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, health

How can you make a difference? 

1. Managerial leadership 

• Support the Deputy Representative Programme in setting the strategic direction for the WASH section, ensuring priorities are clearly defined and aligned with organizational goals and UNICEF’s global WASH strategy. 
• Assist in establishing the annual work plan, determining priorities and performance measurements, and monitoring implementation to ensure WASH output results are achieved to schedule and performance standards. Report critical issues to the Chief of WASH and senior management for timely action. 
• Provide timely guidance to WASH section staff to enable them to perform their duties responsibly and efficiently, fostering team building and motivation. 
• Signal potential conflicts and take preventive action in coordination with Human Resources staff. 

2. Programme development and planning  

• Prepare the WASH inputs for the situation analysis.  Provide timely, comprehensive and current data to inform WASH policy and programme development, planning, management and implementation. Keep abreast of WASH sector development trends, for maximum efficiency and effectiveness in programme design, management and implementation. 
• Participate in strategic WASH programme planning discussions. Prepare WASH donor proposals, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, UNICEF’s global WASH strategy and the Country programme, as well as government plans and priorities, and the role of other external support agencies. 
• Coordinate the formulation of the WASH outcome and output results, related indicators, baselines, targets and means of verification. Prepare required documentation for programme reviews. 
• Work with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies for the achievement of WASH output results in the country programme.  
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of WASH with other UNICEF sectors, for the achievement of the WASH output results. 
• Draft assigned sections of the annual work plan, in close cooperation with government and other counterparts. 

3. Technical and operational support for programme implementation  

• Actively monitor UNICEF-supported activities through field visits, surveys and exchange of information with partners, to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems and take timely decisions to resolve issues and/or refer to relevant officials for timely interventions. 
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices in WASH, to support programme implementation. 
• Coordinate the use of technical experts from the Regional Office and HQ, as and where appropriate in the WASH programme, through remote support and on-site visits.   
• Participate in WASH programme meetings, to review progress, with government, other sector agencies and implementation partners, involved at various stages of WASH programme implementation, to provide expert advice and guidance. 
• Draft policy papers, briefs and other strategic materials for use by management, donors, UNICEF regional offices and headquarters. 

4. Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response 

• Prepare requisitions for supplies, services, long-term agreements and partnership agreements to ensure UNICEF is prepared to deliver on its commitments for WASH in case of an emergency. 
• Contribute to the coordination arrangement for humanitarian WASH, for instant robust coordination in case of an emergency.   
• Ensure that all UNICEF WASH staff are familiar with UNICEF’s procedures for responding in an emergency. 
• Take up support roles in an emergency response and early recovery, as and when the need arises.  

5. Networking and partnership building 

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve WASH output results. 
• Prepare materials for WASH programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and support fund-raising. 
• Participate in inter-agency discussions, ensuring that UNICEF’s position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in the UNSDCF and HRP development planning and agenda setting.  
• Interact with global and regional initiatives and partnerships for WASH. 

6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building  

• Lead the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of WASH action research and innovation (technical or systems).   
• Prepare learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development. 
• Create and deliver learning opportunities for UNICEF WASH staff, to ensure our sector capacity remains up-to-date with latest developments.   
• Contribute to the systematic assessment of WASH sector capacity gap analysis, in collaboration with government and other stakeholders, and support the design of initiative to strengthen capacities systematically. 
• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders. 

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

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, environmental sciences, sanitary engineering, or another relevant technical field. Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement/supplement the main degree are a strong asset.
• Work Experience:
• DEVELOPMENTAL:  a minimum of five years of professional experience in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required. 
• HUMANITARIAN: At least one year of experience in a humanitarian situation (with UN-Govt-INGO) is required.
• Expert knowledge of three components and basic knowledge of at least three components from this list:  
  • Rural water supply for low- and middle-income countries - including water safety, sustainability. 
  • Rural sanitation for low- and middle-income countries, incl sustainability; applying CATS principles. 
  • Urban sanitation for low- and middle-income countries, incl sustainability. 
  • Handwashing with soap. 
  • WASH-in-Schools and Health Centres. 
  • Menstrual hygiene management. 
  • National government WASH policies, plans and strategies. 
  • Analysis of national budgets and expenditure for basic WASH, and related advocacy. 
• Language Requirements: Fluency in Spanish is required. Fluency in English is desirable, proficiency is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian) is considered an asset.

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

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

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 a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation 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.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

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.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All selected candidates will 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. UNICEF only considers higher educational qualifications obtained from an institution accredited/recognized in the World Higher Education Database (WHED), a list updated by the International Association of Universities (IAU) / United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). The list can be accessed at http://www.whed.net/

The following positions is only applicable for national personnel. All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Staff members who meet the requirements of the role, and whose functional area falls under the Programme Pillar, will be longlisted for concise review.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.