Humanitarian Action Advisor – Child Protection in Humanitarian Action

SOS Children's Villages is seeking a technically accomplished Humanitarian Action Advisor specialising in Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPiHA) to join its global Humanitarian Action Service. This is a senior advisory role that sits at the intersection of emergency response and long-term child protection programming, providing expert guidance to Member Associations (MAs) across multiple geographies. The Advisor will ensure that child protection is systematically embedded across the full humanitarian programme cycle — from preparedness and response design through to recovery and accountability mechanisms.

Operating within an agile team of deployable senior humanitarian experts, the Advisor will also champion the Humanitarian-Development-Peace (HDP) Nexus approach, ensuring seamless continuity of services for affected children and communities during acute and protracted crises. The role demands a self-driven professional comfortable with field deployments, donor engagement, and high-level coordination forums.

• Lead the technical integration of Child Protection Minimum Standards (CPMS), gender equality, and inclusive approaches across humanitarian programme design, implementation, monitoring, and reporting.
• Review and quality-assure humanitarian project proposals and documentation to ensure CPMS compliance, providing actionable technical recommendations.
• Develop, adapt, and maintain SOPs, operational guidance, and tools to support consistent CPiHA application across MAs and partner organisations.
• Monitor the quality of child protection interventions through field missions, technical reviews, and structured follow-up actions.
• Provide hands-on technical guidance to MAs at project inception and throughout implementation, embedding safeguarding, gender mainstreaming, and conflict-sensitive approaches.
• Support the development of programme indicators and robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) frameworks aligned with CPiHA standards.
• Lead and support proposal development for child protection-focused humanitarian funding streams, including multi-donor appeals.
• Pilot and document innovative programming approaches and forge strategic partnerships at country and international levels.
• Institutionalise HDP Nexus approaches, ensuring short-term lifesaving actions are deliberately linked to long-term recovery and development programming.
• Represent SOS Children's Villages in relevant interagency coordination forums, including Child Protection Working Groups and cluster mechanisms.
• Build the capacity of MA staff through training, mentoring, and knowledge-sharing initiatives on CPiHA best practices.

• Demonstrate at least 7 years of progressively responsible experience in child protection programming within humanitarian contexts, including field-level response.
• Apply in-depth technical knowledge of the Child Protection Minimum Standards (CPMS), IASC Guidelines on Child Protection, and relevant international frameworks.
• Design and quality-assure child protection interventions that are gender-responsive, inclusive, and conflict-sensitive across diverse humanitarian settings.
• Lead proposal development and donor reporting for major institutional humanitarian funders (e.g., ECHO, USAID/BHA, UNICEF, OCHA-managed funds).
• Develop and implement MEAL systems specific to child protection in humanitarian action, including indicator frameworks and accountability mechanisms.
• Facilitate capacity-building sessions and technical training for national office staff and partners at field level.
• Navigate and influence interagency coordination mechanisms, including cluster and working group participation at national or regional level.
• Communicate complex technical concepts clearly in English (written and verbal); proficiency in French or Arabic is a strong asset.
• Hold a Master's degree in Social Work, Child Protection, Humanitarian Studies, International Development, or a related field (Bachelor's with exceptional field experience may be considered).

SOS Children's Villages offers a competitive compensation package commensurate with experience and aligned with INGO sector benchmarks. The estimated monthly gross salary range for this role is KES 300,000 – 500,000, reflective of the senior advisory nature and potential for international deployment. Specific package details, including any hardship allowances, insurance, and field per diems, will be confirmed during the recruitment process.

Ideal candidate: A seasoned child protection specialist with a strong humanitarian field background, comfortable operating independently in complex and insecure environments. You bring technical depth in CPMS, hands-on MEAL experience, and a proven track record of influencing programme quality across multiple country contexts. You are a confident trainer, proposal writer, and interagency coordinator who can translate global standards into practical field-level action.

Do not apply if: You have fewer than 5 years of field-based child protection experience, lack familiarity with CPMS or humanitarian coordination mechanisms, or are seeking a purely desk-based administrative role. This position requires readiness for field deployment and travel to crisis-affected contexts.

• Prepare an updated CV and a cover letter clearly demonstrating your experience in child protection in humanitarian action and alignment with the role requirements.
• Submit your application through the SOS Children's Villages official careers portal or via the job platform where this posting was listed.
• Shortlisted candidates will be contacted for a technical interview and may be required to complete a written assessment.
• Only shortlisted applicants will receive further communication. SOS Children's Villages is committed to safeguarding children and requires all staff to adhere to its Child Safeguarding Policy.