WASH Engineer

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

Based in Addis Ababa, the Horn of Africa Multi-Country Office (HAMCO) delivers project management, procurement, and infrastructure services across Djibouti, Ethiopia, South Sudan, and Sudan, with a primary focus on health, agriculture, and economic development. Established in 2009, HAMCO partners with governments and development stakeholders to implement impactful, results-driven initiatives that contribute to sustainable development. Since 2024, new projects have been aimed at expanding access to healthcare, education, energy, and livelihoods, particularly in underserved and conflict-affected regions. HAMCO also provides human resource management services, supporting the effective implementation of development initiatives. Key efforts include equipping research facilities, strengthening education and health systems, building vaccine research capacity, and enhancing resilience in communities affected by crisis. Through these interventions, HAMCO contributes to inclusive growth, regional stability, and the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) across the Horn of Africa.

HAMCO is implementing a number of funded projects which include WASH objectives, such as rebuilding access to water and sanitation services and climate-resilient community infrastructure in Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan. The selected candidate will work closely with the Project teams, international consultants and the local authorities to support the implementation of activities relating to the WASH objectives. The successful candidates will be based in Tigray and other possible project locations in Ethiopia.

The WASH Engineer will provide technical and administrative support to the Project Manager and WASH Engineers in the planning, design, implementation, and monitoring of WASH infrastructure projects, ensuring quality, efficiency, and compliance with UNOPS standards and project objectives. 

Under the supervision of the Project Manager or Deputy Project Manager, the WASH Engineer may perform all or some of the following tasks aimed at delivering WASH infrastructures:

1.Support assessments set up for the WASH project objectives

• Assessment preparation
• Conduct data research and analysis 
• Collaborate structuring the assessment and setting up the required tools  
• Conduct assessment:
• Train Data Collectors. 
• Liaise with local authorities and local stakeholders to facilitate data collection.
• Coordinate work of Data Collectors in the field. 
• Ensure UNOPS policy requirements 
• Collect and organise assessment data 
• Validate gathered data 
• Analyze data:
• Perform data analysis by applying analytical and statistical techniques.
• Develop dashboards, tables, graphs, maps for data representation. 
• Perform quality control to ensure high accuracy during data analysis.
• Report on findings:
• Draft comprehensive reports on assessments findings.
• Suggest possible courses of action for WASH interventions.
• Conduct risk analysis for the WASH actions.
• Outline prioritized needs and intervention options (immediate, medium-term, long-term).
• Document lessons learned to refine future assessments.

2. Support Planning of the WASH interventions 

 Conceptualize interventions:

• Support the development of feasibility studies, concept designs, draft BoQs draft schedules to support the planning of the interventions and decision making. 
• Provide input on long-term operation, maintenance, and community management requirements during assessment and/or planning phase.

Provide input into the applicable regulatory framework:

• Research and inform about the national legal and regulatory framework applicable to the planned interventions (on water and sanitation, environment, construction, etc.). 
• Flag relevant global standards and guidelines that should complement national regulations.

3. Development of WASH infrastructure designs and issuing of design certificate

• Support technical site visits to validate design assumptions, collect measurements, and confirm constructability.
• Contribute and support to developing designs, prepare design briefs and BoQs related to water and sanitation works ensuring stakeholders requirements, UNOPS quality and requirement standards, project’s objectives. 
• Support the design review process and the integration of the modifications needed to the revised design package.

4. Development of WASH capacity building interventions

• Engage with local authorities, service providers, and communities to identify training needs.
• Support the preparation of tailored capacity building plans based on the gaps and needs analysis. 
• Support and contribute to the development of capacity building training and material (courses, seminars, workshops, etc.).

5. Development of WASH community engagement interventions

• Contribute to developing tailored community engagement plans based on the gaps identified in the needs assessment. 
• Analyze and report  the community practices and dynamics in managing, maintaining and using the WASH infrastructures and propose the best modalities in view of delivering management/operation and maintenance manuals and training to enhance efficiency, durability and sustainability.  
• Conduct participatory workshops with communities to refine the understanding of the issues they face, better understand their needs and their expectations, and report.
• Establish channels for communities to provide feedback, raise concerns, and report issues throughout implementation.
• Ensure meaningful participation of women, persons with disabilities, elderly persons, and marginalized groups in planning and decision-making processes.

6. Participation in WASH procurement processes

• Support the preparation of WASH services/works tender documents from a technical perspective.
• Support the tender processes, including but not limited to conducting pre-bid meetings, providing clarifications to bidders, leading site visits, participating in bids opening, etc. (acting in full compliance with the provision of the Procurement Manual).
• Participate in the evaluation of bids, conducting detailed and substantiated technical evaluations and verification/assessment of the references submitted by the bidders  (acting in full compliance with the provision of the Procurement Manual).
• Participate in due diligence processes on contractors/suppliers, including verification of technical capacity, past performance, certifications, and legal compliance for WASH-related services.

7. Monitoring, quality assurance and reporting on WASH interventions

• Contribute to the development of log frames of WASH interventions (inputs, outputs, outcomes, impact).
• Support the M&E with the definition of assessment indicators aligned with project objectives and global WASH standards
• Contribute to set up and manage remote supervision systems (in collaboration with Data Analysts and ICT Specialists)
• Perform quality assurance and quality control for WASH interventions. 
• Report timely and qualitatively on the progress of the WASH interventions, with a focus on impact, quality, risks and issues, best practices and lessons learned.
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to verify compliance with technical specifications, HSSE requirements, environmental and social safeguards, and contractual obligations.
• Support the verification and approval of contractors’ deliverables, including work completion certificates, test results, as-built documents, O&M manuals, and training reports.
• Ensure testing, commissioning, and functionality checks of installed WASH systems.

8. Ensure supervision of construction sites, as assigned

• Ensure HSSE requirements
• Ensure construction schedule 
• Ensure quality of delivery
• Monitor progress
• Ensure compliance with environmental and social safeguards
• Identify and resolve technical issues
• Maintain documentation of site activities
• Monitor compliance with contract requirements
• Provide timely updates on progress, risks, delays, or changes to the project plan.
• Validate IPCs
• Ensure reporting channels

Required

•  A Bachelor’s Degree in Water Engineering; Water, Waste & Environmental Engineering; Water, Sanitation & Waste Engineering; Hydrology & Water Management or equivalent plus 4 years of relevant experience.

Desired

• Master Degree in Water Engineering; Water, Waste & Environmental Engineering; Water, Sanitation & Waste Engineering; Hydrology & Water Management or equivalent plus 2 years of relevant experience.

Required

• A minimum of 4 years or less relevant and progressive professional experience in the field of Water Engineering or Water Management.

• A minimum of two years demonstrated experience in WASH infrastructures rehabilitation, WASH infrastructure design, conduction of assessments and post processing of assessed data, capacity building to communities on operation and maintenance programmes.

  
  

Desired

• Experience with UNOPS in the WASH sector.

  Experience in Horn of Africa.

  
  

  
  
  

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes. 
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered. 
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments. 
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities. 
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here. 
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda. 
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.