Child Protection Specialist

Organizational Context

UNOPS East and Southern Africa, based in Nairobi, supports sustainable development across 14 countries. In Malawi, UNOPS partners with the EU and British Council on initiatives like TVET centers. This role is a partner personnel position, recruited by UNICEF using UNOPS rules, but the incumbent will be directly engaged by UNICEF Malawi.

Job Purpose

This role provides national-level technical leadership for Ending Child Marriage and Child Protection programs in Malawi. It focuses on designing, overseeing, and ensuring the quality of Mobile Response Teams (MRTs), survivor-centered case management, referral pathways, and coordination mechanisms involving social welfare, police, justice, and health sectors. The specialist will contribute to strengthening systems to address child marriage, a critical challenge driven by poverty and harmful norms, aiming to improve detection, response, and prevention efforts.

Responsibilities

Serve as the primary technical liaison with government ministries, offering strategic advice on policy and implementation, and ensuring alignment with national frameworks. Lead district-level implementation, establishing quality assurance mechanisms and supporting teams to enhance service delivery. Supervise Mobile Response Teams to ensure timely, coordinated, and high-quality responses, monitoring performance and addressing complex cases. Act as the central technical lead for Birth Registration, Justice, and Case Management, ensuring integrated and consistent approaches. Design and facilitate comprehensive capacity-building strategies, including training and continuous learning initiatives. Establish tracking systems for case progression and referrals, proactively following up to ensure timely service delivery and stakeholder coordination. Develop high-quality reports on progress, challenges, and results, and conduct field visits to assess implementation and identify areas for improvement.

Work Experience

A minimum of seven years of relevant child protection experience with a Bachelor's degree, or five years with a Master's degree, is required. Demonstrated experience working with multiple stakeholders (Government, CSOs, UN), district councils, capacity building, and case management implementation is essential. Excellent analytical, writing, presentation, and strategic thinking skills are necessary.

Skills

Child Advocacy, Child Protective Services, Child Welfare, Government Relations, Grant Administration, Grant Monitoring, Partnerships, Planning, Case Management, Capacity Building, Strategic Thinking, Analytical Skills, Writing Skills, Presentation Skills.

Explore related opportunities