Job Vacancy Child Protection Specialist, India

Child Protection Specialist
United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)
United Nations Children's Fund
Closing date: 17 Sep 2010
Location: India - New Delhi

Purpose of the Position
Under the guidance of the Chief of Child Protection Section, you will be responsible for technical advice to Government counterparts at national level and to the field offices and state governments in the planning, design, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of programmes and initiatives in the area of child protection, aimed at establishing a protective environment for children. One of the main focuses of the work will be to support the development of capacities at all levels to address the issue of child marriage, as well as other harmful social norms that violate the rights of children in India. In addition, you will support the mapping of residential care institutions and the strengthening of family and community-based responses for children in need of care and protection, in the context of the Juvenile Justice Act and Integrated Child Protection Scheme. You will also assist in the promotion of the protective environment in those States where children are particularly affected by violence.

Key Expected Results
1. Technical Assistance and Support: You will provide technical assistance and support to the government (at national and state levels), counterparts (UN agencies, donors, NGOs, the Judiciary, academia and others), and UNICEF state offices on the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of child protection programmes. Provide technical inputs to knowledge management initiatives. Provide policy advice and influence policy of government at national and state levels regarding child protection systems and social change.
2. Support to Field Offices: You will assist the field offices in work planning, implementation, and monitoring of programming in child protection, ensuring cross sectoral convergence in line with the overall results set out at national and state level, as well as in specific projects aimed at establishing a protective environment for children.
3. Systems Strengthening and Capacity Development: You will assist the government at national and state level to strengthen systems for delivery of services with an emphasis on enhanced capacities, accountability and effective implementation of child protection programmes of the government.
4. Sectoral planning, reviewing and reporting: You will contribute towards the preparation and reviews of the Child Protection Rolling Workplans; participate in the Annual Review and other reviews; contribute to the preparation of the sectoral inputs to the Annual Report; contribute to the Situation Analysis, and the Common Country Assessment (CCA); contribute to the preparation of the United Nations Development Assistance Framework (UNDAF), prepare sectoral inputs to the Country Programme Document (CPD), and the Country Programme Action Plan (CPAP); contribute to the mid-year, annual and mid-term reviews; and support in the preparation of donor reports in his/her areas of responsibility.
5. Networking and Innovation: You will actively identify new actors to promote the protective environment in India, exploring new relationships with both traditional (government and NGOs) and other UNICEF potential partners (civil society at large, the Judiciary, the Legislative, media, academia, etc.). Propose new working strategies and interventions, especially in the area of promoting social change for children.
Qualifications of Successful Candidate
Advanced university degree, preferably in the social sciences, law or other relevant field.
Five years of professional work experience at national and international levels in child protection, including international work experience. Background/familiarity with Emergency.
    * Advanced knowledge of one or more of the technical areas of UNICEF programmes.
    * Advanced technical knowledge of theories, principles and methods in the following: Strengthening child protection systems and partner capacity for protecting children against violence; in emergencies; in respect of harmful traditional practices; in improving justice for children and in strengthening social welfare systems.
    * Use of data and indicators in child protection.
Fluency in English and another UN language.

Competencies of Successful Candidate
Communicates effectively to varied audiences, including during formal public speaking.
Able to work effectively in a multi-cultural environment.
Sets high standards for quality of work and consistently achieves project goals.
Has good leadership and supervisory skills; co-ordinates group activities, ensuring that roles within the team are clear.
Translates strategic direction into plans and objectives.
Analyzes and integrates diverse and complex quantitative and qualitative data from a wide range of sources.
Quickly builds rapport with individuals and groups; maintains an effective network of individuals across organizational departments.
Identifies urgent and potentially difficult decisions and acts on them promptly; initiates and generates team- and department-wide activities.
Demonstrates, applies and shares expert technical knowledge across the organization.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and gender equality in its workplace. Women and nationals of developing countries are strongly encouraged to apply.

How to apply
If you want a challenging career while improving the lives of children around the world UNICEF, the leading children's rights organization, would like to hear from you.
Visit us at www.unicef.org/about/employ to register in our new e-Recruitment system and apply to this and other vacancies, quoting E-VN-2010-001934. Applications must be received by 17 September 2010.
Please note that only candidates who are under serious consideration will be contacted.
In the selection of its staff, UNICEF is committed to gender balance and diversity without distinction as to race, sex or religion, and without discrimination of persons with disabilities: well qualified candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.