Child Rights and Counter-terrorism consultant - Child Protection Section, UNICEF NYHQ, USA (remote)

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 opportunity. 

How can you make a difference?

The proposed consultancy is expected to support the Child Protection in Humanitarian Action team when it comes to engaging with governments on counter terrorism and bring external in-depth technical expertise in order to support design of UNICEF strategies, programs and advocacy. This role is necessary to maintain consistent engagement with UN Member States, the UN Secretariat, and agencies whose policy priorities increasingly emphasize counterterrorism at the expense of child rights. Continued technical leadership is necessary to ensure that global policy processes remain anchored in established child rights frameworks and do not contribute to their erosion.

Key Responsibilities:

• Provide technical advice and guidance on child rights and counterterrorism issues across UNICEF programmes and policy initiatives.
• Support UNICEF’s engagement with governments, UN entities, and other partners to promote child rights-based approaches.
• Contribute to the development of strategies, advocacy messages, policy positions, and technical guidance.
• Support UNICEF obligations related to the Third Country Nationals Task Force (TCN TF) concerning children affected by conflicts in Syria and Iraq.
• Provide technical support for UNICEF’s participation in UN counterterrorism coordination mechanisms and related global policy processes.
• Advise country offices and headquarters teams on child rights and counterterrorism matters.
• Monitor and analyze policy developments, emerging trends, and legal frameworks affecting children linked to armed groups.
• Help ensure that global and national policies remain aligned with international child rights standards and protection principles.
• Contribute to knowledge products, reports, briefings, and capacity-building activities related to child rights and counterterrorism.

If you would like to know more about this consultancy, please review the complete Terms of Reference here:

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: Master’s in International Human Rights Law, International Humanitarian Law.
• Work Experience: A minimum of 8 years’ experience in child protection, law, humanitarian programme management, human rights, and or security / counterterrorism; experience in operations in the field and advantage.
• Skills: Demonstrated ability to work in matrixed organization across various units. Demonstrated ability to communicate with senior leadership on highly sensitive materials. Experience with leading coalitions and with relationship management. Strong communication skills, organizational, inter-personal and leadership skills. Ability to be flexible and work well under pressure in a fast-paced environment, with complex projects and deadlines from different stakeholders. Demonstrable ability to awork independently, take initiative, and identify new opportunities and approaches
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English, knowledge of French would be 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

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 reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 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.

Qualified candidates are invited to submit the following documents via the online recruitment portal, TMS (Talent Management System):

• An up-to-date TMS profile and curriculum vitae (CV)
• Cover letter
• A separate financial proposal (only acceptable in the format of the linked template)  TMC0007044 Financial proposal template.docx

Remarks: If the TOR or financial proposal documents are not downloadable on certain recruitment platforms, please visit our official page Vacancies | UNICEF Careers .

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.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here .