WASH Manager, (P4), Lesvos, Greece, Temporary Appointment (364 days)

UNICEF Greece Country Office is looking for a WASH Manager (P4) to provide the leadership needed to enable the Country Office to achieve its WASH-related outcome and output results. The WASH Manager will be based in Lesvos,Greece for a temporary appointment of 364 days. In light of the overwhelming needs of the new Reception and Identification Center (RIC) in Lesvos for water and sanitation services, the overall goal of the assignment is to provide technical and coordination support for the access to appropriate water, sanitation and hygiene services for the migrant and refugee populations of the temporary site in Lesvos. The Incumbent will work closely with the local authorities of the Reception and Identification Center (RIC) and agencies providing WASH services in Mavrovouni camp. S/he will provide technical support in planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of specific activities in WASH response to the migrant crisis in Lesvos. The WASH Manager will be responsible for managing and supervising all stages of the WASH programme from strategic planning and formulation to the delivery of the WASH outcome and output results and for ensuring that those are achieved according to plans, allocations, results based-management approaches and methodology, UNICEF’s Strategic Plan, standards of performance and accountability framework.

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, [results]

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programmes, 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 favoritism. 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 and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfill 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.

UNICEF became operational in Greece in early 2016 as an outposted team from the Regional Office of Europe and Central Asia (ECARO) to respond to the significant influx of refugee and migrant children and their families at that time. The response centered on a two-track approach covering direct service delivery as well as national capacity building through critical partnerships with governmental bodies, ministries, local authorities, civil society and NGOs and focused primarily on three main strategic sectors – child protection, education and child rights monitoring.

Following several years of engagement with national stakeholders, UNICEF and the Government of Greece made a decision in January 2020 to formalize the agency’s presence in the country under the form of a Greece Country Office. This office falls under the UNICEF Regional Office for Europe and Central Asia located in Geneva, which supports the work of 21 Country Offices within its geographical scope, reporting in turn to global headquarters in New York. Within the framework of an expanded mandate for all children in Greece, UNICEF and Greece are moving towards an even greater collaboration and partnership in order to address the needs of all vulnerable, marginalized and left-behind children in the country.

On 9 September 2020, several fires broke out at the Moria Reception and Identification Center (RIC) located on the Greek island of Lesvos. The center, home to approximately 12,000 refugees, migrants and asylum seekers, 4,200 of whom children including over 400 unaccompanied minors, was severely damaged forcing people to flee for safety. To address the immediate needs of displaced migrants, a new temporary site has been established, where UNICEF engages in setting up emergency WASH infrastructure and provision of WASH services.

How can you make a difference?

KEY FUNCTIONS, ACCOUNTABILITIES AND RELATED DUTIES/TASKS

1. Programme development and planning

• Provide comprehensive and current data to inform WASH policy and programme development, planning, management and implementation. Keep abreast of global, regional and national WASH sector developments, for maximum efficiency and effectiveness in WASH programme design, management and implementation.
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to discuss national WASH priorities, resources, strategies and methodologies to ensure the most strategic use of the collective resources of external support agencies.

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

• Prepare documentation for programme reviews and analytical statements on progress and constraints of WASH outcome and output results.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes for the achievement of the WASH output results. 
• Manage monitoring and evaluation of the WASH programme and its components, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other partners and prepare reports for CO management and WASH sector coordination bodies.
• Ensure timely donor reporting, negotiate any changes required to agreements with donors in a timely manner.  Ensure systems are in place for HACT compliance. 
• Contribute to preparation of adequate WASH related contingency planning and preparedness for potential transition from emergency response to longer-term sustainable WASH interventions.
• Facilitate identification of gaps in WASH services provision, draft/recommend update WASH response, transition strategies and action plans based on lessons learned from WASH response activities and advocate for addressing the sectoral needs and critical gaps.
• Facilitate monitoring of WASH interventions and progress against implementation plans with disaggregated indicators for adequacy of WASH services in terms of quantity, quality, coverage, etc. and access of disadvantaged and marginalized groups.

3. Advisory services and technical support

• Participate in strategic discussions to influence national WASH policies and strategies, including the reduction of inequalities, contributing to global sector learning.
• Advise senior officials in government, NGOs, UN agencies and WASH sector donors on WASH policies, strategies and best practices.
• Lead the preparation of policy papers, briefing notes and other strategic materials for use by management, donors, UNICEF regional offices and headquarters.
• Coordinate the use of technical experts from the Regional Office and HQ, as and where appropriate in the WASH programme, through remote support and on-site visits. 

4. Advocacy, networking and partnership building

• Build and strengthen strategic partnerships with government counterparts, UN agencies, donor agencies, WASH institutions, NGOs, research institutes and the private sector to stimulate coordination and collaboration.

• Contribute to coordination between WASH humanitarian partners through establishment/maintenance of WASH sector working groups for the complementarity of different WASH humanitarian actors' actions and linkage with other sector working groups.

• Produce materials for WASH programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnerships and support fund-raising.
• Represent UNICEF in inter-agency discussions, ensuring that UNICEF’s position, interests and priorities are fully considered and integrated in planning and agenda setting.
• Interact with global and regional initiatives and partnerships for WASH. 

5. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Organize and lead the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of WASH action research and innovation (technical or systems), ensuring rigorous monitoring and wide sharing of results.
• Determine priorities for learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development.
• Systematically plan, support and monitor the professional development of UNICEF WASH staff, to ensure our sector capacity remains up-to-date with latest developments.
• Organize 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.

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

• An advanced university degree in one of the following fields is required: water and sanitation management, water supply engineering, sanitation, water operations, Public Health Engineering or other related technical fields.
• A minimum of eight years of professional experience in WASH-related programmes is required with a minimum of three years’ experience of responding to an emergency.
• Proven ability to effectively lead a team to deliver results is required.
• Experience in management of WASH interventions in camps and host communities.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment and establish harmonious and effective working relationships with government partners, communities and WASH actors.
• Previous work experience with the UN and/or NGO will be an advantage.
• Familiarity with UNICEF processes and procedures, as well as operational and implementation modalities will be an advantage.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, and Accountability (CRITA).

The competencies required for this post are...

Core Competencies

• Nurtures, Leads and Manages People (2)
• Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (3)
• Works Collaboratively with others (3)
• Builds and Maintains Partnerships (3)
• Innovates and Embraces Change (3)
• Thinks and Acts Strategically (3)
• Drives to achieve impactful results (3)
• Manages ambiguity and complexity (3)

Functional Competencies

• Analyzing (3)
• Applying technical expertise (3)
• Deciding and Initiating action (2)

View our competency framework at

http://www.unicef.org/about/employ/files/UNICEF_Competencies.pdf

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

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 also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. 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.

Remarks:

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

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