WASH Programme Officer

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, is a United Nations agency responsible for providing humanitarian and developmental aid to children worldwide. With a mission to advocate for children's rights and ensure their well-being, UNICEF operates in over 150 countries, employing thousands of staff members dedicated to improving the lives of children and their families. In Pakistan, UNICEF focuses on addressing the acute challenges faced by children and adolescents, particularly in areas such as health, education, and protection, in alignment with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).

Job Overview:
The WASH Programme Officer position is designed to provide essential technical, programmatic, and capacity-building support to enhance the design, implementation, monitoring, and scaling of climate-resilient and inclusive Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) interventions. This role is crucial in ensuring that UNICEF's child rights-based approach is effectively integrated into WASH services. The officer will work closely with provincial authorities, communities, and various stakeholders to ensure that every child has access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities. The position emphasizes the importance of gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and child-friendly services, while also focusing on climate adaptation and community engagement. The officer will be responsible for supporting the preparation of annual work plans, budgets, and implementation roadmaps for the WASH component, ensuring that all services are safe and inclusive, and aligned with global sector standards.

Duties and Responsibilities:
The WASH Programme Officer will undertake a variety of duties, including but not limited to:

• Supporting the preparation of annual work plans, budgets, and implementation roadmaps for the WASH component, while developing monitoring frameworks and tools aligned with programme indicators.
• Ensuring that all WASH services and facilities are safe, inclusive, gender-responsive, and disability-inclusive, in accordance with UNICEF’s child rights-based approach and global sector standards.
• Developing and implementing safely managed and climate-resilient WASH service models.
• Providing technical support to improve WASH infrastructure and services in schools and health facilities, ensuring they meet minimum service standards for water supply, sanitation, handwashing, menstrual hygiene management (MHM), and disability inclusion.
• Strengthening evidence-based behaviour change strategies in line with the integrated community development approach.
• Conducting regular field visits to ensure quality assurance and provide technical backstopping.
• Supporting data analysis, reporting, and documentation of results and lessons learned, contributing to donor reporting and programme reviews.
• Documenting best practices, innovations, success stories, case studies, and technical briefs for replication and scale-up, and supporting knowledge-sharing workshops and learning events.
• Coordinating with relevant provincial departments, district authorities, and development partners, and representing UNICEF WASH in technical working groups at provincial and district levels when required.

Required Qualifications:
Candidates for the WASH Programme Officer position should possess a strong set of qualifications, including:

• Proven experience in WASH programming, particularly in the context of climate resilience and inclusivity.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills, with the ability to develop innovative solutions to complex challenges.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, with the ability to convey technical information clearly and effectively to diverse audiences.
• Demonstrated ability to work independently and collaboratively as part of a team.
• Knowledge of current climate change trends and their impact on WASH services is highly desirable.
• Familiarity with UNICEF's child rights-based approach and global sector standards in WASH is an advantage.

Educational Background:
The ideal candidate for the WASH Programme Officer position should have a relevant educational background, typically including:

• A bachelor's degree in environmental science, public health, social sciences, or a related field.
• A master's degree in a relevant discipline is preferred and may enhance the candidate's competitiveness for the role.
• Additional certifications or training in WASH, climate resilience, or child rights advocacy would be beneficial.

Experience:
Candidates should have a minimum of 3-5 years of professional experience in WASH programming or related fields, with a focus on climate resilience and inclusivity. Experience working with government institutions, NGOs, and community-based organizations in Pakistan or similar contexts is highly valued. Familiarity with UNICEF's operational procedures and standards will be considered an asset.

Languages:
Fluency in English is mandatory, both written and spoken. Proficiency in Urdu or other local languages is highly desirable, as it will facilitate communication with local communities and stakeholders.

Additional Notes:
This position is a national UNV assignment, meaning that the selected candidate will be responsible for arranging their own housing and living essentials. The UN Volunteer will receive a Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of PKR 183,920 per month to cover housing, utilities, and normal living expenses. The assignment includes life health and permanent disability insurance, covering health insurance for up to three dependents, as well as final repatriation (if applicable) and a resettlement allowance for satisfactory service.