Various Countries: Child Protection & Psychosocial Support Specialist

Department/Division: Global Program Development

Work Location: One of Right To Play offices (Burundi, Canada, Ethiopia, Ghana, Jordan, Lebanon, Mali, Mozambique, Pakistan, the Palestinian Territories, Rwanda, Senegal, Tanzania, Uganda or United Kingdom)

Work Arrangement: A combination of in-office and remote-working in accordance with Right To Play’s work arrangement and the operational needs of the department. Possibility of remote-working pending management approval.

Authorized to work in: One of the countries listed above (eligible to work legally without visa or work permit sponsorship)

**Target Hiring Range:** Local salary scale applies (Grade 8). Hiring range and benefits will be shared with applicants as part of the recruitment process.

Target Start Date: Immediate

Contract Duration: Full-time, long-term engagement

Application Closing Date: Open until position is filled

ABOUT US:

Right To Play is a global organisation that protects, educates and empowers children to rise above adversity through the power of play. We help millions of children each year to stay in school and out of work, to prevent life-threatening diseases and to stay safe from exploitation and abuse. We are the leading global development organization that uses play to transform the lives of children and youth impacted by poverty, war, disease and inequality.

Established in 2000, Right To Play reaches children through experiential programming in 15 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, and North America. These programs are supported by our headquarters in Toronto, Canada; London, UK and seven national offices across Europe and North America.

With a shared passion for our mission, our Culture Code guides how we act and interact based on five core pillars:

• Accept Everyone – Be intentional about inclusion
• Make Things Happen – Seek opportunities to lead and innovate
• Display Courage – Act with integrity
• Demonstrate Care – Look after yourself and one another
• Be Playful – Have fun at work

Please visit our website to learn more about who we are and what we do, and watch this video to find out about the five pillars of our Culture Code.

ROLE SUMMARY:

The Child Protection & Psychosocial Support (PSS) Specialist will provide technical leadership and support to guide the effective integration and achievement of child protection and psychosocial wellbeing outcomes across Right To Play’s (RTP’s) programs. You will provide technical guidance on child protection and PSS standards and approaches. This position will also be responsible for providing skills building, resource development, coaching and mentorship support, including facilitating a PSS community of practice and encouraging learning and best practice in child protection and PSS amongst teams. You will guide the development of new project models to address the protection and psychosocial support needs of children in diverse contexts.

Reporting to the Global Director, Program Development, you will work closely with a diverse team of program specialists within the Global Program Development (GPD) and Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) teams. You will work in partnership with Country Office based Child Protection Specialists and focal points to ensure that child protection and psychosocial wellbeing programs are developed, implemented, and measured in line with global best practice and learning on what works from the sector. You will also be responsible for ensuring that child protection and psychosocial wellbeing program results are achieved and appropriately measured to further RTP’s thought leadership and advocacy efforts.

This position will include international travel up to 20% per year. 

WHAT YOU’LL DO:

#1: Strategic Leadership on Child Protection and PSS (30% of Time):

• Design and manage Child Protection/PSS Strategy, build on existing strategies, theory of change and evidence of what works to support children’s PSS through play
• Support RTP to align strategy and programs to Child Protection Minimum Standards (CPMS)
• Provide guidance and collaborate with other subject matter specialists to integrate child protection and PSS approaches into global programming and guidance documents, toolkits, MEL guidance documents, resources, and quality assurance processes.
• In partnership with Country Offices and the Global Program Unit, establish quality assurance mechanisms, document learnings and report on delivery of RTP’s Strategic Plan goals related to child protection and psychosocial wellbeing.
• Collaborate with MEL team to effectively integrate child participation and protection considerations within MEL approaches, standards and guidelines.
• Collaborate with GPD and Global MEL team to manage RTP’s global research agenda and evaluation approaches, including identifying appropriate partners and methodologies for monitoring and evaluating child protection and psychosocial wellbeing.
• Contribute to organizational initiatives at the global level to implement and reinforce RTP’s thought leadership strategy for psychosocial wellbeing of children.

#2: Drive Innovation and Program Design (25% of Time):

• Develop new, or revise existing, child protection and psychosocial wellbeing project models based on evidence from RTP’s programs and learning from what works in organisations delivering similar work.
• Collaborate with Country Offices to strengthen program adaptation based on results and learnings of what works in programming to support children’s wellbeing through child protection and PSS, particularly in relation to education.
• Collaborate with GPD, MEL and country technical specialists to develop standards and guidance on play-based approaches and methodology to achieve child protection and psychosocial wellbeing programs outcomes.
• Collaborate with MEL and Scale and Innovation functions to align Child Protection and PSS portfolio with RTP’s emerging approach to piloting, research and development.

#3: Support Quality Programming (25% of Time):

• Support ongoing learning and knowledge sharing with Country Office Child Protection Specialists/Focal Points and Program and MEL Teams on child protection and psychosocial wellbeing programming and measurement approaches.
• Coordinate and facilitate Child Protection and PSS trainings that focus on: knowledge, attitudes and behaviour towards child rights and protection; and child protection referral systems.
• Train RTP staff to train volunteers and service providers on basic, focused, non-specialised PSS services (level 3).
• Provide technical backstopping on child protection and psychosocial wellbeing programming, based on needs and priorities identified by Country Offices.
• Lead global initiatives for child protection and psychosocial wellbeing related to coaching and capacity building, including facilitating a Child Protection and PSS community of practice.
• Provide child protection and psychosocial wellbeing technical leadership on multi-country and strategic business development opportunities.
• Work in partnership with Global Partnerships Team and Fundraising Offices to communicate RTP’s strengths related to play, child protection and psychosocial wellbeing programming and outcomes, including contributing to capacity statements, proposal development and representing RTP in key donor forums.

#4: Thought Leadership, Representation and Partnership (15% of Time):

• Identify and liaise with child protection and MHPSS networks, working groups, conferences and coalitions in Norway and Globally (e.g. The Norwegian MHPSS Network, Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, Global Protection Cluster, and other child relevant protection organizations or networks).
• Ensure exchange of information, experience, identify new strategies and courses of action to accelerate and improve the delivery of PSS interventions and achieve broader child protection program requirements and objectives.
• Contribute to internal and external communication products, research reports, case studies, technical notes and training resources on child protection and psychosocial wellbeing.
• Stay abreast of child protection issues, policies, research and best practices and help ensure that innovative, sustainable and effective approaches and methodologies are pursued in Right To Play’s programs.
• Develop and strengthens core partnerships and networks with key universities, research institutions, and international/regional NGOs to contribute to the broader Play based PSS advocacy and research.
• Support Country Offices in strategic partnership development on child protection and psychosocial wellbeing related themes.

#5: Other Tasks as Assigned (5% of Time)

WHAT YOU’LL BRING (ESSENTIAL):

EDUCATION/TRAINING/CERTIFICATION:

• Master’s degree in related field (Education, International Development, Social Work, Sociology, Child Protection, Child Rights, etc.) or equivalent professional experience
• Child rights and protection courses and/or certificates

EXPERIENCE:

• Proven experience in child protection system development in a humanitarian or development child centered organization focusing on PSS
• Lived experience in Africa, Asia, or the Middle East working within a humanitarian or international development setting
• Familiarity and active involvement with the Global child protection or PSS network and MHPSS networks, including experience of working with government and child protection partners at national and international level
• Demonstrated experience in designing interventions and training related to child protection and PSS interventions for children
• Strong experience of embedding safeguarding protocols within child protection programming including considerations on consent, information sharing and monitoring
• Experience with strengthening of child protection or PSS delivery preferably in emergency or humanitarian contexts
• Demonstrated experience in policy processes, including research, reviews and formulation with evidence of similar assignments in other countries; and experience to advocate and provide policy advice
• Consolidated experience in safe information management within child protection programming

COMPETENCIES/PERSONAL ATTRIBUTES:

• Ability to multi-task, maintain a high degree of organization, and meet deadlines
• Highly adaptable, demonstrating a flexible attitude and an ability to work with people from various backgrounds and cultures
• Effective leadership and team management skills
• Demonstrated change management skills, including the ability to lead implementation of new systems and affect staff behavioral/ attitudinal change
• Strong conflict management and resolution skills
• Excellent relationship building and management with internal and external stakeholders
• Ability to address the intersectionality of child protection issues and program with gender, inclusion, poverty and racism
• Focuses on impact and result for the client
• Growth mindset, open to feedback and actively engage in continuous learning and development

KNOWLEDGE/SKILLS:

• Knowledge of Standards to ensure a quality Child Protection response, Child Protection risks, develop adequate strategies and work across sectors
• Knowledge of child protection in development and humanitarian contexts, and applying humanitarian principles and standards, including do no harm principles
• Excellent knowledge of preventing and responding to psychosocial distress and promoting mental health of children in different settings
• Strong knowledge of developing community-level approaches
• Outstanding communication skills, oral and written, including reporting writing
• Proven facilitation and presentation skills
• Ability to lead strategic planning, results-based management and reporting
• Ability to support the formulation, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of development programs and projects

LANGUAGES:

• Fluency in spoken and written English

BONUS IF YOU’LL BRING (NOT ESSENTIAL):

• Knowledge of Arabic and/or French
• Training/professional experience in gender equality and/or inclusion
• Experience supporting teams in developing countries

WHAT YOU’LL GET:

The opportunity to collaborate with an innovative global team who are passionate about working with children and youth. You will gain experience working for a globally recognized organization with a healthy culture premised on our Culture Code (accept everyone, make things happen, display courage, demonstrate care and be playful). You will be immersed in an environment where learning and development is encouraged and valued, and “play” is appreciated as a core avenue to building community.

• Competitive salary and benefits
• Flexible work arrangements (e.g. work from home and flex hours)
• Up to 5 personal learning and development (L&D) days per year
• Annual learning week
• Annual staff recognition awards
• Opportunity to connect with employees across our offices (Global Buddy Chat, Facebook Workplace)
• Opportunity to engage in global projects and initiatives
• Wellness programs
• Playful activities and events

How to Apply: 

If you are interested in applying for this position, please apply with your resume and cover letter in English via the application link.

Application Link: https://righttoplay.hiringplatform.ca/142621-child-protection-and-psychosocial-support-specialist/579785-application-form/en

While we thank all applicants for their interest, only those selected for interviews will be contacted. Shortlisting of applications will begin immediately and interviews may be held before the closing date.

Right To Play provides equal employment opportunities to employees regardless of their gender, race, religion, age, disability, sexual orientation or marital status. As such, we encourage groups who have been historically disadvantaged with respect to employment to apply for positions at Right To Play. We offer a family-friendly environment that allows for flexible work arrangements in order to support staff diversity and ensure a healthy work-life balance.

We value and promote a culture of diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging. Should you require any accessibility related accommodations or specific adjustments to ensure fair and equitable access throughout the recruitment and selection process, and thereafter, please reach out to the People & Culture team by email at careers@righttoplay.com. All information provided will be treated as confidential and used only to provide an accessible candidate experience.

We are a child-centered organization. Our recruitment and selection procedures reflect our commitment to the safety and protection of children in our programs. The successful candidate will be required to provide a satisfactory Vulnerable Sector Screening or equivalent criminal checkas a condition of employment.

EMPLOYEE VACCINE POLICY:

To protect the health and safety of our employees and the communities we serve, Right To Play requires all employees and volunteers based in Canada to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19. The successful candidate will be required to provide proof of vaccination against COVID-19 as a condition of employment.

To learn more about who we are and what we do, please visit our website at www.righttoplay.com.