INTERNAL ONLY: Cluster Child Protection Senior Specialist

About The Role

Your mission
MAIN PURPOSE
The Child Protection Senior Specialist ensures the effective coordination, coherence and consistent implementation of a specific portfolio of War Child’s Evidence-Based Methods (EBMs)in a thematic area across an assigned cluster of partners and countries. The role is responsible for translating strategies, standards and methodologies into contextually relevant thematic/EBM support to partners, ensuring that EBM implementation within a cluster is feasible and achieves high quality and impact. The Child Protection Senior Specialist oversees EBM quality assurance, partner onboarding, thematic guidance, and adaptive learning within a cluster, connecting thematic and EBM strategy to practice by guiding, aligning and line managing The Child Protection Specialists supporting countries and partners in that cluster.
Where relevant, the Child Protection Senior Specialist might also be assigned to directly support a country and/or partner.
Clusters:
Lebanon, Yemen, Afghanistan, Ukraine
Syria, Jordan, oPt, Colombia, Global
DRC, Uganda, CAR, South Sudan, Sudan, Chad
POSITION
IN WAR CHILD ALLIANCE
Reports to (
Solid
/
Management)
:
Child Protection
Lead
Reports to (
Dotted
/F
unctional
):
Country Cluster Le
ad
One or more dotted lines with partnership, project
management
and/or engagement functions
Department:
Quality & Impact
Unit:
Technical /
Child Protection
Cluster
Supervises (list direct reports / roles):
Estimated 3-4
Specialist
per
Country Cluster
(Operational)
Scope
:
Country Programme /
Alliance Shared Service
s
CORE RESPONSIBILITIES
Maintain cluster-level oversight of
thematic
quality assurance for EBM integration,
implementation
and scaling by partners, ensuring high-quality delivery of EBMs.
Coordinate
thematic
support
provided by Specialist
s
within a cluster,
ensuring
prioritization,
and
advising on
resource allocation.
Ensure operationalization of thematic and EBM guidance and standards
,
to
guarantee
contextual relevance to
tailored support
to countries and partners.
Lead and/or
f
acilitate
adaptive learning cycles for EBMs
at cluster level
, ensuring learning agendas are
developed and
executed
, lessons learned are documented
and findings inform practice and strategic direction.
Strengthen
organisational
and partner capacity in
Child Protection
EBMs, through training,
mentoring
and scalable learning approaches.
Represent and build up the profile and reputation of War Child's EBM Care System Portfolio and thematic
expertise
externally in
the
appropriate
fora
, strengthening sector engagement,
inter

agency
collaboration and
organisational
credibility, and contributing to shaping policy and sector discourse.
Contribute to the learning agenda for EBMs within your por
t
folio including
gather
and sharing learnings on partner experiences and feedback.
Each staff member is responsible for contributing to creating a culture committed to our mission, vision, internal safeguarding standards, JEDI ((Social) Justice Equity Diversity Inclusion) principles and the CHS (Core Humanitarian Standard) framework and are expected to actively promote this in their work.
These duties provide a framework for the role and should not be regarded as a definitive list. Other reasonable duties may be required consistent with the grade of the role.
ROLE-SPECIFIC OR CONTEXT RESPONSIBILITIES
Acts as
primary
internal and external
thematic
f
ocal
point for an assigned cluster
.
Oversee
thematic
components of
partnership
engagement
within a cluster, liaising with partnership colleagues
and with other cluster Coordinators
where relevant
Colla
borate effectively
with
the Partnership Department
, ensuring
appropriate matrix
management of Specialist
s and complementary of

responsibilities

.
Contribute to
development
of EBMs Partnership Packages and other relevant resources.
Contribute to the strengthening and evolution of the
Child Protection
EBM Care System portfolio
,
including through
compiling
knowledge
and lessons learned from
countries and
partners
in the cluster.
Coordinate and contribute to learning activities,
task teams,
working
groups
and Communities of Practice related to
their
t
hematic
a
rea
and
EBMs
.
Support scalable learning approaches (
e.g.
blended learning, training pools,
ToT
/ToF models)
, including
by compiling cluster-level
inputs
to
training content, and learning materials.
Coordinate
support to
MEAL processes within
a cluster
, including
compliance with
Quality o
f Care
indicators.
Provide
thematic/EBM
surge support
in emergencies or priority contexts where needed.
Contribute with thematic inputs into organizational processes such as development and delivery of strategies, annual plans,
etc
.
at team, departmental and
organisational
levels
, leading on cluster-level inputs where relevant
.
Lead cluster-level reporting
organisationa
-wide reporting processes related to the EBMs in their portfolio and contributes to grant/project reporting processes, where relevant
.
Collaborate closely with
teams in their department
(MEAL and Humanitarian) and with other relevant departments such as R&D, Partnerships, Engagement and Operations.
Act as a
back-stop
for Specialists where necessary.
Your profile
KNOWLEDGE, SKILLS, EXPERIENCE
Education
Relevant academic background in
Child Protection
or a closely related field.
Experience
Relevant experience in the thematic area, including in humanitarian or post‑conflict contexts.
Experience working with partners on co‑creation and delivery of programmes.
Demonstrated experience in programme design, needs assessment, learning cycles and quality assurance.
Experience developing methods, tools, guidelines,
training
and learning materials.
Experience
facilitating
trainings,
workshops
and virtual learning.
Programme or grant management experience is an asset
Languages
Fluency in English is
required
for this role.
Additional
languages may be useful depending on stakeholder groups and organisational context, for example Arabic, Dari, French, Spanish, or Ukrainian
(Technical) Knowledge
Strong understanding of quality standards, evidence‑based
programming
and MEAL integration.
Knowledge of cross‑sectoral integration (Education, Child Protection, MHPSS).
Understanding of localisation,
accountability
and participation principles.
Familiarity with digital collaboration and learning tools (e.g. Mural, Miro, SharePoint, MS Teams).
What we offer
Eligibility:
This vacancy is open to internal candidates only.
Location:
We operate in a global context, with team members based across multiple countries. War Child currently works in Afghanistan, the Central African Republic, Colombia, DR Congo, Germany, Jordan, Lebanon, the occupied Palestinian territory, South Sudan, Sweden, Syria, Uganda, Ukraine (registration in progress), and Yemen. We also have offices in the Netherlands and the United Kingdom.
Preference is given to candidates who reside in one of these locations and hold valid work authorisation. War Child does not provide relocation support.
Type of contract:
This is a locally contracted position. Salary and secondary employment conditions are aligned with the applicable in-country salary scale, and local terms and conditions will apply.
How to Apply
Qualified candidates are encouraged to submit their applications (CV and motivation letter in English) by
4 September
2026
.
We are reviewing submissions on a rolling basis, so early applications are strongly recommended.
________________________________________________________________________________
By submitting your application you certify that all of the statements made in your application are true, complete, and correct and are made in good faith. You understand that falsifying, misrepresenting or intentionally withholding information will be grounds for rejection of your application or withdrawal of any offer of appointment or, if an appointment offer has been accepted, this will be ground for employment sanctions, such as, but not limited to, instant dismissal. In addition, you understand that you need to submit a Criminal Record Certificate and that, if you fail to submit it, no employment relationship can be established.
Disclaimer
Only applications received via our website are processed.
If we appoint a suitable candidate before the given closing date, we reserve the right to remove the vacancy from our website before that date. In such a case, any responses received after that time are not processed.
It could be that during our selection process the closing date for the vacancy is extended. If so, and you have not yet heard from us, your application will remain active.