Child Protection Officer - Knowledge Management, P-2, Global Programme Division, Child Protection/Migration Sector, Satellite Office/ CoE in Nairobi

Overview

Contribute to high-quality, demand-driven technical assistance and knowledge management.

You have:

• Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in International Business Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, International Relations, Gender Studies or related fields.
• At least 2 years of relevant work experience in international development cooperation, human rights, external relations, or public affairs.
• Strong capabilities in knowledge management, strategic communications, and strategic coordination.
• Fluency in English is required.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is desirable.
• Relevant experience in child protection or related thematic areas, including programme or project development and management within a UN agency or an international development organization, is highly desirable.

Contract

This is a P-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 2 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 81,244 USD and 110,350 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to an Advocate

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF’s Centres of Excellence (CoEs) are at the forefront of delivering high‑quality, demand‑driven technical assistance to governments and partners across regions. The Nairobi CoE plays a pivotal role in advancing global efforts to end harmful practices such as child marriage and female genital mutilation (FGM), which continue to affect millions of girls worldwide. These practices undermine health, education, and protection, perpetuating cycles of poverty and inequality.

As part of UNICEF’s Global Programme Division, the CoE in Nairobi provides strategic leadership, knowledge management, and advocacy support to accelerate progress toward Sustainable Development Goal 5.3 — eliminating harmful practices by 2030. Working closely with HQ, Regional Offices, and country teams, the CoE ensures that evidence, innovation, and lessons learned are captured and shared globally, strengthening visibility, donor confidence, and policy influence.

Joining this team means contributing to UNICEF’s mission to uphold the rights of every child, everywhere, and playing a key role in shaping global advocacy, building partnerships, and amplifying the voices of girls and communities working to end child marriage and FGM. This is a unique opportunity to be part of a dynamic, global initiative that transforms knowledge into action and delivers measurable impact for children.

Join our team as a Child Protection Officer – Knowledge Management (Prevention of Harmful Practices) and play a pivotal role in advancing UNICEF’s global leadership to end child marriage and female genital mutilation. Based in the Nairobi Centre of Excellence, you will help ensure that evidence, lessons learned, and innovative approaches are captured and shared across countries and partners, strengthening visibility and impact at a critical time for donor engagement and global advocacy.

In this role, you will:

• Programme Support & Strategic Coordination – contribute to high‑level meetings, reports, and cross‑sectoral collaboration.
• Global Knowledge Management – lead the creation and dissemination of knowledge products, toolkits, and learning platforms.
• Advocacy, Visibility & Partnerships – drive communications, events, and partnerships to amplify UNICEF’s voice globally.
• Evidence Uptake & Policy Outcomes – synthesize data and research to influence policy and accelerate progress.

This is a unique opportunity to transform knowledge into action and deliver measurable change for children worldwide.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Child Protection Officer (KM PHP) 19 Nov.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements

• • 1. 1. Education: Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in International Business Relations,Political Science,Public Administration, International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, Gender Studies and any other related fields.
  2. Work Experience: At least 2 years of relevant work experience in international development cooperation, human rights, external relations, or public affairs is required.
  3. Skills: Strong capabilities in knowledge management, strategic communications, and strategic coordination are required, along with demonstrated skills in partnership building, results reporting, and stakeholder management. The role also requires solid analytical and writing abilities, strong organizational skills, proficiency with digital collaboration and knowledge-sharing tools, and the ability to engage effectively with diverse internal and external partners.
  4. Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables

1. 1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
   2. Relevant experience in child protection or related thematic areas, including programme or project development and management within a UN agency or an international development organization, is highly desirable. Prior experience supporting coordination or planning functions, or providing assistance within an executive office environment, is considered 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: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member's original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Potential interview questions