Child Protection Officer (P-2) (Junior Professional Officer Position)

Role overview

This position sits within UNICEF Ghana’s Child Protection Programme and is centered on integrated social services. The role supports efforts to make child protection systems more climate-resilient, risk-aware, and better prepared to respond to humanitarian and cross-border protection concerns. It also contributes to linking climate adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian-development coordination within national child protection structures, with the broader aim of strengthening evidence, improving system performance, and increasing protection for vulnerable children in Ghana.

Core responsibilities

• Help build the evidence base and policy tools connecting climate change with child protection.
• Support the Child Protection and Climate Change study through data analysis, stakeholder consultations, and sharing of findings.
• Assist in shaping a national framework for climate-resilient child protection systems to guide policy, programming, and investment choices.
• Provide technical input to include climate-risk markers and indicators in the Social Welfare Information Management System (SWIMS) so data capture and use improve.
• Contribute to stronger humanitarian preparedness, coordination, and response for child protection.
• Help put the Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) Contingency Work Plan into practice in line with national disaster management systems and humanitarian-development coordination arrangements.
• Support the integration of CPiE into other humanitarian sector work plans such as Health, Nutrition, WASH, and Education.
• Take part in the National Child Protection in Emergency Working Group and assist with coordination activities.
• Help train members of national and sub-national Child Protection Emergency Working Groups and other relevant stakeholders on humanitarian principles, Core Commitments for Children, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, gender-based violence in emergencies, and Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.
• Contribute to the development of a national trafficking data system that helps law enforcement respond better to cross-border humanitarian-development situations.
• Support the preparation of emergency child protection plans and reports, including HAC appeals and SitReps, for internal use, donors, and partners.
• Participate in the office humanitarian working group and related inter-agency discussions.
• Support programme planning, monitoring, review, and delivery of results.
• Work with colleagues and partners to resolve implementation issues, suggest solutions, and escalate matters when higher-level action is needed.
• Join monitoring visits, programme reviews, and annual sector reviews with government and other partners to assess progress and identify required follow-up.
• Contribute to sector goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through research, analysis, and reporting on child protection and related information.
• Provide technical, operational, programme, and administrative support across the full programme cycle, including documentation, transaction processing, and compliance with organizational systems for planning, RBM, monitoring, and evaluation.

Requirements

• A university degree in international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, social work, or another relevant social science discipline is required.
• At least 2 years of relevant professional experience in social development planning and project management related to child protection is required.
• Experience working with a UN agency or similar organization is an advantage.
• Experience in developing countries is a strong advantage.
• A master’s degree or higher in a relevant area is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is mandatory.

Additional information

This role is based in Accra, Ghana. The closing date for applications is 20 March 2026. Applicants are expected to complete the online application form and submit all required details through the provided application process.