Child Protection Specialist (MHPSS), NO-3, TA, 6 months #00138215, Caracas - Venezuela, LACR

Organizational Context

UNICEF operates in over 190 countries, dedicated to saving children's lives, defending their rights, and helping them reach their full potential. We are committed to our mission, offering staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal growth in a passionate and inclusive culture. Join us to make a difference for children worldwide.

Job Purpose

The Child Protection Specialist (MHPSS) will provide technical leadership and coordination for the design, implementation, and monitoring of Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) interventions in response to the Venezuelan earthquake. This role is crucial for supporting displaced and affected children and caregivers, ensuring community engagement, accountability, and behaviorally informed approaches are integrated across sectors. The specialist will work under government leadership and with existing partnerships to strengthen long-term MHPSS infrastructure, aligning interventions with UNICEF’s Core Commitments for Children (CCCs). The position requires strategic support, coordination with partners, capacity strengthening, field support, and effective documentation and knowledge management to ensure a comprehensive and sustainable psychosocial response.

Responsibilities

The Child Protection Specialist (MHPSS) will be responsible for providing strategic and technical support for MHPSS interventions, ensuring alignment with UNICEF's child protection mandate and emergency response frameworks. This includes leading the design and implementation of psychosocial programs tailored to the needs of children and families affected by the earthquake, with a focus on community-based approaches and behavioral insights. The specialist will coordinate closely with national, regional, and local authorities, UN agencies, and humanitarian partners to ensure a coherent and effective multi-sectoral response. Capacity strengthening will involve training local stakeholders and partners on MHPSS principles and practices. Field support will include direct engagement with affected communities to assess needs and monitor program effectiveness. Furthermore, the role requires robust documentation of activities, lessons learned, and best practices to inform future programming and knowledge management, ensuring accountability to affected populations and promoting sustainable MHPSS infrastructure.

Work Experience

Minimum of 5 years of professional experience in child protection, community-based MHPSS, community engagement, mental health, psychosocial support, interagency coordination, capacity building, and monitoring and evaluation. At least 3 years must be in humanitarian or emergency contexts, with proven experience in emergency preparedness and response, community-level MHPSS implementation, and working with government and civil society partners.

Skills

Strong analytical skills, Strong coordination skills, Strong communication skills, Inter-agency coordination management, Cross-sectoral team support, Design and implementation of behaviorally informed interventions, Data-driven decision-making, Social listening, Community feedback systems, Emergency preparedness and response, Community engagement, Monitoring and evaluation

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