Wash Specialist, (NOC), Gaza, State of Palestine, #00128056, Temporary Appointment (364 days)

If you are a committed, creative professional and you would like to make an active and lasting contribution to build a better and safe world for children, we would like to hear from you. Our State of Palestine Office is seeking a dynamic qualified candidate to join our team as Wash Specialist at NOC level based in Gaza, SOP.

UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential.

Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

And we never give up.

For every child, deliver

UNICEF in the State of Palestine works to uphold the rights of children to access services and protection, from early childhood through adolescence. Our objective is to ensure that every child in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, irrespective of background or circumstance, has an equal chance to fulfil their potential. We are working for every child and young person in the State of Palestine.

How can you make a difference?

The WASH Specialist reports to the WASH Manager (P-4) and provides professional technical, operational, and administrative assistance throughout the WASH programming process. The WASH Officer provides technical, functional, and administrative assistance throughout the WASH programming process. The Officer prepares, manages, and implements a variety of technical and administrative tasks related to the development, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the WASH output results of the country program. 

1. Programme Development and Planning 

• Draft the WASH inputs for the situation analysis.  Provide timely, comprehensive, and current data to inform WASH policy and program development, planning, management, and implementation. Keep abreast of WASH sector development trends for maximum efficiency and effectiveness in program design, management, and implementation. 
• Participate in strategic WASH program planning discussions. Prepare WASH donor proposals, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, UNICEF’s global WASH strategy and the Country program, government plans and priorities, and the role of other external support agencies. 
• Provide Assistance in formulating the WASH outcome and output results, related indicators, baselines, targets, and means of verification. Prepare required documentation for program review. 
• Work with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies for achieving WASH output results in the country program.  
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and ensure integration, coherence, and harmonization of WASH with other UNICEF sectors to achieve the WASH output results. 
• Draft assigned sections of the annual work plan in close cooperation with the government and other counterparts. 
• Took the lead in expanding the water supply system, including the desalination plant, per the EU project requirements. 
• Collaborate closely with the WASH manager/WASH Specialist on the EU project to ensure implementation and compliance with EU requirements. 

2. Program Management, Monitoring, and Delivery of Results 

• With other external support agencies, strengthen national government WASH sector monitoring systems, focusing on WASH outcomes (behaviors), using bottleneck analysis tools available in the sector (WASH-BAT, CSOs, SDAs).   
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, program reviews, and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts. Prepare reports on results for required action/interventions at the higher program management level. 
• Prepare/assess monitoring and evaluation reports to identify gaps, strengths/weaknesses in programs and management, and identify and document lessons learned. 
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral program resources (financial, administrative, and other assets) to verify compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations/procedures, donor commitments, and standards of accountability and integrity. Report on issues identified to enable timely resolution by management/stakeholders. 
• Prepare sectoral progress reports for management, donors, and partners. 
• Provide technical expertise and guidance on water supply system expansion and desalination plant operations. 
• Liaise with EU project stakeholders and ensure effective communication and reporting on project progress and challenges. 

3. Technical and Operational Support for Program Implementation 

• Actively monitor UNICEF-supported activities through field visits, surveys, and exchange of information with partners to assess progress, identify bottlenecks and potential problems, take timely decisions to resolve issues, and 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 program implementation. 
• Plan to use technical experts from the Regional Office and HQ in the WASH program, as and where appropriate through remote support and on-site visits.   
• Participate in WASH program meetings to review progress with the government, other sector agencies, and implementation partners involved at various stages of WASH program implementation to provide expert advice and guidance. 
• Draft policy papers, briefs, and other strategic materials for management, donors, UNICEF regional offices, and headquarters. 
• Offer technical support for implementing WASH activities per EU project guidelines. 

4. Humanitarian WASH Preparedness and Response 

• Prepare requisitions for supplies, services, long-term agreements, and partnership agreements to ensure that UNICEF is prepared to deliver on its commitments for WASH in an emergency. 
• Contribute to the coordination arrangement for humanitarian WASH for instant robust coordination in an emergency.   
• Ensure that all UNICEF WASH staff are familiar with UNICEF’s procedures for responding to an emergency. 
• Take up support roles in emergency response and early recovery, as and when needed.   
• Contribute to the preparedness and response efforts in humanitarian WASH situations as per the EU project framework and other donors. 

5. Networking and Partnership Building 

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through the active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate program implementation and build the capacity of stakeholders to achieve WASH output results. 
• Prepare materials for WASH program 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 UNDAF development planning and agenda setting.  
• Foster partnerships and communicate effectively with EU project stakeholders and other donors. 

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 current with the 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 initiatives to strengthen capacities systematically. 
• Participate as a resource person in capacity-building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders. 
• Contribute to the WASH program’s innovation, knowledge management, and capacity-building efforts. 

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

Education:

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, social sciences, behavior change communication, sanitary engineering, or another relevant technical field.

Experience:

• A minimum of five(5) years of professional experience in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required.
• Experience in EU project management of large-scale water supply projects, including desalination plants, is an asset. 

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

UNICEF’s Core Values of:

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability
• Sustainability

(CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are:

• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
• Works Collaboratively with others (1)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
• Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)
• Nurtures, Leads and Managers people(1)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: competency framework here.

UNICEF is here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic.
We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.
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. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. 

Remarks:

This position is not considered an elevated risk role. However, UNICEF reserves the right to conduct further vetting/assessment within the scope of child safeguarding as appropriate. 

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also 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 cancelled.

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.

Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government 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.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.