Social Protection Officer- (Inclusion), Nairobi, Kenya

## Social Protection Officer- (Inclusion), Nairobi, Kenya - Organization:UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund - Office:UNICEF Nairobi, Kenya Description of assignment title:Social Protection Officer- (Inclusion) Assignment country:Kenya Duty stations:Nairobi Work location:On UN premises Expected start date:10/05/2026 Duration:12 months(with possibility of extension)Long-term benefits and allowances Sustainable Development Goal:1. No poverty Volunteer category:Specialist UCoS from Apr2026 Work schedule:Full-time Number of Assignments:1 Mission and objectives: - UNICEF, also known as the United Nations Children's Fund, is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. The agency is among the most widespread and recognizable social welfare organizations in the world, with a presence in 192 countries and territories. UNICEF's activities include providing immunizations and disease prevention, administering treatment for children and mothers with HIV, enhancing childhood and maternal nutrition, improving sanitation, promoting education, and providing emergency relief in response to disasters. - The Social Policy programme section of UNICEF Kenya Country Office works to promote and protect the rights of every child, with a strong focus on reducing child poverty and strengthening social protection systems. The Social Policy Section leads UNICEF's work on child poverty analysis, public finance for children, social protection, and the generation of evidence to inform policy and programme decisions. This encompasses both direct programme work with government and civil society partners as well as linkages and support to teams working on education, health, child protection, water and sanitation, and nutrition. Enhancing disability inclusion in social protection is central to UNICEF achieving the goal of 90 million children being screened and accessing disability support services and assistive technology globally between 2026 and 2029 (UNICEF Strategic Plan). - Under the overall guidance of the Social Policy Specialist, the Officer will support the Section's work on disability inclusion. More specifically, they will help drive forward work across three key areas: reform to the social protection provision for children with disabilities and their caregivers, contributing to enhanced disability inclusion in Overseas Development Assistance (ODA) in Kenya, and enhancing early identification, assessment and referral for children with disabilities. The Officer will also support the Social Policy section from time to time in helping implement other related disability inclusion work, such as the Global disability inclusion project, which is developing a county-level model to strengthen greater identification of, and support to, children with disabilities including in emergencies. - The Officer will work as part of a small, collaborative team alongside Social Policy Specialists in the social protection team as well as Public Finance Specialists and with other sections, with regular opportunities for mentoring, on-the-job learning, and exposure to national-level policy dialogue. Overall, the assignment aims to build on and strengthen critical workstreams on disability inclusion that the Social Policy section has been leading, helping shift from early stage initiatives and proofs of concept to embed sustainable initiatives that will enhance the provision of social protection for children with disabilities and their caregivers in Kenya for decades to come. - Under the supervision of the Social Policy Specialist (NOC), the Officer will carry out the following primary duties: - Gathering and communicating lessons learnt from the Unpaid Care pilot and support development of a government roadmap for follow-on implementation of a Care and Support System. - Support gathering and analysis of lessons learnt from the Unpaid Care model being implemented in Nairobi County. - Help in dissemination of findings and, with support from the Social Policy Specialist, work with the government in development of a roadmap for implementing and scaling the Care and Support System in Kenya. - Provide Secretariat support to work with GIZ and wider UN for advancing achievement of Amman-Berlin Declaration Targets Building on the initial work that has taken place in raising awareness and supporting implementation of the Amman-Berlin Declaration, provide Secretariat support, under guidance of the Social Policy Specialist, to ensure effective documentation and follow through of engagements with GIZ and other UN agencies. - Support programme activities relating to systems strengthening work around identification, assessment and provision of assistive technology to children with disabilities; - Provide support to the Social Policy Specialist in implementation of the financing UNICEF has received to complement the work of the NIKO programme, strengthening systems for identification, assessment and provision of assistive technology for children with disabilities. Required experience:3 years Nationality:Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment. Assignment requirements - English, Level: Fluent, Required Required education level: - Bachelor's degree in Social Sciences, Social Care, Public Policy, or a related field is required. Competencies and values: - Adaptability and flexibility - Judgement and decision-making - Planning and organising Skills and experience: - Minimum of 3 years of relevant professional experience in disability inclusion, social protection, social care, public policy, or related programming. - Strong understanding of disability rights and inclusive social protection systems, including support to children with disabilities, persons with disabilities, and caregivers. - Strong understanding of disability inclusion, disability rights, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with practical knowledge of how these apply to social protection systems. - Experience supporting inclusive social protection policy, programming, or system strengthening, particularly for children with disabilities, persons with disabilities, and - Knowledge of social care, unpaid care, caregiver support models, and cash transfer programmes, including how these can be integrated into national and county-level systems. - Demonstrated ability to conduct policy and programme analysis, synthesize evidence, and prepare clear technical reports, briefs, presentations, and implementation roadmaps. - Experience working with government institutions, county governments, UN agencies, - organizations of persons with disabilities, civil society, or development partners is - required or highly desirable. - Strong coordination, stakeholder engagement, and partnership-building skills are essential. Knowledge of public finance, costing, cash transfer programmes, unpaid care, caregiver support, assessment and referral systems, or digital tools for social protection programming would be an asset. Area(s) of expertise: - Community development, Project management, programme development, strategy