Child Protection Officer, Kolkata, India

## Child Protection Officer, Kolkata, India - Organization:UNICEF - United Nations Children's Fund - Office:UNICEF Kolkata, India Description of assignment title:Child Protection Officer Assignment country:India Duty stations:Calcutta Work location:On UN premises Expected start date:09/01/2026 Duration:12 months(with possibility of extension)Long-term benefits and allowances Sustainable Development Goal:16. Peace, justice and strong institutions Volunteer category:Specialist UCoS from Apr2026 Work schedule:Full-time Number of Assignments:1 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. - 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. - 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. - Candidate must be a national, legal resident or hold refugee status in the country of assignment. Assignment requirements - English, Level: Fluent, Required - Hindi, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable - Bengali, Level: Fluent, Required Required education level: - Master's degree in Social Sciences, Development Studies, Child Development, Social Development, International Relations, Social Work, Law (international law, humanitarian law), Economics and Social Policy or any other related subjects. 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