Child Protection Officer

Host entity: UNICEF

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Community development, Gender, women's rights, Project management, programme development, strategy

Application deadline: 25/08/2026

Mission and objectives

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favoritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Assignment context

UNICEF’s Child Protection (CP) Programme in India seeks to promote the protection of children from violence, exploitation and abuse and ensure their participation in key decision-making processes. It supports the implementation of the Government of India’s Mission Vatsalya, Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, 2012, Beti Bachao Beti Padhao, the Prohibition of Child Marriage Act (2006), and other child welfare and protection schemes/ programmes to create a protective environment for children and adolescents. The CP Programme seeks to improve and expand services to children in need of care and protection and children in conflict with the law under the provisions of the Juvenile Justice Act and related legislation with regard to child trafficking, child labour, child marriage and the sexual abuse of children. The programme also works towards empowerment of adolescents, building life and work skills and their healthy transition to higher education and productive work opportunities. CP programmes emphasize the prevention of abuse and exploitation of children, particularly the reduction of all forms of violence, child marriage through partnerships with education, health, communication for development, social protection and other sectors and departments. At the state level, UNICEF state offices work with state departments, CSOs, government officials and duty bearers, community members and children and adolescents to strengthen child protection services, build capacities of stakeholders, and facilitate process of adolescent participation.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of Child Protection Specialist, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

1) Programme management support

• Contribute to the planning and review of the child protection annual workplan and other strategic programme documents.
• Prepare programme documentation and materials to support planning, review, and approval processes.
• Support concurrent monitoring of the child protection programme and coordinate with partners for timely reporting of results.
• Conduct regular programme field visits and engage with stakeholders to assess progress, provide technical support, report on critical bottlenecks, and take appropriate action to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely action.
• Coordinate and participate in meetings with stakeholders, ensuring quality and follow-up on agreed actions.
• Prepare regular progress reports for management, donors, and partners to keep them informed of programme progress.
• Contribute to development of concept notes, strategy briefs, funding proposals, donor reports, and talking points.

2) Knowledge management

• Identify, capture, synthesize, and share lessons learned to strengthen knowledge and build stakeholder capacity.
• Report on emerging promising practices for development planning of knowledge products and systems.
• Manage knowledge resources by maintaining the child protection document library on SharePoint, ensuring updated repositories for easy reference and institutionalizing lessons learned.

Skills and experience

• Atleast 5 years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level in Child Rights, Child Protection, or other relevant programmes; experience working in the UN or other international development is an asset;
• Professional work experience in programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation
• Developing country work and/or field experience an asset
• Good knowledge of child protection, human rights and gender.
• Research background and knowledge of quantitative and qualitative research methods, preferably with specialization in areas of child rights, child protection and social development.
• Good understanding of quantitative methods
• Good analytical, negotiation and communication (verbal and written) skills.
• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;
• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervisor; ability to work with tight deadlines;
• Have affinity with or interest in volunteerism as a mechanism for sustainable development.

Competencies and values

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNICEF; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNICEF procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;
• Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNICEF in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;
• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;
• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.
• Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;
• Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;
• Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;
• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNICEF’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Living conditions

Kolkata, the capital city of West Bengal, is one of India's major metropolitan centers and serves as an important hub for government, development, academic, cultural, and commercial activities in eastern India. The city has a rich cultural heritage, a diverse population, and well-developed urban infrastructure compared to many parts of the region. Kolkata is generally considered a relatively safe city for international and national staff. The weather is tropical with moderate temperatures. Summers are hot during the day and pleasant at night. It is well connected by flights from major international airports in the country. Medical facilities, banking facilities, communications and infrastructure are good. Living conditions are normal with basic amenities and comfort of livelihood available.

As this is a national UN Volunteer assignment, the UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. This position is based in Kolkata, West Bengal. National UN Volunteers are part of the malicious insurance plan. National UN Volunteers are expected to be culturally sensitive and adjust to the prevailing culture and traditions.

The contract lasts for the period indicated above with possibility of extensions subject to availability of funding, operational necessity and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment.

The applicable Volunteer Living Allowance is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities and normal cost of living expenses. Life, health and permanent disability insurance are included (health insurance for up to 3 dependents - except for UN Community Volunteers), as well as final repatriation (if applicable).

You can check full entitlements at https://app.unv.org/calculator

For information specific to your assignment, please see below:
• Monthly Voluntary Living Allowance (VLA): INR 70,158.41
• Entry lump sum (one-time payment): USD 350 (equivalent in INR)
• Relocation costs: $175 at the beginning and end of the assignment if the duty station is outside of commuting distance (as determined by UNV)
• Exit allowance (paid on successful completion of the assignment): $120 for each month served, paid on completion of contract
• Insurance: Comprehensive coverage for health, life, and malicious acts
• Annual leave: 2.5 days per month
• Learning: Access to UNV's learning and career development resources

The UN Volunteer Conditions of Service is available at https://explore.unv.org/cos.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.