WASH Officer, Pemba, Mozambique

General

Description of assignment title: WASH Officer

Assignment country: Mozambique

Duty stations: Pemba

Work location: On UN premises

Expected start date: 08/17/2026

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

Sustainable Development Goal: 6. Clean water andsanitation

Host entity: UNICEF

Modality: Onsite

Type: National

Volunteer category: Specialist UCoS from Apr2026

Work schedule: Full-time

Number of Assignments: 1

Details

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Mission and objectives:

• The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights ofevery child, everywhere, in everything the organization does— in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equitystrategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded childrenand families, translates this commitment to children's rights intoaction. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have anopportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential,without discrimination, bias or favouritism. To the degree that anychild has an unequal chance in life — in its social,political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her orhis rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investingin the health, education, hygiene/sanitation and protection of asociety's most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity— not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfiltheir potential but also will lead to sustained growth andstability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is sovital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rightsof all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, asoutlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while alsosupporting the equitable development of nations.

Context:

• By August 2024, over 1.3 million people in the Northernprovinces had been displaced, with approximately 570,000 returneesand 670,000 internally displaced persons, including 417,310children (OCHA, 2024). Schools in these areas face overcrowdedclassrooms, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access toinclusive and gender-sensitive latrines and safe drinking water.Many healthcare facilities which have already limitations inproviding quality healthcare services and lack adequate WASHservices, are also severely affected by insurgent attacks. Inaddition, extreme climate events have also hindered progress in theprovince, where it is estimated that 2.2 million people will be atrisk of urban/rural floods, drought, tropical cyclones and strongwinds in the 2024-2025 rainy season (OCHA, 2024)
• UNICEF Mozambique is implementing a comprehensive WASHprogramme under its 2022-2026 Country Programme, supporting bothdevelopment and humanitarian priorities in collaboration withnational and decentralized authorities. In Cabo Delgado, armedconflict, displacement, and climate shocks continue to severelyaffect access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, particularlyin rural and urban areas with high numbers of displacedpopulations.
• The WASH programme in Cabo Delgado leads humanitarian and earlyrecovery interventions focusing on the elimination of opendefecation through integrated sanitation and hygiene promotionservices alongside the construction and rehabilitation of watersupply infrastructures. This includes boreholes equipped withhandpumps or solar-powered systems, multi use solar water supplyschemes, support and strengthening of operation, maintenance andmanagement of water supply sources and systems in ruralcommunities, schools, and health facilities.

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• In the sanitation portfolio, UNICEF has expanded theimplementation of Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) acrossmultiple districts through community triggering, the introductionof Market Based Sanitation approaches, and the provision ofsanitation assistance through vouchers, all requiring close followup and ongoing support to implementing partners.
• This assignment directly contributes to the achievement ofSustainable Development Goal 6 and UNICEF's WASH outcomes, with astrong emphasis on climate resilient, safely managed, and marketbased water and sanitation services.
• To support implementation of the above priorities, UNICEF isseeking suitable candidate to fill a WASH officer -UNV position tobe based in Pemba, to support implementation of the WASH workplanin Cabo Delgado province. The UNV position will be supervised bythe WASH Officer. The UNVs will also engage with other sectorswithin the UNICEF Pemba Field Office, partner organizations, suchas governmental offices at national and decentralized level, NGOsand other civil society organizations in the province.
• UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers withdisabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software,travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourageyou to disclose your disability during your application in case youneed reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process andafterwards in your assignment.

Task description:

• The UN Volunteers will provide technical and coordinationsupport for the implementation and monitoring of WASH activities inCabo Delgado, with a primary focus on:
• 1. Programme Implementation Support
• 2. Monitoring, Coordination, and Quality Assurance
• 3. Procurement and Contract Management Support
• 4. Support Community Engagement and Capacity Building
• 5. Support Data Management, Reporting, and Documentation
• Under the direct supervision of the WASH Officer with overalloversight from the WASH Specialist and working in coordination withthe other members of the WASH team in Cabo Delgado, the UNVolunteer will undertake the following tasks:
• A. Programme Implementation Support
• Support the implementation of WASH interventions in both ruraland small-town contexts,
• Provide technical support for WASH in Schools (WinS) and WASHin Health Care Facilities (HCFs) to ensure compliance withstandards and sustainability.
• Support planning, implementation of water supply systems inresettlement sites, host communities, small towns, and other ruralor urban settings.
• Support planning, implementation and monitoring of WASHservices focusing on CLTS, market-based sanitation and sanitationvoucher approaches in resettlement sites, host communities, smalltowns, and other rural or urban settings.
• Ensure quality assurance in the sanitation services deliversincluding sanitation infrastructures.
• Conduct regular field visits to verify technical compliance,progress, and functionality.
• Support Liaise with contractors, government stakeholders, andimplementing partners to address challenges and follow up on agreedcorrective actions.
• B. Support to Monitoring, Coordination, and QualityAssurance
• Conduct regular field monitoring visits to ensure quality,timeliness, and adherence to technical standards.
• Support quality assurance in the construction andrehabilitation of boreholes, installation of handpumps, anddevelopment of multi-use solar-powered water supply systems.
• Support coordination with government counterparts, implementingpartners, and stakeholders to align activities and addresschallenges.
• Support review meetings, progress tracking, and performanceassessments of partners.
  C. Procurement and Contract Management Support
• Assist government-led procurement processes by providingtechnical input into specifications and scopes of work, supportingbid evaluation processes where required ensuring alignment withnational procurement regulations and procedures; knowledge ofMozambican government procurement systems and workflows isessential.
• Follow up on contracts to ensure timely delivery, compliancewith agreements, and quality of outputs.
• Support development and review of tender documents, technicalspecifications, and workplans for WASH infrastructure implementedthrough government-led contracts.
• Monitor progress of contractor deliverables including physicalexecution, payment requests, work completion certificates, andfinal reports.
• Assist in tracking implementation of Project Documents (PDs),Service Contracts, and public works contracts managed by governmentcounterparts (e.g., DPOP, SDPI, SDEJT, SPI).
  D. Supporting Capacity Building, Community Engagement,Sustainability & Knowledge Management
• Support documentation of good practices and technical lessonslearned in implementation of CLTS, market-based sanitation, safelymanaged sanitation approaches and declaration of Open DefecationFree Communities in Cabo Delgado province.
• Facilitate community mobilization and participation in WASHinterventions to enhance ownership and sustainability.
• Provide WASH technical guidance and deliver capacity-buildingsessions and training for government staff, partners, and communitystructures.
• Promote behavior change initiatives related to hygiene andsanitation.
• Promote sustainability mechanisms, including local O&Mstructures and cost-recovery models. Support communication andvisibility activities related to water and sanitationachievements.
• E. Data Management, Reporting, and Documentation
• Support systematic data collection, verification, and analysisfor WASH activities.
• Contribute to the preparation of technical reports, situationupdates, and donor reporting requirements.
• Ensure proper documentation of lessons learned, best practices,and field experiences.
• Contribute to WASH needs assessments, feasibility studies,hydrogeological surveys, Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM), andKAP studies.
• Support updating and management of WASH databases, including5Ws and Aquatrack.
• Assist in drafting technical reports, donor sitreps, and fieldbriefs highlighting progress and impact of WASH interventions.

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:

• Portuguese, Level: Fluent, Required
• English, Level: Working knowledge, Required

Required education level:

• Bachelor's degree in Sanitary and/or Environmental Engineering,Rural Engineering, Civil Engineering, or other WASH-relatedtechnical fields with a strong focus on Sanitation.

Competencies and values:

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

Skills and experience:

• At least 3 years of relevant experience in WASH programming,with demonstrated expertise in community mobilization, Water,sanitation and hygiene practices.
• Deep understanding of Community-Led Total Sanitationapproaches
• Excellent computer skills in word, excel and PowerPoint.Familiarity with GIS applications would be an asset.
• Analytical mindset, and people orientated.
• 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.
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency invarious MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) andemail/internet; familiarity with database management; and officetechnology equipment.
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in achallenging environment; ability to work effectively in amulticultural team of international and national personnel.
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision;ability to work with tight deadlines.
• Sound security awareness.
• Have affinity with or interest in issues relating to children'srights volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and theUN System.

Area(s) of expertise:

• Communication, advocacy, public information, Communitydevelopment, Emergency preparedness, crisis response

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