WASH Specialist, P-3, FT, Sudan, Port Sudan - ESAR

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to Care

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, their rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, and protection of society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give more children the opportunity to fulfill their potential but will also lead to sustained growth and stability in countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards the realization of the human rights of all children, which is UNICEF’s universal mandate, as outlined in the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting equitable national development. Sudan continues to face a complex humanitarian and development crisis characterized by large-scale displacement, damage to infrastructure, diminished public services, and recurrent disease outbreaks. Urban water and sanitation systems have been significantly affected, reducing access to safe drinking water and appropriate sanitation services in many states. Institutional, financial, and operational constraints have further challenged the sustainability of water utilities and service providers.

To address these challenges, UNICEF Sudan is implementing a USD 51 million AfDB-financed programme focused on improving access to climate-resilient and sustainable water and sanitation services while strengthening the institutional capacity of State Water Corporations and sector institutions. Major investments include rehabilitation and expansion of water sources, transmission systems, distribution networks, desalination facilities, storage infrastructure, chlorination systems, sanitation services, and institutional development initiatives.

How you can make a difference?

You report to the WASH Manager (P-4) and you are responsible for providing technical leadership, programme management, and coordination support for UNICEF's WASH programme in Sudan. You lead the planning, implementation, monitoring, and reporting of WASH interventions to ensure the timely achievement of programme results, effective utilization of resources, and compliance with UNICEF policies, standards, and donor requirements.

You support the delivery of equitable, sustainable, and climate-resilient water, sanitation, and hygiene services through effective programme oversight, quality assurance, partner management, and performance monitoring. The role contributes to results-based management, donor reporting, risk management, and evidence generation to strengthen programme quality, accountability, and organizational learning. You serve as the focal point for coordination and oversight of African Development Bank (AfDB)- and World Bank-funded WASH programmes and works closely with government counterparts, implementing partners, donors, and other sector stakeholders to strengthen partnerships, ensure compliance with funding agreements, and maximize programme impact and sustainability. Through technical guidance, donor coordination, and effective programme management, you contribute to the achievement of UNICEF's WASH objectives and broader development and humanitarian priorities in Sudan.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

1. Technical and operational support for programme implementation
2. Programme Management and Coordination
3. Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response
4. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building
5. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Reporting
6. Partnership and Stakeholder Engagement

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: JD WASH Specialist P3.pdf

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

Minimum requirements

• Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Engineering, Environmental Science/Health, Public Health, water management, social sciences, sanitary engineering and other related fields.
• Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Urban WASH, water engineering, project management, planning, implementation, and management of WASH programmes in developing countries is required, including experience managing donor-funded programmes. At least one year of field experience in a developing country 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.
• Skills: Experience in urban water project, expert knowledge of urban sanitation, including sustainability, experience in design and procurement, national government coordination.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
• Experience in climate-resilient WASH programming, working with IFIs, emergency context.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and Maintains Partnerships, (2) Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness, (3) Drives to achieve impactful results, (4) Innovates and Embraces Change, (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity, (6) Thinks and Acts Strategically, (7) Works Collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

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

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.