Child Protection Officer Vacancy-Job Ref: EJEUUNICEF/0809/202662

Child Protection Officer Vacancy-Job Ref: EJEUUNICEF/0809/202662

Bihac (Bosnia and Herzegovina)

Job Description
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.

For every child, the right to Protection

How can you make a difference?

Over the past five years, irregular mixed migration flows and irregular arrivals to through Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) have fluctuated considerably, reflecting broader developments along the Western Balkans route. Following the peak years of the migration response in 2018–2019, arrivals declined during the COVID-19 period in 2020–2021 as mobility restrictions constrained movements. Flows rebounded sharply in 2022 and 2023, when BiH authorities recorded over 34,000 irregular arrivals—the highest level in six years—driven by increased movements through the Eastern Mediterranean and Western Balkans routes. Since 2018, nearly 195,000 people have been recorded arriving irregularly in BiH, confirming the country’s continued role as a key transit point for migrants and refugees seeking to reach the European Union via Croatia, but also as a host country for asylum-seekers and refugees who remain in BiH.

UNICEF with partners World Vision, Ministry of Civil Affairs (MoCA), Center for Social Welfare (CSW) in Sarajevo and Una-Sana Canton (USC) provides 24/7 protection for unaccompanied children (UAC) and children in families including mental health and psychosocial support, legal guardianship and operating Child Friendly Space (CFS) in two TRCs.

In parallel, UNICEF supports the transition to government ownership through the support to MoCA for development of the state Transition plan, capacity building and trainings on the topic of case management and best interest determination for cantonal ministries, centers for social welfare and legal guardians in the field. The trainings explore the potential to improve outcomes for children by strengthening the capacity of professionals to work with local populations and children on the move. Competencies related to case management are crucial in child protection and will be further developed with this training for application in practice.

Join our Child Protection team to support the planning, implementation, monitoring and reporting of programmes, with a particular focus on the humanitarian and migration response and protection of children on the move. You will work closely with colleagues, government counterparts, civil society, UN partners and other stakeholders to help deliver timely, effective and sustainable child protection results.

Key responsibilities include:

Programme development and planning – Support research, analysis, programme design, results-based planning and preparation of programme documentation.

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results – Monitor programme implementation, resources and results; contribute to reviews, evaluations and programme and donor reporting; and follow up on implementation issues.

Technical and operational support to programme implementation – Conduct field monitoring, identify bottlenecks and provide technical and operational support to partners.

Networking and partnership building – Strengthen collaboration with government institutions, UN agencies, NGOs and other partners, particularly in relation to migration and humanitarian response.

Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building – Capture lessons learned, promote good practices and support capacity development and sustainable transition towards government ownership.

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in Social Science, International Development, Psychology, Sociology, Social Work, International Studies, Law – International, international development, human rights, psychology, sociology, international law, social sciences and any other related fields.

Work Experience: At least 1 years of relevant work experience in Child Protection, Programme Management, Programme, Emergency, Human Rights, International Development, Partnerships, United Nations, child protection, migration, humanitarian coordination, case management, programme management, monitoring and evaluation, partnership development, capacity building, policy advocacy, donor reporting. and any other related fields.
Skills: analytical, communication, report-writing, partnership-building, coordination and facilitation.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English and local language is required
Desirables:

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
Child Protection experience in migration contexts, Experience with government institutions, Experience with civil society, Program monitoring experience, International child protection standards, Result based management, Humanitarian coordination experience, Field implementation experience, Child protection standards,
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

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