Contract type: Temporary Appointment, Consultant
Level: P-3
Location: Angola, Botswana, Burundi, Comoros, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Kenya, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mozambique, Namibia, Rwanda, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Eswatini (formerly Swaziland), United Republic of Tanzania, Uganda, Zambia, Zimbabwe, Mauritius, Seychelles
Categories: Child Protection, Emergency
Seeking external candidates only
Contract Type: Temporary Appointment (TA) or Consultancy
Duration: 3 months to 364 days
Location: Countries based in Eastern and Southern Africa
Job Description
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, hope
Since two years, countries in the ESA region have experienced an alarming increase in the number of new, or re-emerging humanitarian emergencies, including public health (including Ebola, Crimean Congo hemorrhagic fever, yellow fever, wild poliovirus, and Cholera), armed conflicts and natural disasters emergencies.
UNICEF ESAR has prioritized the critical need to support countries to rapidly scale up capacity to prevent, mitigate, and manage ongoing and anticipated emergencies as well as to enhance capacity for preparedness and response to these emergencies.
Purpose
The purpose of this external announcement is to attract suitable Child Protection Specialist on Justice for Children candidates interested in working in any of the countries within UNICEF’s East and Southern Africa region to respond to emergencies for the next 36 months. The countries within each region are listed on the following website: http://www.unicef.org/infobycountry/index.html.
How can you make a difference?
The Child Protection Specialist on Justice for Children provides technical planning, guidance and leadership on local child protection policies, programs and systems, while cultivating effective partnerships to strengthen UNICEF’s work in the area of justice for children and fulfill UNICEF’s CCC Commitment.
Key activities & duties
- In coordination with local agencies, partners and civil society systems, further the Justice for Children agenda through advocacy, policy analysis and programming around justice for children issues, including children in conflict with the law, children as victims and witnesses, transitional justices, informal justice, and accountability mechanisms.
- In relation to the child protection system, assess and identify gaps and capacities in Justice for Children programming, and provide technical guidance on the development, application and implementation of effective justice for children policies and programmes for children in conflict or in contact with the law.
- Provide technical and programmatic management for the implementation of Justice for Children programs; this includes use of existing tools and resources, trainings and capacity building activities. Organize and participate in trainings, orientations, and other action oriented learning, responding to the country office and other partners.
- Serve as country focal point on legal reform issues for child protection.
- Participate in the development of the sectoral work plan; ensure the achievement of specifically assigned objectives. Provide guidance and support to staff and colleagues in meeting programme objectives and reporting requirements. Participate in the preparation of all programme reports required by Management, the Executive Board, donors, budget reviews, programme analysis, etc. Contribute to resource mobilization activities.
- Provide inputs on justice for children in all UNICEF and broader UN/Government planning processes, and provide inputs to all relevant reporting mechanisms within UNICEF as well as interagency.
To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…
Education-
- Advanced university degree in law, policy development, international relations, or other relevant field.
Work Experience-
- A minimum of 5 years of experience with UNICEF and/or other relevant actors, including experience with child protection programming related to Justice for Children in overseas contexts.
- Knowledge of key Justice for Children international legislation and guidelines, as well as the Guidance Note of the Secretary General on the UN Approach to Justice for Children
- Experience working in the context of a natural disaster or armed conflict highly desirable.
Language Requirement:-
- Fluency in verbal and written English and/or French (depending on the country office’s official language).
- Good written and spoken skills in the language of the humanitarian operation in country of assignment and knowledge of another UN language or a local language is an asset.
For every Child, you demonstrate…
UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues
UNICEF competencies required for this post are…
Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
Works Collaboratively with others (1)
Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.
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 include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
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 promote 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.
Remarks:
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
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 are also 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.
Deadline: E. Africa Standard Time