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,

UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to childrens rights into action. This includes the task:

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision and general guidance of the Regional Adviser, Child Protection, the Child Protection Specialist will be responsible for contributing to advise, analysis and technical support to the regional and country offices and regional networks in South Asia on policies, operational strategies, research and evaluations with regard to the strengthening of national child protection systems, addressing social norms harmful to children and child protection in emergencies.

Technical Support: Provide technical assistance to the regional office, country offices and regional networks for programme activities related to strengthening child protection systems with a particular focus on alternative care, justice for children including child labour, addressing social norms harmful to children, including child marriage and child protection in emergencies. This would be achieved through direct technical inputs, knowledge management and programme monitoring.

Capacity development: Develop capacity of UNICEF staff and key counterparts in child protection systems strengthening, social norms, child protection in emergencies, specialist protection concerns and related research and analysis. This work will also extend to programme areas identified in the SAARC/UNICEF annual workplan and to cooperation with South Asia initiative to End Violence against Children (SAIEVAC) and the South Asia Coordination Group on Action against Violence against Children (SACG).

Networking and coordination

• Provide support to strengthen and utilize existing networks and professional associations, linking UNICEF programmes with practitioners, researchers, academics, government staff and donors with regards to child protection system building and social norms.
• Further, the Specialist will serve a coordinating role in order to ensure the effective implementation of regional initiatives, which includes coordinating and facilitating access to regional and sub-regional workshops, global initiatives, building inter-country exchanges, and identifying and sharing best practices in collaboration with the Regional Adviser, UNICEF staff, counterparts, donor partners and other stakeholders.
• Maintain a solid data-base of potential individual and institutional consultants ready to support COs on a wide range of matters pertaining to strengthening systems building for child protection and social norms.
• Keep abreast of development in the region and globally, on behalf of UNICEF, and tap into existing networks, professional associations and interest groups, linking UNICEF programme with practitioners, researchers, academics, government staff and donors.

Management: Contribute to the child protection thematic area management within the regional office through provision of support for office and funding management, annual workplan development, fundraising, donor reports, annual reports and any other duties appropriate to the purpose of this post, which may be requested by the regional office and assigned by the Regional Adviser for Child Protection from time to time.

To qualify as a Specialist, for every child you will have

• An Advanced University degree from recognized university in International Development, Human Rights, Social Work, International/Criminal/Family Law, Psychology, Sociology, or other Social Science field is required.
• A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection and/other related areas at the international level some of which preferably were served in a developing country is required. Relevant experience in child protection and related areas, program/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.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate

UNICEF’s core values of Commitment, Diversity and Integrity and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

Source:https://www.unicef.org/about/employ/?job=510633