Child Protection Specialist

About the role

The Child Protection Specialist will provide technical support and grant management for the Ending Child Marriage (ECM) portfolio in Malawi. Working under the Chief Child Protection, the role coordinates across government ministries, civil society, UN agencies and district stakeholders to ensure coherent operations and effective referral pathways.

Key responsibilities

• Lead technical and grant management for the Malawi ECM portfolio, ensuring compliance with UNICEF/global standards and donor requirements.
• Facilitate cross‑sector coordination with ministries of social welfare, police, justice, health and education, as well as with CSO partners, the World Bank and other UN entities.
• Provide quality assurance across districts, covering safeguarding, survivor‑centred standards and timely feedback on implementation.
• Monitor programme implementation, analyse district‑level changes and use evidence to inform programming decisions.
• Support reporting, risk management and documentation for scale‑up initiatives and policy products.
• Collaborate with communications and partnerships teams to identify visibility opportunities and mitigate duplication with other ECM partners.

Required profile

• Demonstrated experience in child protection, gender‑based violence or related humanitarian programmes.
• Strong understanding of grant management, results‑based monitoring and safeguarding standards.
• Proven ability to work with multi‑sectoral stakeholders at national and district levels.
• Excellent analytical and reporting skills.

Required skills

• Grant management
• Monitoring & evaluation
• Risk assessment and mitigation
• Stakeholder coordination