Consultant for Urban Waste Water Treatment Innovation Solution

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Position Title: Consultant for Urban Waste Water Treatment Innovation Solution
Location: Copenhagen
Country: Denmark
Deadline Date: Not specified

Job Details

Job Posting Organization:
UNICEF, established in 1946, is a United Nations agency that works in over 190 countries and territories to protect the rights of children and ensure their well-being. With a mission to reach the world's most disadvantaged children, UNICEF focuses on saving lives, defending rights, and helping children fulfill their potential. The organization has a long history of innovation, particularly through its Office of Innovation, which aims to develop scalable solutions to global challenges. The Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub, based in Copenhagen, is part of this effort, focusing on water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) innovations that are climate-resilient and can be implemented at scale across multiple countries.

Job Overview:
The consultant will work with the Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub to assess and scale Urban Waste Water Treatment (UWWT) solutions. This role involves conducting assessments of existing technologies, documenting outcomes, and identifying challenges. The consultant will also review comparable approaches to wastewater treatment and prepare reports on the applicability of UWWT solutions in various contexts. The position requires collaboration with UNICEF country offices and stakeholders to optimize solution designs and provide technical support. The consultant will act as a focal point for the Hub, coordinating advisory groups and contributing to portfolio management processes.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Conduct an assessment of UWWT, documenting technical aspects, WASH and environmental outcomes, and challenges.
• Perform a desk review of comparable urban and nature-based wastewater treatment approaches.
• Prepare a report on the applicability of UWWT across different contexts, identifying prerequisites for success.
• Provide technical support to UNICEF country offices and the WASH Hub based on in-country observations.
• Identify priority countries for scaling the UWWT approach.
• Act as the solution focal point for the Hub, coordinating internal advisory groups and contributing to portfolio management.
• Prepare deliverables including inception reports, observation reports, draft and final reports, consultation schedules, and country-specific concept notes.

Required Qualifications:
An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in a relevant field such as public health, civil, mechanical, or chemical engineering is required. A first university degree combined with two additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree. A minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience in sanitation technology and approaches is required, with experience in development contexts being an asset. Familiarity with emergency contexts and technical knowledge of sanitation and biological processes in wastewater treatment technologies is essential. Experience in developing technologies with user input and knowledge of nature-based WASH solutions is also required.

Educational Background:
Candidates must possess an advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in fields relevant to sanitation technology, such as public health, civil engineering, mechanical engineering, or chemical engineering. Alternatively, a first university degree in a relevant field combined with two additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.

Experience:
The position requires a minimum of eight years of relevant professional experience in sanitation technology and approaches, particularly in development contexts. Experience working in developing countries and familiarity with emergency situations are considered assets. Candidates should have a technical background in sanitation and biological processes involved in wastewater treatment technologies, as well as experience in applying social engineering and Human Centered Design approaches.

Languages:
Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian, or Spanish) or a local language is considered an asset.

Additional Notes:
The consultant is expected to travel to various locations including Dhaka, Bangladesh; Kampala, Uganda; Dakar, Senegal; and Copenhagen, Denmark, for one week each. Actual travel locations and durations may change. The consultant is responsible for arranging their own travel, including visa and travel insurance. Payment will be based on the submission of agreed deliverables, and UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment if deliverables do not meet required standards. Interested applicants must submit both a financial and technical proposal, including travel costs and any other estimated expenses.