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 for as long as we are needed. 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 professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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

For every child, the right to Protection

UNICEF has been the leading child-rights organization, and a respected partner, for saving and improving children’s lives. In Ghana, UNICEF cooperates with the Government and other partners to advocate for the protection of children's rights, to ensure equitable access to quality social services, and to expand children’s opportunities to reach their full potential. With offices in Accra and Tamale, the UNICEF team seeks to achieve results in strategic programme areas. The overall goal is for every child to survive and thrive, to live in a safe and clean environment, to learn, to be protected from violence and exploitation, and to have an equitable chance in life. The current Country Programme of cooperation is aligned with the Government priorities, the UN Sustainable Development Partnership (UNSDP) and Key Results for Children (KRCs) in the West and Central African Region (immunization, nutrition, learning outcomes, ending violence and open defecation). UNICEF main strategies include evidence-based advocacy, system strengthening, integrated programming across sectors, emergency preparedness and response, and innovation.

How can you make a difference? 

The Child Protection Officer (JPO) contributes to the UNICEF Ghana Child Protection Programme, with a particular focus on Integrated Social Services delivery, helping systems at different levels to be climate-resilient, risk-informed, and responsive to humanitarian and cross-border protection risks. The JPO will provide technical and coordination support to integrate climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, and humanitarian–development linkages into national child protection systems. The assignment will contribute to evidence generation, systems strengthening, and preparedness efforts that reduce inequalities, protect vulnerable children, and enhance the resilience of social welfare and child protection services in Ghana.

Key functions/accountabilities:

1) Strengthen evidence and frameworks linking climate change and child protection

• Support the implementation of the Child Protection and Climate Change study, including data anaysis and review, stakeholder engagement, and dissemination of findings. 
• Contribute to the development of a national framework for climate-resilient child protection systems that informs policy, programming and investment decisions.
• Provide technical support to incorporate climate-related risk markers and indicators into the Social Welfare Information Management System (SWIMS) for improved data collection and use.

2) Strengthen humanitarian preparedness, coordination and response

• Provide technical support to operationalize the Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) Contingency Work Plan, ensuring alignment with national disaster management structures and humanitarian development coordination mechanisms.
• Mainstream CPiE across other sectoral humanitarian work plans, including Health, Nutrition, WASH, Education, etc.
• Support the coordination and participate in the National Child Protection in Emergency Working Group 
• Support with training of members of the National and Sub-national Child Protection Emergency
• Working Groups and relevant stakeholders on humanitarian principles, Core Commitments for Children, prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, gender-based violence in emergency, and the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action.
• Support the development of a national trafficking data system for law enforcement to better respond to cross-border humanitarian-development responses.  
• Support preparation of child protection in emergency programme/project plans and reports (i.e. Humanitarian Action for Children (HAC) appeal, Situation Reports (SitRep), etc.) for the office, donors and partners.
• Participate in the office humanitarian working group and interagency discussions.

3) Programme development, planning, monitoring and delivery of results

• Work closely and collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss implementation issues, provide solutions, recommendations and/or to alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher level interventions and/or decisions.  
• Participate in monitoring exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts to assess programmes/projects, and to report on required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
• Contribute to the development and establishment of sectoral programme goals, objectives, strategies, and results-based planning through research, analysis and reporting of child protection and other related information for development planning and priority and goal setting.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing and administering a variety of technical, programme, operational, and administrative transactions, preparing related materials and documentation, and complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support programme planning, results-based planning (RBM) and monitoring and evaluating of results

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

Minimum requirements:

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

Work Experience: At least two (2) years of relevant work experience in one or more of the following areas is required: social development planning and project management in child protection.

• Relevant experience in a UN system agency or organization is considered as an asset.
• Relevant experience in working in developing countries is a strong asset.
• An advanced university degree (Master’s degree or higher) in a relevant field is an asset.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. 

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

*This position falls under the Norwegian JPO Programme. Eligibility is limited to candidates holding Norwegian nationality.

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…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.