General
Description of assignment title: Senior Expert for theWASH Restoration and Infrastructure Development
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.
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- 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 emergencyresponse, service restoration, and systems strengthening acrosswater supply, sanitation, hygiene, and district heatingsectors.
Context:
- This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part ofUNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme, specifically supporting thecoordination of WASH restoration and infrastructure developmentactivities in conflict-affected communities across Ukraine.
- 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.
- 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.
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- The destruction of key facilities, such as the Kakhovka dam,has severely disrupted water and sanitation services impactingpublic health and essential services.
- The Ministry for Restoration is pivotal role to this recovery,leading efforts to rehabilitate infrastructure vital for thewell-being of the population and economic revitalization. Given thecomplexity of the recovery, the Ministry requires expert advisorysupport to guide the restoration of WASH infrastructure. This roleis particularly important to ensure that recovery efforts aresustainable, aligned with international standards, and designed tomeet the immediate and long-term needs of affected communities.Furthermore, the role must address the integration of cross-cuttingissues such as gender, social inclusion, and environmentalsustainability, which are essential for equitable, inclusive andresilient development. The technical advisor will play a crucialrole in developing the Ministry's strategy for rebuilding WASHsystems, bringing specialized knowledge and a global perspective toUkraine's restoration agenda. The purpose of this assignment is toprovide high-level strategic and technical advisory support to theMinister for Restoration, specifically in the rehabilitation ofWASH infrastructure.
Task description:
- Coordinator for the WASH restoration and infrastructuredevelopment will provide high-level strategic, technical, andpolicy advisory support to accelerate Ukraine's WASH sectorrecovery, reform, and EU integration. The Advisor will:
- Develop risk assessment frameworks and contingency protocolsfor WASH infrastructure resilience under active conflictconditions, including advice to the Minister on rapid-responsemechanisms for service disruptions;
- Facilitate establishment of a national WASH Task Force andoperationalize the Water Sector Working Group (Water SWG), advisingon inter-agency coordination between MinDev, regional vodokanals,IFIs, and international partners;
- Provide advisory support for drafting regulatory andnormative legal acts aligned with EU Directives (Urban Wastewater,Drinking Water) and Ukrainian legislative frameworks, supportingthe corporatization and PPP reform agenda;
- Advise on design and delivery of capacity-building programmesfor regional and local authorities, with emphasis on planning,procurement, and M&E of WASH infrastructure projects;
- Establish a national M&E framework with KPIs linked toUkraine's National Recovery Plan (NRP) and RDNA findings, ensuringtransparent tracking of WASH recovery progress;
- Support resource mobilization by developing high-priorityproject proposals for international donors (EU, IFIs, bilateral)and advising on financial mechanisms including EIB and EBRDinstruments;
- Mainstream gender equality, social inclusion, andenvironmental sustainability into WASH recovery strategies,ensuring alignment with UNICEF's equity mandate and vulnerablepopulation needs;
- Provide strategic advisory input to strengthen the E-Waterdigital platform as a national WASH monitoring and data managementtool, supporting its institutionalization under MinDev.
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:
- Ukrainian, Level: Fluent, Required
- English, Level: Fluent, Required
Required education level:
- Master's degree in Public administration, finance, 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, Communication, advocacy, public information,Legal affairs
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