Details
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
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 supply, sanitation, hygiene, and district heating sectors.
Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine's water and sanitation infrastructure faces critical degradation. Thousands of water supply and wastewater facilities have been damaged or destroyed, leaving millions of people — particularly children — without reliable access to safe water. Restoring and modernizing WASH infrastructure is essential not only for public health but for Ukraine's broader recovery, resilience, and EU integration trajectory. UNICEF, as WASH Cluster lead, coordinates a large portfolio of infrastructure restoration projects implemented through government partners, NGOs, and civil society organizations, requiring robust programme management, technical oversight, and strategic coordination.
In this context, UNICEF Ukraine supports the coordination of the Water Sector Working Group (Water SWG) – a formal multi-partner coordination platform operating under the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development (MinDev) and embedded in Ukraine's Recovery and Reform Architecture. The Water SWG unites over 20 international partners across six thematic sub-groups covering strategic planning and regulatory harmonisation, financial sustainability, human resources capacity, EU standards implementation, infrastructure recovery, and partner coordination. Water SWG outputs feed directly into the Ukraine Donor Platform Steering Committee and the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) process.
This assignment supports the Water SWG coordination function, serving as the strategic interface between the Government of Ukraine, UNICEF, international donors, and implementing partners. The Senior Coordinator facilitates alignment of partner programming with national recovery priorities, supports EU integration of the water sector, and ensures comprehensive mapping and coordination of existing initiatives to prevent duplication and maximise recovery impact.
Key stakeholders include MinDev, regional and local authorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD, KfW), bilateral donors (EU Delegation, Sida, GIZ), and UN and NGO implementing partners including UNDP, UNICEF, UNECE, and others.
Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (MinDev), regional and local authorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD), and NGO/CSO implementing partners. Programme outcomes include restored WASH services for conflict-affected populations, strengthened institutional capacity of utilities and local authorities, and evidence-based infrastructure planning aligned with national recovery frameworks. Further information: www.unicef.org/ukraine. Ukraine is undergoing an extensive recovery effort following the devastation caused by conflict, with significant damage to critical infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems.
Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine's water and sanitation infrastructure faces critical degradation. Thousands of water supply and wastewater facilities have been damaged or destroyed, leaving millions of people — particularly children — without reliable access to safe water. Restoring and modernizing WASH infrastructure is essential not only for public health but for Ukraine's broader recovery, resilience, and EU integration trajectory. UNICEF, as WASH Cluster lead, coordinates a large portfolio of infrastructure restoration projects implemented through government partners, NGOs, and civil society organizations, requiring robust programme management, technical oversight, and strategic coordination.
In this context, UNICEF Ukraine supports the coordination of the Water Sector Working Group (Water SWG) – a formal multi-partner coordination platform operating under the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development (MinDev) and embedded in Ukraine's Recovery and Reform Architecture. The Water SWG unites over 20 international partners across six thematic sub-groups covering strategic planning and regulatory harmonisation, financial sustainability, human resources capacity, EU standards implementation, infrastructure recovery, and partner coordination. Water SWG outputs feed directly into the Ukraine Donor Platform Steering Committee and the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) process.
This assignment supports the Water SWG coordination function, serving as the strategic interface between the Government of Ukraine, UNICEF, international donors, and implementing partners. The Senior Coordinator facilitates alignment of partner programming with national recovery priorities, supports EU integration of the water sector, and ensures comprehensive mapping and coordination of existing initiatives to prevent duplication and maximise recovery impact.
Key stakeholders include MinDev, regional and local authorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD, KfW), bilateral donors (EU Delegation, Sida, GIZ), and UN and NGO implementing partners including UNDP, UNICEF, UNECE, and others.
Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (MinDev), regional and local authorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD), and NGO/CSO implementing partners. Programme outcomes include restored WASH services for conflict-affected populations, strengthened institutional capacity of utilities and local authorities, and evidence-based infrastructure planning aligned with national recovery frameworks. Further information: www.unicef.org/ukraine. Ukraine is undergoing an extensive recovery effort following the devastation caused by conflict, with significant damage to critical infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems.
Task description
- The Senior Coordinator will provide high-level strategic, technical, and coordination support for Ukraine's WASH sector recovery, donor alignment, and EU integration. Specifically, the Senior Coordinator will:
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- Lead the coordination of the Water SWG Secretariat, including planning and facilitating plenary sessions and thematic sub-group meetings, managing documentation and communication flows, and ensuring continuity of coordination processes across all working group streams;
- Serve as the primary liaison and coordination interface between the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development (MinDev), UNICEF, and the international partner and donor community – ensuring government priorities are reflected in donor programming and partner activities are aligned with national recovery frameworks;
- Develop and maintain a live mapping of existing WASH recovery initiatives, partner mandates, geographic coverage, and financial commitments across Ukraine, identifying gaps and overlaps to inform strategic planning and resource mobilisation;
- Coordinate thematic sub-group work across six streams (strategic planning, financial sustainability, human resources capacity, EU regulatory harmonisation, infrastructure recovery, and partner coordination), supporting co-leads and consolidating outputs into coherent Water SWG deliverables;
- Ensure Water SWG outputs are systematically elevated to the Ukraine Donor Platform Steering Committee and integrated into Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) reporting and planning processes;
- Provide coordination support for the development of the 10-year Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Development Strategy, facilitating input from government, IFIs, and bilateral partners;
- Support EU regulatory harmonisation coordination, including partner alignment on implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, Drinking Water Directive, and related EU standards, in collaboration with MinDev and international partners;
- Facilitate partner surveys, needs assessments, and consultation processes to generate evidence for Water SWG strategic decisions and donor reporting;
- Mainstream gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability into Water SWG coordination outputs, ensuring alignment with UNICEF's equity mandate;
- Support UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme with strategic advisory input on water sector reform, recovery planning, and donor engagement as required.
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- Lead the coordination of the Water SWG Secretariat, including planning and facilitating plenary sessions and thematic sub-group meetings, managing documentation and communication flows, and ensuring continuity of coordination processes across all working group streams;
- Serve as the primary liaison and coordination interface between the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development (MinDev), UNICEF, and the international partner and donor community – ensuring government priorities are reflected in donor programming and partner activities are aligned with national recovery frameworks;
- Develop and maintain a live mapping of existing WASH recovery initiatives, partner mandates, geographic coverage, and financial commitments across Ukraine, identifying gaps and overlaps to inform strategic planning and resource mobilisation;
- Coordinate thematic sub-group work across six streams (strategic planning, financial sustainability, human resources capacity, EU regulatory harmonisation, infrastructure recovery, and partner coordination), supporting co-leads and consolidating outputs into coherent Water SWG deliverables;
- Ensure Water SWG outputs are systematically elevated to the Ukraine Donor Platform Steering Committee and integrated into Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) reporting and planning processes;
- Provide coordination support for the development of the 10-year Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Development Strategy, facilitating input from government, IFIs, and bilateral partners;
- Support EU regulatory harmonisation coordination, including partner alignment on implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, Drinking Water Directive, and related EU standards, in collaboration with MinDev and international partners;
- Facilitate partner surveys, needs assessments, and consultation processes to generate evidence for Water SWG strategic decisions and donor reporting;
- Mainstream gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability into Water SWG coordination outputs, ensuring alignment with UNICEF's equity mandate;
- Support UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme with strategic advisory input on water sector reform, recovery planning, and donor engagement as required.
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