District Heating Technical Expert (WASH), District Heating Technical Expert (WASH), Kyiv, Ukraine

General

Description of assignment title: District HeatingTechnical Expert (WASH)

Assignment country: Ukraine

Duty stations: Kyiv

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 08/03/2026

Duration: 12 months(with possibility ofextension)Long-term benefits and allowances

Sustainable Development Goal: 7. Affordable and cleanenergy

Host entity: UNICEF Ukraine

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

Mission and objectives:

• UNICEF is supporting health, nutrition, HIV prevention,education, access to safe drinking water, sanitation and protectionfor children and families caught in the conflict.

Context:

• This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part ofUNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme, specifically supporting theNational WASH Cluster's District Heating Technical Cell establishedin response to the ongoing armed conflict.
• UNICEF — the United Nations Children's Fund, establishedin 1946 — is mandated to protect the rights of every childand operates in over 190 countries. In Ukraine, UNICEF has beenpresent since 1997 and serves as the lead agency of the WASHCluster, a humanitarian coordination mechanism uniting over 100implementing partners active across fifteen conflict-affectedoblasts.
• UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme supports emergency response,service restoration, and systems strengthening across water,sanitation, hygiene, and district heating sectors.
• Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine'sdistrict heating infrastructure faces a severe crisis. Over 800heating facilities have been destroyed or damaged, approximately 9GW of power generation capacity has been lost, and an estimated USD1 billion is required for restoration.

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• The District Heating Technical Cell, established within theWASH Cluster with UNICEF support, coordinates the heating sectorresponse across priority oblasts including Kherson, Mykolaiv,Kharkiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia — ensuringtechnical oversight, partner coordination, needs prioritization,and knowledge management to prevent gaps and duplication.
• Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Development ofCommunities and Territories of Ukraine (MinDev), local authorities,district heating companies and vodokanals, international financialinstitutions (EIB, World Bank), and NGO/CSO implementing partners.Programme outcomes include restored and modernized heating servicesfor conflict-affected populations, strengthened institutionalcapacity of heating utilities, and evidence-based recovery planningaligned with Ukraine's EU integration trajectory. Furtherinformation: www.unicef.org/ukraine.
• Now in the fourth year of escalation, the ongoing war inUkraine has had severe consequences for the well-being of childrenand communities across the country. Over 800 district heatingfacilities have been destroyed or damaged since February 2022,approximately 9 GW of power generation capacity has been lost, andan estimated USD 1 billion is needed for restoration. Even beforethe conflict, more than 28% of heating networks had been in use forover 25 years, with heat losses averaging 14.3%. The financial andeconomic situation of heating companies, marked by a mutual debtcrisis, further hinders reconstruction efforts. UNICEF, as the leadagency of the WASH Cluster in Ukraine — a coordinationmechanism of over 100 implementing partners — is establishinga District Heating Technical Cell to oversee the heating sectorresponse, provide technical expertise, ensure prioritization, andprevent gaps and duplications. This UNV assignment supports thefunctioning of the District Heating Technical Cell by providingtechnical expertise on heating and energy systems, coordinatingemergency response efforts, and contributing to short-, medium-,and long-term recovery plans for district heating infrastructure inUkraine.

Task description:

• Under the direct supervision of the WASH Cluster Coordinator /District Heating Technical Cell Lead, the UNV will:
• 1. Build and maintain a strong network with district heatingcompanies and communal enterprises through field missions topriority oblasts;
• 2. Liaise with government partners, energy operators,vodokanals, local authorities, NGOs/CSOs to identify criticalintervention sites aligned with HNRP priority areas;
• 3. Undertake field monitoring and data collection, conducting aminimum of 5 assessment visits per cycle with photographicevidence;
• 4. Develop and inform monitoring and reporting frameworks forWASH Cluster partners in the heating sector;
• 5. Provide technical support during WASH Cluster andsub-cluster meetings, including preparation of meeting reports andbriefs;
• 6. Collect data from heating organizations through letters ofrequest and agreed templates for analysis within the WASHCluster;
• 7. Map training initiatives, identify capacity needs of heatingcompanies, and organize coordination events to avoidduplication;
• 8. Document innovative approaches with a focus on sustainablemarket-based solutions and scalable models (minimum 3 percontract);
• 9. Develop case studies (written and/or audio-visual) based onfield visits;
• 10. Review reference documents from UN agencies to provideinput to the WASH AWP Indicators Handbook for districtheating;
• 11. Liaise with national and foreign academia for thedevelopment of scalable recovery models;
• 12. Prepare analytical notes, risk summaries, and datasnapshots to support strategic decision-making;
• 13. Prepare a final report with lessons learned andrecommendations;
• 14. Any other relevant tasks as assigned by thesupervisor.

Eligibility criteria

Age: 18 - 80

Required experience: 3 years

Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal residentor hold refugee status in the country of assignment.

Assignment requirements

Relevant experience:

• 3 years

Languages:

• English, Level: Fluent, Required
• Ukrainian, Level: Fluent, Required

Required education level:

• Master's degree in Building and civil engineering, energyengineering, mechanical engineering, or related field with a focuson heating systems.

Competencies and values:

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Skills and experience:

• District heating sector technical expertise or related energyinfrastructure experience in Ukraine or a comparable post-conflictcontext; experience with UN agencies in WASH or the energy sectoris an asset, as is experience working in the UN or otherinternational development organization;
• Sound understanding of heat supply systems and energy-efficientfunctioning of district heating infrastructure; knowledge ofapplicable Ukrainian codes, policies, and standards related toheating; proficiency with AutoCAD and MS Project is an advantage;ability to lead technical working groups and assessmentprocesses;
• Excellent oral and written communication skills in Ukrainianand English; strong drafting, formulation, and reporting skills;ability to prepare clear field assessment reports, meetingsummaries, and technical briefs;
• Strong understanding of project cycle management, includingmonitoring and evaluation, technical supervision, financialmanagement, and planning; good understanding of Ukrainianlegislation and regulations on contracting and construction ofinfrastructure projects;
• Excellent interpersonal skills; good understanding ofhumanitarian coordination approaches and stakeholder communicationwith local authorities, contractors, consulting firms, districtheating companies, and NGOs/CSOs; ability to work inclusively andcollaboratively with a range of partners at different levels;
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in achallenging environment; ability to work effectively in amulticultural team of international and national personnel;
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in MSOffice (Excel, Word, PowerPoint); familiarity with data managementand GIS tools is an asset; proficiency with AutoCAD and MS Projectwill be considered an advantage;
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision;ability to work with tight deadlines;
• Desirable: valid national driver's license; willingness andability to undertake regular field travel to priority oblastsacross Ukraine;
• Sound security awareness;
• Have affinity with or interest in district heating UNICEFrecovery, WASH sector reform, and Ukraine's energy infrastructureresilience , volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development,and the UN system.

Area(s) of expertise:

• Engineering, construction, Emergency preparedness, crisisresponse, Project management, programme development, strategy

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