WASH Officer

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favouritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, hygiene/sanitation and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

By August 2024, over 1.3 million people in the Northern provinces had been displaced, with approximately 570,000 returnees and 670,000 internally displaced persons, including 417,310 children (OCHA, 2024). Schools in these areas face overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to inclusive and gender-sensitive latrines and safe drinking water. Many healthcare facilities which have already limitations in providing quality healthcare services and lack adequate WASH services, are also severely affected by insurgent attacks. In addition, extreme climate events have also hindered progress in the province, where it is estimated that 2.2 million people will be at risk of urban/rural floods, drought, tropical cyclones and strong winds in the 2024-2025 rainy season (OCHA, 2024)

UNICEF Mozambique is implementing a comprehensive WASH programme under its 2022–2026 Country Programme, supporting both development and humanitarian priorities in collaboration with national and decentralized authorities. In Cabo Delgado, armed conflict, displacement, and climate shocks continue to severely affect access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, particularly in rural and urban areas with high numbers of displaced populations.
The WASH programme in Cabo Delgado leads humanitarian and early recovery interventions focusing on the elimination of open defecation through integrated sanitation and hygiene promotion services alongside the construction and rehabilitation of water supply infrastructures. This includes boreholes equipped with handpumps or solar-powered systems, multi use solar water supply schemes, support and strengthening of operation, maintenance and management of water supply sources and systems in rural communities, schools, and health facilities.
In the sanitation portfolio, UNICEF has expanded the implementation of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) across multiple districts through community triggering, the introduction of Market Based Sanitation approaches, and the provision of sanitation assistance through vouchers, all requiring close follow up and ongoing support to implementing partners.
This assignment directly contributes to the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 6 and UNICEF’s WASH outcomes, with a strong emphasis on climate resilient, safely managed, and market based water and sanitation services.
To support implementation of the above priorities, UNICEF is seeking suitable candidate to fill a WASH officer -UNV position to be based in Pemba, to support implementation of the WASH workplan in Cabo Delgado province. The UNV position will be supervised by the WASH Officer. The UNVs will also engage with other sectors within the UNICEF Pemba Field Office, partner organizations, such as governmental offices at national and decentralized level, NGOs and other civil society organizations in the province.
UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

The UN Volunteers will provide technical and coordination support for the implementation and monitoring of WASH activities in Cabo Delgado, with a primary focus on:
1. Programme Implementation Support
2. Monitoring, Coordination, and Quality Assurance
3. Procurement and Contract Management Support
4. Support Community Engagement and Capacity Building
5. Support Data Management, Reporting, and Documentation

Under the direct supervision of the WASH Officer with overall oversight from the WASH Specialist and working in coordination with the other members of the WASH team in Cabo Delgado, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

A. Programme Implementation Support
• Support the implementation of WASH interventions in both rural and small-town contexts,
• Provide technical support for WASH in Schools (WinS) and WASH in Health Care Facilities (HCFs) to ensure compliance with standards and sustainability.
• Support planning, implementation of water supply systems in resettlement sites, host communities, small towns, and other rural or urban settings.
• Support planning, implementation and monitoring of WASH services focusing on CLTS, market-based sanitation and sanitation voucher approaches in resettlement sites, host communities, small towns, and other rural or urban settings.
• Ensure quality assurance in the sanitation services delivers including sanitation infrastructures.
• Conduct regular field visits to verify technical compliance, progress, and functionality.
• Support Liaise with contractors, government stakeholders, and implementing partners to address challenges and follow up on agreed corrective actions.

B. Support to Monitoring, Coordination, and Quality Assurance
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to ensure quality, timeliness, and adherence to technical standards.
• Support quality assurance in the construction and rehabilitation of boreholes, installation of handpumps, and development of multi-use solar-powered water supply systems.
• Support coordination with government counterparts, implementing partners, and stakeholders to align activities and address challenges.
• Support review meetings, progress tracking, and performance assessments of partners.

C. Procurement and Contract Management Support
• Assist government-led procurement processes by providing technical input into specifications and scopes of work, supporting bid evaluation processes where required ensuring alignment with national procurement regulations and procedures; knowledge of Mozambican government procurement systems and workflows is essential.
• Follow up on contracts to ensure timely delivery, compliance with agreements, and quality of outputs.
• Support development and review of tender documents, technical specifications, and workplans for WASH infrastructure implemented through government-led contracts.
• Monitor progress of contractor deliverables including physical execution, payment requests, work completion certificates, and final reports.
• Assist in tracking implementation of Project Documents (PDs), Service Contracts, and public works contracts managed by government counterparts (e.g., DPOP, SDPI, SDEJT, SPI).

D. Supporting Capacity Building, Community Engagement, Sustainability & Knowledge Management
• Support documentation of good practices and technical lessons learned in implementation of CLTS, market-based sanitation, safely managed sanitation approaches and declaration of Open Defecation Free Communities in Cabo Delgado province.
• Facilitate community mobilization and participation in WASH interventions to enhance ownership and sustainability.
• Provide WASH technical guidance and deliver capacity-building sessions and training for government staff, partners, and community structures.
• Promote behavior change initiatives related to hygiene and sanitation.
• Promote sustainability mechanisms, including local O&M structures and cost-recovery models. Support communication and visibility activities related to water and sanitation achievements.

E. Data Management, Reporting, and Documentation
• Support systematic data collection, verification, and analysis for WASH activities.
• Contribute to the preparation of technical reports, situation updates, and donor reporting requirements.
• Ensure proper documentation of lessons learned, best practices, and field experiences.
• Contribute to WASH needs assessments, feasibility studies, hydrogeological surveys, Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM), and KAP studies.
• Support updating and management of WASH databases, including 5Ws and Aquatrack.
• Assist in drafting technical reports, donor sitreps, and field briefs highlighting progress and impact of WASH interventions.