Child Protection Specialist, Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse – P4  

The Child Protection Specialist (PSEA) will develop and support the organization’s work on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.  This includes the development of tools and technical guidance on prevention, reporting, victim/ survivor protection and assistance, advocacy, data analysis and knowledge management, and programmatic interventions to end and prevent such violations.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, a changeÀ

The Senior Adviser Child Protection (Prevention of Harmful Practices) will be part of the Prevention of Harmful Practices Unit. Under the overall guidance and direct supervision of the Director Child Protection (Post #14333) in collaboration with the Principal Adviser Gender (Post #53111), and within the context of supporting achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals, UNICEF Strategic Plan, UNICEF Gender Action Plan, and UNICEF Child Protection Strategy, the Senior Adviser Child Protection (Prevention of Harmful Practices) provides overall support to the Child Protection Section on the prevention of harmful practices (with a focus on child marriage and FGM/C). This function will serve as the Global Coordinator for the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme to Accelerate Action to End Child Marriage (for which UNICEF serves as administrative agent in the Programme Support Unit) and provides oversight and supervision of UNICEF’s inputs to the UNFPA-UNICEF Joint Programme on FGM/C.

To this end, the Senior Adviser Child Protection (Prevention of Harmful Practices) will work in close collaboration with UN agencies, including the UNFPA, WHO, UN Women, and UNICEF programme and policy sections, particularly the Gender Section but also Social Policy, Education and Health; all the targeted countries and regional offices for the Joint Programmes; donors (particularly in the steering committees); and partner advisory groups. In order to ensure that the work on prevention of harmful practices (with a focus on child marriage and FGM/C) is effectively considered and coherently integrated into appropriate work streams, the Senior Adviser Child Protection (Prevention of Harmful Practices) will work in close collaboration with UNICEF divisions, in particular the Gender Section, and other teams (units) in the Child Protection Section. This is a Nairobi-based position with frequent international travel to regional and country offices, international conferences, workshops and seminars.        

Purpose of the post

The Child Protection Specialist (PSEA) will develop and support the organization’s work on Protection from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse.  This includes the development of tools and technical guidance on prevention, reporting, victim/ survivor protection and assistance, advocacy, data analysis and knowledge management, and programmatic interventions to end and prevent such violations.

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

How can you make a difference?

 Programme development, planning and management.

• Develop programme proposals and take other actions to leverage funds for the areas of responsibility, reflecting priorities for the area of PSEA.
• Align global child protection programmes with UNICEF Strategic Plan, international standards and mechanisms, donor development policies, and UN-wide interventions and initiatives.
• Participate in major monitoring and evaluation exercises to assess progress globally and to engage stakeholders to take required actions to achieve results; identify lessons learned and facilitate strategic use of knowledge gained.
• Prepare programme reports, as required, for management, the Executive Board, donors and partners.
• Establish specific goals, objectives and strategies and implementation plans for the sector/s using results-based planning and management (RBM). Prepare required documentations for programme review and approval.

Advisory services and technical support

• Strengthen capacity at country and regional levels by developing inter-agency standard-setting guidance and tools to support the planning and implementation of PSEA systems and initiatives, in line with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan and the inter-agency initiatives under the UN SEA Working Group and the IASC AAP/PSEA Task Team.
• Provide technical advice to management on issues related to PSEA resulting in strategic visibility and advocacy.
• Participate in the formulation of global strategies and policies for both inter-agency and UNICEF-specific work on PSEA.
• Improve programme and policy coherence and coordination across Teams (Units) within the Child Protection Section, other Sections, other Divisions, and engagement with other key actors.
• Provide support to COs and ROs on reporting, response, and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, including through the Community of Practice.

Advocacy, networking and partnership building

• Develop and maintain inter-agency relationships towards the development of enhanced policy frameworks for the work around PSEA.
• Proactively build and strengthen strategic partnerships through networking and advocacy with governments, UN system agency partners, donors, internationally recognized institutions, NGOs, funding organization, research institutes and private sector in order to leverage these partnerships to achieve greater results for children.
• Contribute to the technical partnerships including the UN SEA Working Group and the IASC PSEA TAG.
• Actively serve and take leadership roles where appropriate on relevant coordinating and policy bodies ensuring close collaboration within Programme Group, Regional Offices, Country Offices, and with partners.
• Represent UNICEF in global fora to advocate for organizational positions in the development of global priorities.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Advance evidence building and identify gaps, with key partners in the area of PSEA, specifically the formulation of policy and good practice.
• Develop programme knowledge acquisition through systematic collection of country programme experience (lessons learned, best practices, reviews, evaluations) in the area of PSEA, including a key focus on the best practices; facilitate sharing of this knowledge between relevant UNICEF offices.
• Promote critical thinking and innovative approaches on PSEA, keeping abreast of current research and introducing and implementing cutting edge practices on reporting, victim/survivor assistance and protection, accountability and prevention.
• Work to institutionalize and disseminate best practices and knowledge learned, including in humanitarian emergency settings.
• Ensure learning is applied to practice in the field by disseminating and tracking relevant shifts in programme design and implementation.

Management support

• Provide support to the Team (Unit) in preparing briefing notes, policy papers, and technical inputs on PSEA for UNICEF senior management, donors, and other key stakeholders.
• Provide support to the Team (Unit) Lead in managing resources allocated to PSEA by prioritizing activities to be funded, in line with the Annual Work Plan, and ensuring efficient and timely usage of funds vis-a-vis grant expiration dates.
• Provide support to the Team (Unit) Lead in establishing the Child Protection Section’s Annual Work Plan in the area of PSEA, including a key focus on strengthened reporting, response and prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, developing strategies, setting priorities, targets and performance measurement indicators and monitoring progress and results achieved according to performance standards.
• Provide support to the Team (Unit) Lead in developing policy briefs on PSEA.

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

• An Advanced University degree in human rights, international law or other relevant social science field is required.
• A minimum of 8 (eight) years of professional experience at national/and or international levels in human rights, international humanitarian law, child protection, gender-based violence and/other related areas at the international level some of which were served in humanitarian contexts is required, with at least two years of PSEA work.
• Relevant experience in child protection, human rights and related areas, programme/project development and management in a UN system agency or organization is an asset.
• Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is an added advantage.
• Fluency in English (written and verbal) is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, French or Spanish) is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate?

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability (CRITA), and sustainability

Please click Here to view UNICEF’s core values and Here to view our competency framework.

UNICEF competencies required for this post are.

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (1)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (2)
• Works Collaboratively with others (2)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (2)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (2)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (2)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (2)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (2)

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 including 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 benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks, and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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, 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. 

Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid).

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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 only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at 

For more information on remuneration and benefits, please visit UNICEF’s Entitlements’ page.  If you would like to find estimates for entitlements, you may use the online Salary Estimate Calculator

• Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
• Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.