Chief, Child Protection

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, operates in over 190 countries and territories with a mission to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential from early childhood through adolescence. The organization is committed to promoting the rights of every child, emphasizing equity and the protection of the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families. UNICEF employs a diverse workforce and offers opportunities for professional and personal development, aiming to create a protective environment for children against all forms of harm.

Job Overview:
The Chief, Child Protection is responsible for managing and supervising all stages of child protection programs/projects, from strategic planning and formulation to the delivery of sustainable contributions to national and international efforts aimed at creating a protective environment for children. This role involves establishing action plans, overseeing work progress, and ensuring the achievement of program results according to UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and accountability frameworks. The Chief will also engage in advocacy, networking, and partnership building, while focusing on innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building within the organization.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Provide managerial leadership for child protection programs, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s mission and objectives.
• Develop and plan child protection programs, ensuring they are responsive to the needs of children and families.
• Manage, monitor, and ensure quality control of program results, utilizing results-based management approaches.
• Offer advisory services and technical support to stakeholders involved in child protection.
• Engage in advocacy efforts to promote child protection issues at national and international levels.
• Build partnerships with governmental and non-governmental organizations to enhance child protection initiatives.
• Foster innovation and knowledge management within the organization to improve child protection outcomes.
• Lead capacity-building efforts to strengthen the skills and knowledge of staff and partners in child protection.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree in fields such as international development, human rights, law, psychology, sociology, international law, social work, or other relevant social sciences. Proven expertise in program management, monitoring and evaluation, and child protection programs is essential. Strong leadership, advocacy, and humanitarian-development coordination skills are required, along with the ability to build partnerships and drive impact in complex environments.

Educational Background:
An advanced university degree in international development, human rights, law, psychology, sociology, international law, social work, or another relevant social science field is required for this position.

Experience:
At least 8 years of relevant work experience in child protection, program management, humanitarian response, gender-based violence, social welfare, case management, protection coordination, emergency preparedness, and systems strengthening is required. Experience in program development in child protection areas within a UN system agency or organization is considered an asset, as is relevant experience in developing countries and humanitarian contexts.

Languages:
Fluency in English and French is required for this position. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is considered an asset.

Additional Notes:
This position is a fixed-term role based in Antananarivo, Madagascar. UNICEF promotes a diverse and inclusive workforce and encourages applications from all qualified candidates, including those with disabilities. The organization offers a comprehensive benefits package, including paid parental leave and reasonable accommodations for persons with disabilities. Candidates must comply with UNICEF's child safeguarding policies and may undergo additional background checks. Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF, and all staff may be called upon to support humanitarian responses.