Child Protection Officer (NO-1), TA (364 days), #137115, Nairobi - Kenya, ESAR

CHILD PROTECTION OFFICER (NO-1), TEMPORARY ASSIGNMENT (364 DAYS) NAIROBI, KENYA - EAST AND SOUTHERN AFRICA REGION UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF) ABOUT THE ROLE Join UNICEF's mission to transform the lives of children across more than 190 countries and territories. In this Child Protection Officer position, you will work directly with our Child Protection Specialist to design, develop, and implement comprehensive child protection programmes. Your focus will span harmful traditional practices and mental health and psychosocial support services, operating effectively across both humanitarian emergency responses and long-term development initiatives. YOUR KEY RESPONSIBILITIES You will manage programme development and strategic planning processes, ensuring all initiatives are evidence-based and child-centred. You will take ownership of programme implementation, monitoring, and results delivery, maintaining accountability for outcomes that directly impact vulnerable children. Building and strengthening partnerships with government agencies, civil society organizations, and community stakeholders will be essential to your success. Additionally, you will drive innovation, manage institutional knowledge, and build the capacity of local partners to sustain child protection efforts. WHAT WE'RE LOOKING FOR Education: You must hold a Bachelor's degree or equivalent first-level university qualification in Psychology, International Development, Sociology, International Law, Human Rights, Social Science, or a closely related field. Experience: A minimum of one year of professional experience in child protection, programme management, gender-based violence prevention, safeguarding, humanitarian response, or equivalent child welfare work is required. Experience managing implementing partner organizations is mandatory for this position. Language: Fluency in English is essential. Knowledge of Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, Spanish, or local Kenyan languages is highly advantageous. Additional Assets: Prior experience working with United Nations agencies or engaging with government institutions strengthens your candidacy. Direct country-level experience in development work, fragile and conflict-affected settings, or humanitarian contexts is valued. WHY JOIN UNICEF UNICEF operates on five core values—Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability—that guide every decision and interaction. We seek individuals who demonstrate these principles while building strong partnerships, maintaining ethical awareness, achieving measurable results, embracing innovation, navigating complexity, thinking strategically, and collaborating effectively across teams. We believe diversity strengthens our work. UNICEF actively welcomes applications from candidates of all genders, nationalities, religions, ethnicities, and backgrounds, including people with disabilities and neurodivergent individuals. We provide reasonable accommodations throughout recruitment and employment, including paid parental leave, nursing breaks, and workplace adjustments for persons with disabilities. IMPORTANT INFORMATION All UNICEF positions require successful medical clearance and background verification including academic credentials and employment history. Candidates selected for this role must obtain appropriate work authorization and visa documentation. Vaccination requirements may apply, including SARS-CoV-2 protection or documented medical exemption. UNICEF maintains a zero-tolerance policy toward sexual exploitation, abuse, harassment, discrimination, and misconduct incompatible with United Nations principles. Government employees must resign from public sector roles before commencing employment with UNICEF. UNICEF never charges application fees or requests financial information from candidates. All positions are competitively advertised; only shortlisted candidates advance to subsequent selection stages.