICEF Child Protection Specialists at the regional office and headquarters (HQ) as well as with other key relevant sectors including but not limited to emergency, gender, nutrition, SRHR, education and disability. S/he will coordinate closely with other UN agencies and non-governmental partners (NGO) that specialize in GBViE with a particular focus on women-led organisations.

Major Duties and Responsibilities

1. Provide strategic and technical support to UNICEF ESARO and COs to scale up efforts to address GBViE.
2. Work with the UNICEF sectors, clusters and inter-agency partners to ensure GBV prevention, risk mitigation and response is adequately integrated across sectors and actions to reduce risks of GBV.
3. Strengthen knowledge management and policy development on GBViE for ESARO and COs.
4. Improve coordination of UNICEF GBViE interventions internally and at the inter-agency level.

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Advanced (Master’s level) degree in psychology, social work, human rights and public health or other related degree, or equivalent programming experience.

• Work Experience: At least eight (8) years of relevant work experience in GBViE prevention and response in humanitarian settings (with UN agencies and/or NGOs).
• Strong understanding of GBV case management system, GBV programming approaches, practices and applications i.e. on Adolescent Girl Programming, GBViE Minimum Standards, GBVIMS, IASC GBV guidelines.
• Demonstrated skills in planning and facilitating workshops and other capacity-building modalities.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills: the ability to liaise with people successfully and effectively in a wide range of functions in a multi-cultural environment.
• Experience of coordinating regional multi-year donor projects across countries.
• Strong planning, project management and budget skills required.
• Ability to work independently and productively, with multiple stakeholders in a fast-paced environment.
• Flexible work attitude: the ability to work productively in a team environment and independently, and to handle requests or issues as they arise.
• Ability to collect, collate and analyse data in a scientific and effective manner and strong writing skills.
• Availability to travel frequently in the region.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of a second UN and/or local working language of the duty station an asset.

Desirables:

• 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

(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 

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 persons with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Nationals of Kenya are eligible to apply for this position, provided they have at least two years of work experience of more than one year duration outside the country.

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.