General
Description of assignment title: Donor Coordination andEU Integration Senior Expert (WASH Sector Recovery)
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: 6. Clean water andsanitation
Host entity: UNICEF Ukraine
Modality: Onsite
Type: National
Volunteer category: Expert 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:
- In Ukraine, UNICEF has been present since 1997 and serves asthe lead agency of the WASH Cluster, a humanitarian coordinationmechanism uniting over 100 implementing partners active acrossfifteen conflict-affected oblasts. UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programmesupports emergency response, service restoration, and systemsstrengthening across water supply, sanitation, hygiene, anddistrict heating sectors.
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- Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine'swater and sanitation infrastructure faces critical degradation.Thousands of water supply and wastewater facilities have beendamaged or destroyed, leaving millions of people —particularly children — without reliable access to safewater. Restoring and modernizing WASH infrastructure is essentialnot only for public health but for Ukraine's broader recovery,resilience, and EU integration trajectory. UNICEF, as WASH Clusterlead, coordinates a large portfolio of infrastructure restorationprojects implemented through government partners, NGOs, and civilsociety organizations, requiring robust programme management,technical oversight, and strategic coordination.
- In this context, UNICEF Ukraine supports the coordination ofthe Water Sector Working Group (Water SWG) - a formal multi-partnercoordination platform operating under the Ministry of Communitiesand Territories Development (MinDev) and embedded in Ukraine'sRecovery and Reform Architecture. The Water SWG unites over 20international partners across six thematic sub-groups coveringstrategic planning and regulatory harmonisation, financialsustainability, human resources capacity, EU standardsimplementation, infrastructure recovery, and partner coordination.Water SWG outputs feed directly into the Ukraine Donor PlatformSteering Committee and the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC)process.
- This assignment supports the Water SWG coordination function,serving as the strategic interface between the Government ofUkraine, UNICEF, international donors, and implementing partners.The Senior Coordinator facilitates alignment of partner programmingwith national recovery priorities, supports EU integration of thewater sector, and ensures comprehensive mapping and coordination ofexisting initiatives to prevent duplication and maximise recoveryimpact.
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- Key stakeholders include MinDev, regional and localauthorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, internationalfinancial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD, KfW), bilateraldonors (EU Delegation, Sida, GIZ), and UN and NGO implementingpartners including UNDP, UNICEF, UNECE, and others.
- Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Development ofCommunities and Territories of Ukraine (MinDev), regional and localauthorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, internationalfinancial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD), and NGO/CSOimplementing partners. Programme outcomes include restored WASHservices for conflict-affected populations, strengthenedinstitutional capacity of utilities and local authorities, andevidence-based infrastructure planning aligned with nationalrecovery frameworks. Further information: www.unicef.org/ukraine.Ukraine is undergoing an extensive recovery effort following thedevastation caused by conflict, with significant damage to criticalinfrastructure, including water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH)systems.
Task description:
- The Senior Coordinator will provide high-level strategic,technical, and coordination support for Ukraine's WASH sectorrecovery, donor alignment, and EU integration. Specifically, theSenior Coordinator will:
- Lead the coordination of the Water SWG Secretariat, includingplanning and facilitating plenary sessions and thematic sub-groupmeetings, managing documentation and communication flows, andensuring continuity of coordination processes across all workinggroup streams;
- Serve as the primary liaison and coordination interfacebetween the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development(MinDev), UNICEF, and the international partner and donor community- ensuring government priorities are reflected in donor programmingand partner activities are aligned with national recoveryframeworks;
- Develop and maintain a live mapping of existing WASH recoveryinitiatives, partner mandates, geographic coverage, and financialcommitments across Ukraine, identifying gaps and overlaps to informstrategic planning and resource mobilisation;
- Coordinate thematic sub-group work across six streams(strategic planning, financial sustainability, human resourcescapacity, EU regulatory harmonisation, infrastructure recovery, andpartner coordination), supporting co-leads and consolidatingoutputs into coherent Water SWG deliverables;
- Ensure Water SWG outputs are systematically elevated to theUkraine Donor Platform Steering Committee and integrated intoUkraine Recovery Conference (URC) reporting and planningprocesses;
- Provide coordination support for the development of the10-year Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Development Strategy,facilitating input from government, IFIs, and bilateralpartners;
- Support EU regulatory harmonisation coordination, includingpartner alignment on implementation of the Urban WastewaterTreatment Directive, Drinking Water Directive, and related EUstandards, in collaboration with MinDev and internationalpartners;
- Facilitate partner surveys, needs assessments, andconsultation processes to generate evidence for Water SWG strategicdecisions and donor reporting;
- Mainstream gender equality, social inclusion, andenvironmental sustainability into Water SWG coordination outputs,ensuring alignment with UNICEF's equity mandate;
- Support UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme with strategicadvisory input on water sector reform, recovery planning, and donorengagement as required.
Eligibility criteria
Age: 18 - 80
Required experience: 7 years
Nationality: Candidate must be a national, legal residentor hold refugee status in the country of assignment.
Assignment requirements
Relevant experience:
- 7 years
Languages:
- English, Level: Fluent, Required
- Ukrainian, Level: Fluent, Required
Required education level:
- Master's degree in Public administration, finance, , publichealth, law, urban/regional planning, or related fields
Competencies and values:
- Accountability
- Adaptability and flexibility
- Creativity
- Judgement and decision-making
- Planning and organising
- Professionalism
- Self-management
Skills and experience:
- WASH sector recovery, municipal infrastructure development, orpublic-private partnerships in the water/utilities sector;experience with the State Agency for Restoration and InfrastructureDevelopment of Ukraine or equivalent national recovery institutionsis an asset, as is experience working with UNICEF, IFIs (EIB,EBRD), or other international development organizations;
- Demonstrated experience in policy analysis, drafting regulatoryand legislative proposals, and engaging with central and localexecutive authorities on infrastructure governance and reform;
- Proven track record in stakeholder coordination acrossgovernment, donor, and civil society actors, including associationsof local self-government bodies and sectoral utilitiesassociations;
- Excellent oral and written skills in Ukrainian and English (C1level or equivalent); excellent drafting, formulation, andreporting skills;
- Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and sociallysensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with arange of partners, including grassroots community members,religious and youth organizations, and authorities at differentlevels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications fordevelopment;
- 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 invarious Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others),email, and internet; familiarity with database management; andoffice technology equipment;
- Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision;ability to work with tight deadlines;
- Desirable: valid national driver's license and proven abilityto drive manual gear 4x4 over rough terrain;
- Sound security awareness;
- Have affinity with or interest in WASH UNICEF volunteerism as amechanism for durable development and the UN system.
Area(s) of expertise:
- Administration, Legal affairs, Economics, poverty reduction,livelihoods
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