WASH Specialist, (P-3), Panama, LAC RO, FT #103247

Are you passionate about making a difference in the lives of the most vulnerable children? UNICEF is seeking a dynamic and committed WASH Specialist to join our team. As a WASH Specialist, you’ll play a crucial role providing technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to accelerate equitable access to quality of WASH services (including in humanitarian contexts).

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, Clean Water.    

Purpose of the job:

The WASH Specialist supports the development, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of WASH programmes/projects within the Latin America & Caribbean Region (LAC R). Provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to accelerate equitable access to quality of WASH services (including in humanitarian contexts).

The Specialist contributes to the achievement of concrete and sustainable results on WASH-related programmes/projects according to plans, allocation, results based-management approaches and methodology (RBM) and UNICEF’s Strategic Plans and standards of performance.

The WASH Specialist will be accountable for:

1. Programme development and planning.
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.
3. Technical and operational support for programme implementation
4. Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response
5. Networking and partnership building
6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

For a more detailed key functions/accountabilities, please refer to the full Job Description 

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

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

  Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement/supplement the main degree is a strong asset.

• A minimum of five years of progressive professional experience in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required. One year of deployment in a developing country is required.

  At least one three-month deployment mission in a humanitarian situation (with UN-Govt-INGO) is required.

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

For every Child, you demonstrate...

Core Values

• Care
• Respect
• Integrity
• Trust
• Accountability

Core competencies.

• Communication (II)
• Working with people (II)
• Drive for results (II)

Functional Competencies:

• Leading and Supervising (I)
• Formulating strategies and concepts (II)
• Analyzing (III)
• Applying technical expertise (III)
• Relating and networking (II)
• Deciding and Initiating action (II)

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:

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

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

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.