Child Protection Specialist

Host entity: UNICEF Vietnam

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Community development, Communication, advocacy, public information, Project management, programme development, strategy

Application deadline: 10/11/2026

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 favouritism. 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.

Assignment context

UNICEF works to realize children’s rights to protection, survival, development and participation. In Viet Nam, children face a range of protection concerns, including violence, neglect, exploitation, abuse, child marriage, family separation, limited access to protection and social services, increasing mental health and psychosocial support needs, and gaps in parental knowledge and skills to provide nurturing care and positive discipline.

Viet Nam is also highly exposed to recurrent natural disasters and climate-related hazards, which can further exacerbate existing child protection risks and disrupt essential services, particularly for children with disabilities, children from ethnic minority communities, children in remote and disaster-prone areas, children without adequate parental care, and children from poor or vulnerable households.

UNICEF Viet Nam supports national and sub-national authorities to strengthen child protection systems and services across prevention, early intervention, response and recovery. This includes parenting support; prevention of and response to child marriage, violence, exploitation, neglect and abuse of children; mental health and psychosocial support linkages; emergency preparedness and response; capacity strengthening; monitoring, documentation and learning.

In this context, UNICEF Viet Nam requires additional support to strengthen implementation, coordination, monitoring and documentation of child protection interventions, particularly parenting support, MHPSS-related linkages, child marriage prevention, and child protection in emergencies, in line with UNICEF’s mandate, national priorities and the Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the Child Protection Specialist and overall guidance by the Chief of Child Protection Section of UNICEF Viet Nam, the national UN Volunteer Child Protection Specialist will provide timely technical, coordination and programme support to UNICEF Viet Nam and implementing partners for the planning, implementation, monitoring and documentation of selected child protection activities related to the Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE), Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS), Parenting Programme and Child Marriage prevention. Specifically, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

Task 1: Support CPiE preparedness, risk analysis and response planning, in line with UNICEF guidance and agreed work plans.
1.1. Support the review, compilation and analysis of available information on child protection risks before, during and after emergencies, including violence, neglect, family separation, exploitation, trafficking, psychosocial distress and disruption of essential services.
1.2. Assist in updating CPiE preparedness materials, contingency planning inputs, contact lists, service mapping, referral information and action trackers, and prepare brief updates, meeting notes and background materials to support timely preparedness, response planning and coordination with UNICEF colleagues, Government counterparts and partners.

Task 2: Support coordination, implementation, monitoring and learning for CPiE-related activities.
2.1. Assist in coordinating with Government counterparts, mass organizations, United Nations agencies, civil society partners and service providers, and provide technical, and administrative support for CPiE-related meetings, trainings, communication activities, field missions, planning, procurement, and monitoring of child protection supplies. Maintain action trackers and ensure timely follow-up on agreed actions.
2.2. Support the collection, organization and summary of monitoring information on CPiE preparedness, response, recovery and capacity-strengthening activities, including progress, participant data, field observations, partner updates, emerging child protection issues, achievements, challenges, good practices and lessons learned.

Task 3: Support the planning, coordination and documentation of the Integrated Parenting Programme.
3.1. Assist in planning, coordinating and following up on Parenting Programme activities, including consultations, trainings, field implementation, partner coordination, documentation and compilation of updates, with attention to strengthening parents’ and caregivers’ knowledge and skills on nurturing care, positive discipline and child protection.
3.2. Support the preparation of simple activity updates, meeting notes, partner follow-up and documentation of emerging learning from parenting-related activities, under the guidance of the Child Protection Specialist.

Task 4: Support child protection-related MHPSS activities and coordination
4.1. Assist with analysis of children’s mental health and psychosocial needs in child protection, service availability, referral pathways and implementation gaps, and provide technical inputs to strengthen MHPSS integration within child protection programming.
4.2. Provide technical and coordination support for MHPSS-related interventions with UNICEF colleagues, Government counterparts, service providers and partners, including monitoring progress, identifying emerging issues and ensuring timely follow-up on agreed actions.

Skills and experience

• At least three years of relevant professional or volunteer experience in child protection, social work, social services, community development, programme management, emergency preparedness, humanitarian response or another related field. Relevant internship experience may be considered where it involved substantive responsibilities directly related to the assignment.
• Demonstrated knowledge of child protection principles, systems and services. Experience in one or more of the following areas is highly desirable: child protection in emergencies, mental health and psychosocial support, parenting support, child-marriage prevention, disaster risk reduction or humanitarian response.
• Experience in planning, coordinating, implementing or monitoring child protection or related programme activities, including coordination with partners, follow-up on agreed actions, preparation of programme documentation and reports, and the ability to manage assigned responsibilities, maintain action trackers, meet deadlines and ensure timely follow-up on commitments.
• Ability to analyse and synthesize quantitative and qualitative information on child protection risks, programme implementation, emerging issues and results, and to translate findings into clear updates, recommendations and practical follow-up actions.
• Strong organisational and coordination skills, attention to detail and ability to manage assigned responsibilities, maintain action trackers, meet deadlines and follow up effectively on agreed actions.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively in a multidisciplinary and multicultural environment and to establish and maintain productive partnerships with Government counterparts, United Nations agencies, development partners, civil society organizations and other stakeholders. Previous experience working with such partners is an asset.
• Ability to exercise sound judgement, take initiative and work independently within assigned responsibilities while seeking guidance when appropriate.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office applications, particularly Word, Excel and PowerPoint. Experience with data management, visualization or online collaboration tools is an asset.
• Fluency in Vietnamese and English, with strong written and spoken communication skills, is required.
• Willingness and ability to travel to provinces or emergency-affected areas when required, subject to UNICEF safety and security procedures.

Competencies and values

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Living conditions

General Information:
The Socialist Republic of Viet Nam is a vibrant and diverse country with a rich cultural heritage and a rapidly advancing economy. Over the past four decades, Viet Nam has undergone a profound transformation, emerging from a challenging past to become a dynamic, middle-income nation. Through the visionary Đổi Mới (Renovation) reforms initiated in 1986, Viet Nam has achieved remarkable economic progress and social development, positioning itself as a key player in the global market.

Today, Viet Nam enjoys strong diplomatic ties with 189 nations and upholds a foreign policy of friendship and partnership, committed to fostering global peace, mutual respect, and sustainable development. The country is well-recognized for its commitment to growth, innovation, and international cooperation, making it a trusted and reliable partner on the global stage.

Security:
Viet Nam is a stable and safe country with a minimum of security threats. The Government (GoV) maintains tight control over the security environment. Armed conflict has not been present in 50 years. There are no terrorist groups, domestic or international currently known to be organized or operating in Viet Nam. Road Traffic Accidents and climate-induced disasters are the most important threats that the UN personnel should be aware of.

Housing:
There are plenty of choices in Ha Noi at different prices depending on the demand and budget. The UN Volunteer can choose to locate near the office to walk to work or choose to settle down far away from the office, in a more popular neighborhood.

Schools & Childcare:
Most of the international staff’s children attend international schools with an academic system that is widely recognised abroad. International schools often include kindergarten and pre-school classes (sometimes even a nursery) for younger kids.

The school year in Viet Nam starts in August/ September every year and ends in May the next year, so kids can be admitted at the beginning of the Autumn (August) or Spring (January) semester. There are various schooling options available in major cities of Viet Nam.

Work for spouses & partners:
Work opportunities are available for spouses and partners. However, if hired by any organization, a work permit must be applied through the same hiring organisation.

You can check full entitlements at the duty station at https://app.unv.org/calculator.
The complete 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.