Child Protection Officer
Organizational Context
UNICEF's core mission is to champion the rights of every child globally, ensuring their survival, development, and full potential realization without discrimination. Its equity strategy prioritizes the most disadvantaged children and families. In India, the Child Protection Programme works to safeguard children from violence, exploitation, and abuse, supporting government initiatives and legislation. The program aims to create a protective environment, improve services for vulnerable children, and empower adolescents for a successful transition to adulthood.
Job Purpose
The Child Protection Officer will support UNICEF's Child Protection Programme in India, focusing on safeguarding children from violence, exploitation, and abuse, and promoting their participation in decision-making. The role involves supporting the implementation of national child protection laws and schemes, enhancing services for children in need and those in conflict with the law, and contributing to adolescent empowerment. Key activities include preventing abuse and exploitation, reducing child marriage, and strengthening child protection systems through partnerships with various sectors and stakeholders at the state level. The officer will also facilitate adolescent participation in program development and implementation.
Responsibilities
The UN Volunteer will support the Child Protection Specialist by contributing to programme planning, review, and documentation for annual work plans and strategic documents. Responsibilities include monitoring programme progress, coordinating with partners for timely reporting, and conducting field visits to assess progress, provide technical support, and resolve bottlenecks. The role involves participating in stakeholder meetings, preparing progress reports for management, donors, and partners, and contributing to the development of concept notes, strategy briefs, and funding proposals. Additionally, the volunteer will manage knowledge resources by identifying, capturing, and sharing lessons learned, reporting on promising practices, and maintaining the child protection document library to institutionalize knowledge.
Work Experience
A minimum of three years of professional experience is required in Child Rights, Child Protection, or related programmes, preferably at the national or international level. Experience in programme implementation, monitoring, and evaluation is essential. Experience in a developing country or field setting is an asset. Familiarity with child protection, human rights, gender issues, and quantitative/qualitative research methods is beneficial. Strong analytical, communication, and interpersonal skills are necessary, along with proficiency in MS Office and database management.
Skills
Key competencies include professionalism, integrity, teamwork, respect for diversity, and commitment to continuous learning. The role requires strong planning and organizing skills, effective communication abilities (written and verbal), and flexibility to work in challenging environments. A genuine commitment to volunteerism, UNICEF's mission, and UN Core Values is essential. Expertise in community development, gender, women's rights, project management, programme development, and strategy is desirable.