Child Protection Expert – DRC-UNHCR Roving Deployment Scheme  

The DRC Standby Roster is looking for available and skilled Child Protection Experts with UNHCR experience, with French and Spanish skills, to be part of a Child Protection roving deployment scheme in partnership with UNHCR.  

In 2024, DRC entered a new, strategic deployment partnership with UNHCR to support the refugee operations by deploying a Child Protection Expert. These experts will be deployed on a roving basis to UNHCR operations, primarily in emergencies, but also in complex protracted situations. The experts are expected to spend approximately 75% of their contact time on deployments, with the remaining period allocated to supporting global UNHCR Child Protection initiatives. Each deployment will typically last two to four months in locations, including ones classified as hardship duty stations, and the Child Protection Expert must be prepared to deploy on short notice.

The Child Protection Expert is part of the Child Protection Unit in the Division of International Protection at UNHCR HQ and reports to the assigned manager/staff member. During deployments, the Expert will be a member of the Protection team at UNHCR operations and reports to the assigned manager. Also, during deployment, they may have direct supervisory responsibility for Child Protection staff.

Background:

The Child Protection Unit (CP Unit) is part of the Division of International Protection and provides technical support and guidance to UNHCR’s Regional Bureaux and field operations through developing policy, guidelines, and tools, facilitating learning, and providing technical support to UNHCR, partners, and states on the protection of refugee and stateless children

The strategic approach for UNHCR’s Child Protection Unit in 2025-2026 focuses on five priority themes to operationalize the UNHCR Policy on Child Protection, aligning with UNHCR’s strategic priorities and those of the Division of International Protection. The first is to support operations in strengthening national protection systems to promote the inclusion of refugee children in national child protection systems, particularly social services and birth registration, enhancing child-friendly procedures. Secondly, enhance UNHCR’s child protection prevention and response in emergencies and situations with emerging protection needs, particularly for refugee children in mixed movements. Thirdly, improve the quality and impact of the complimentary child protection services, focusing on the Best Interests Procedure (BIP) and Information Management for BIP, prevention of separation and protection of unaccompanied and separated children, prevention and response to violence against children, particularly, child survivors of sexual violence and sexual abuse, child marriage and trafficking. Fourthly, integrating child protection in UNHCR’s community-based protection and working with other sectors to ensure safe and dignified access for refugee children.

With the above as the background, the Child Protection Expert may perform the following tasks during deployment:

 Situation analysis, Strategy, and Advocacy

-             Support timely assessment, monitoring, and reporting of child protection issues, including through multi-sectoral and protection-specific assessments and monitoring activities. Ensure meaningful participation of children and lead the analysis of child protection-related findings.

-             Design/ align the child protection strategic priorities and programming with the UNHCR Policy on Child Protection and the operation’s Protection and Solutions strategy, and monitor its implementation.

-             In collaboration with UNICEF and partners, assess the extent to which refugee children have access to national child protection systems, and lead or support efforts to promote their inclusion in these systems. the inclusion of children of concern into national child protection laws, policies and services.

-             Oversee child protection data and evidence collection, analysis and dissemination within UNHCR and partners.

-             Lead/Support evidence-based advocacy with UNHCR senior management, authorities and other actors on child protection.

Programme planning and implementation

-             Design/ enhance and monitor the implementation of UNHCR’s child protection programme, including multi-sectoral activities to address the protection needs of refugee children.

-             Incorporate child protection in the operation’s strategic planning, monitoring and evaluation, reporting, communication, and fundraising.

-             Support UNHCR, national systems, and partners through technical support and oversight on

a) Strengthening Best Interests Procedure to be in line with UNHCR Best Interests Procedures Guidelines, including establishing/updating Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and ensuring child protection information management for case management systems are functioning in accordance with UNHCR's Policy and procedure as well as interagency and national data sharing protocols and standards.

b) Strengthening unaccompanied and separated children programming and to prevent and respond to violence against children, including caring for child survivors of sexual violence and sexual exploitation

c) Integrating child protection in community-based programmes and approaches.

d) Ensuring that UNHCR procedures, including registration, refugee status determination, solutions, and accountability mechanisms, are child-friendly.

e) Providing technical support to mainstream child protection in other sectors.

-             Advise UNHCR programme and senior management to ensure that the necessary human and financial resources are allocated to implement child protection strategic priorities

Partnership and coordination

-             Establish and/or strengthen partnerships with refugee-led, local, national, and international organizations, with a focus on ensuring continuity and sustainability.

-             Strengthen the coordination of refugee child protection inter-agency efforts under the Refugee Coordination Model, in collaboration with government counterparts.

Innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building

-             In collaboration with partners, assess learning needs on child protection for UNHCR teams, partners, and government counterparts.

-             Develop and implement child protection capacity development plan and activities for UNHCR staff and partners, supports relevant interagency capacity building and integrates child protection within broader UNHCR capacity building plans and initiatives.

-             Introduce innovative approaches, document and disseminate lessons learnt and good practices in child protection and apply relevant knowledge on effective child protection programming to the operation/region.

-             Perform other related duties as required.

Profile and qualifications

For this new deployment scheme, we are looking for a pool of high-calibre candidates with extensive experience in the humanitarian field and who meet the following requirements: 

•            Relevant educational background (International Law, Human Rights, International Development, International Relations, Anthropology, Social Work, Political Science, Social Science, or other relevant field)

•            Previous UNHCR work experience

•            6 years relevant experience with an undergraduate degree; or 5 years relevant experience with a graduate degree.
 

Essential

•            At least 4 years of progressively applied experience in child protection prevention and response, including violence against children, particularly in refugee situations.

•            Knowledge of broader protection in forced displacement settings, as well as knowledge and demonstrated use of UNHCR and Interagency child protection tools and guidance

•            Strong experience in interacting and building partnerships with government counterparts, UN agencies, NGOs, and civil society organizations. Skills and experience in interviewing and working with children and families, and supervising staff on case management of at-risk children.
 

Desirable

•            Knowledge of the international legal and policy framework governing refugees, asylum seekers and returnees.

•            Demonstrated expertise in engaging with children and communities, with a strong focus on facilitating meaningful child participation

•            Demonstrated understanding of critical issues around child protection data and knowledge of safe and ethical data management.

•            Experience using proGres, CPIMS or other protection case management information systems.

•            Demonstrated knowledge of engagement with child protection Interagency architecture, experience in interagency coordination and strong skills in working with partners

•            Proficiency in English is required. In addition, candidates must also be proficient in either French or Spanish (note: candidates who are only proficient in one language will not be considered).

•            Excellent written and verbal communication and interpersonal skills to work effectively in multicultural teams, to engage with government bodies, partners, and communities, and to clearly articulate complex child protection concerns and advocate for appropriate interventions.

Application process 

All applicants must upload a cover letter (1 page maximum) and an updated P11 form via the DRC online application system. Please also upload performance evaluation reports, if applicable. To apply, please click on the "Apply for position" button at the bottom of this advertisement. We will only accept applications submitted in English and received via our online platform. 

We will be receiving and screening applications until 15 July 2025.

Screening and selection process 

Applications will be screened on an ongoing basis, and we may therefore contact relevant applicants prior to the application deadline. Long-listed candidates will be screened by UNHCR and if approved, will be asked to complete an online written test and to submit contact details for two references. If the test result is satisfactory, the candidate may be invited for an interview over Teams. The final selection will be done jointly by DRC and UNHCR.

If you have questions about the DRC-UNHCR roving deployment scheme or are facing issues with the application system, please contact Rachel Hesketh at [email protected]. Applications sent directly to this email address will not be considered.

We foster an inclusive and diverse pool of experts and encourage all qualified applicants to apply.