Mission and objectives
UNICEF is supporting health, nutrition, HIV prevention, education, access to safe drinking water, sanitation and protection for children and families caught in the conflict.
Context
This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme, specifically supporting the National WASH Cluster's District Heating Technical Cell established in response to the ongoing armed conflict. UNICEF — the United Nations Children's Fund, established in 1946 — is mandated to protect the rights of every child and operates in over 190 countries. In Ukraine, UNICEF has been present since 1997 and serves as the lead agency of the WASH Cluster, a humanitarian coordination mechanism uniting over 100 implementing partners active across fifteen conflict-affected oblasts. UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme supports emergency response, service restoration, and systems strengthening across water, sanitation, hygiene, and district heating sectors. Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine's district heating infrastructure faces a severe crisis. Over 800 heating facilities have been destroyed or damaged, approximately 9 GW of power generation capacity has been lost, and an estimated USD 1 billion is required for restoration. The District Heating Technical Cell, established within the WASH Cluster with UNICEF support, coordinates the heating sector response across priority oblasts including Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia — ensuring technical oversight, partner coordination, needs prioritization, and knowledge management to prevent gaps and duplication. Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (MinDev), local authorities, district heating companies and vodokanals, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank), and NGO/CSO implementing partners. Programme outcomes include restored and modernized heating services for conflict-affected populations, strengthened institutional capacity of heating utilities, and evidence-based recovery planning aligned with Ukraine's EU integration trajectory. Further information: www.unicef.org/ukraine. Now in the fourth year of escalation, the ongoing war in Ukraine has had severe consequences for the well-being of children and communities across the country. Over 800 district heating facilities have been destroyed or damaged since February 2022, approximately 9 GW of power generation capacity has been lost, and an estimated USD 1 billion is needed for restoration. Even before the conflict, more than 28% of heating networks had been in use for over 25 years, with heat losses averaging 14.3%. The financial and economic situation of heating companies, marked by a mutual debt crisis, further hinders reconstruction efforts. UNICEF, as the lead agency of the WASH Cluster in Ukraine — a coordination mechanism of over 100 implementing partners — is establishing a District Heating Technical Cell to oversee the heating sector response, provide technical expertise, ensure prioritization, and prevent gaps and duplications. This UNV assignment supports the functioning of the District Heating Technical Cell by providing technical expertise on heating and energy systems, coordinating emergency response efforts, and contributing to short-, medium-, and long-term recovery plans for district heating infrastructure in Ukraine.
Task Description
Under the direct supervision of the WASH Cluster Coordinator / District Heating Technical Cell Lead, the UNV will: 1. Build and maintain a strong network with district heating companies and communal enterprises through field missions to priority oblasts; 2. Liaise with government partners, energy operators, vodokanals, local authorities, NGOs/CSOs to identify critical intervention sites aligned with HNRP priority areas; 3. Undertake field monitoring and data collection, conducting a minimum of 5 assessment visits per cycle with photographic evidence; 4. Develop and inform monitoring and reporting frameworks for WASH Cluster partners in the heating sector; 5. Provide technical support during WASH Cluster and sub-cluster meetings, including preparation of meeting reports and briefs; 6. Collect data from heating organizations through letters of request and agreed templates for analysis within the WASH Cluster; 7. Map training initiatives, identify capacity needs of heating companies, and organize coordination events to avoid duplication; 8. Document innovative approaches with a focus on sustainable market-based solutions and scalable models (minimum 3 per contract); 9. Develop case studies (written and/or audio-visual) based on field visits; 10. Review reference documents from UN agencies to provide input to the WASH AWP Indicators Handbook for district heating; 11. Liaise with national and foreign academia for the development of scalable recovery models; 12. Prepare analytical notes, risk summaries, and data snapshots to support strategic decision-making; 13. Prepare a final report with lessons learned and recommendations; 14. Any other relevant tasks as assigned by the supervisor.
Competencies and values
• Accountability • Adaptability and flexibility • Creativity • Judgement and decision-making • Planning and organising • Professionalism • Self-management
Living conditions and remarks
As it is a national UN Volunteer's assignment, the UN volunteer shall organize his/her accommodation by themselves. Entitlements of National UN Volunteer Specialist >> USD 1717 The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy with the possibility of extensions subject to the availability of funding, operational necessity, and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. This is a full-time contract. Allowances: • Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) USD 1717 (equivalent in UAH) is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. This includes Well-Being Differentials for the period while the ICSC applies hardship classification to duty stations in Ukraine as “E”. • USD 350 entry lump sum, one-time payment. Medical and life insurance: • Medical insurance: The UN Volunteer and eligible PFU dependents will receive UNV-provided medical insurance coverage. Coverage for UN Volunteers begins at the Commencement of Service and normally ceases on the last day of the UN Volunteer Contract. • Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment. If a UN Volunteer dies during the UN Volunteer assignment, the eligible designated beneficiaries will be entitled to receive a life insurance lump sum. Leave entitlements: • Annual leave: UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave may not be carried over in case of reassignment or a new assignment. • Learning leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period. • Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle. • Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive seven days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year. This amount will be reset at the established interval period.
This position is no longer open.
