Vacancy Announcement: (NOC) Child Protection Specialist, Post #118321, UNICEF Vientiane, Lao PDR.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, 

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Vientiane, Lao PDR, requires an experienced and qualified Lao National to fill the position of Child Protection Specialist, at NOC level to be based in UNICEF Country Office in Vientiane, Lao PDR.

How can you make a difference?

UNICEF Laos is seeking a dedicated, enthusiastic and highly proactive individual to support our Child Protection Programme. The Child Protection Specialist will be working closely with the Ministry of Labor and Social Welfare, People Supreme Prosecutor General, Lao women’s Union and Lao Youth Union for strengthening a protective environment for children against harms.   The Specialist will support the development and implementation of the Child Protection programme for strengthening the child protection system; and ending Violence against children and women. The Specialist will also support monitoring, reporting, and evaluation of the child protection interventions; and provide technical guidance and support for the capacity development of Child Protection service providers. The Child protection Specialist will contribute to the development of policies and strategies related to child protection as well as research and evidence generation for increased investments in Child Protection, and support partnerships building.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

The following minimum requirements:

• Education: 

An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, or another relevant social science field.

• Work Experience: 

• A minimum of five years of professional experience in social development planning and management in child protection/child rights related areas is required.
• Experience in both development and humanitarian contexts is considered as an added advantage.

• Language Requirements: 

Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2); Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (3), Works Collaboratively with others (3), Builds and Maintains Partnerships (3), Innovates and Embraces Change (3), Thinks and Acts Strategically (3), Drive to achieve impactful results (3), Manages ambiguity and complexity (3).

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion and encourages qualified female and male candidates from all national, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.