Yemen: WASH Officer

Jan 8, 2023 | UNICEF
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UNICEF works in some of the world’s toughest places, to reach the world’s most disadvantaged children. To save their lives. To defend their rights. To help them fulfill their potential. Across 190 countries and territories, we work for every child, everywhere, every day, to build a better world for everyone.

In the 1970s UNICEF established presence in Yemen to respond to the urgent needs of children in the poorest country in the Middle East. In 1991, Yemen ratified the Convention on the Rights of the Child and it was enacted immediately.  Since then the country has been making steady progress for children until it plunged into a brutal conflict in 2015 but even before that, Yemen needed large amounts of humanitarian assistance.

In collaboration with local authorities, non-governmental organizations and community partners, UNICEF is working in all the governorates in Yemen to respond to the needs of children throughout the country with a continuum of services to help children survive and grow to their full potential through the following programmes: Health, Nutrition, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Basic Education, and Child protection.

For more on our work in Yemen, please visit our website: https://www.unicef.org/yemen/

The WASH Officer reports to the WASH Specialist who is at Level 3

The WASH Officer provides professional technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the WASH programming process, through the application of theoretical and practical technical skills in researching, collecting, analyzing and presenting programme information while learning organizational rules, regulations and procedures to support the development, implementation and monitoring of the WASH output results of the Country Programme

The WASH Officer will perform the following key functions\accountabilities:

1. Programme development and planning

• Research and analyze regional/national political, WASH, health, and social and economic development trends. Collect, analyze, verify and synthesize information to facilitate programme development, design and preparation.
• Prepare technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevance of information.
• Assist in the development/establishment of WASH-related outcome and output results, as well as related strategies, through analysis of WASH sector needs and priorities.
• Provide technical and administrative support throughout all stages of programming processes by executing/administering a variety of technical programme transactions, preparing materials/documentations, complying with organizational processes and management systems, to support progress towards the WASH-related outcome and/or output results in the Country Programme.
• Prepare required documentations/materials to facilitate review and approval processes

2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results.

• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/ share information on implementation issues, suggest solutions on routine programme implementation and alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decision. Keep record of reports and assessments for easy reference and/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises, programme reviews and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare minutes/reports on results for follow up action by higher management and other stakeholders.
• Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other assets), verify compliance with approved allocations, organizational rules, regulations/procedures and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity. Report on issues identified to enable timely resolution by management/stakeholders. Follow up on unresolved issues to ensure resolution.
• Prepare inputs for programme and donor reporting

3. Technical and operational support for programme implementation.

• Undertake field visits and surveys, collect and share reports with partners/stakeholders. Report critical issues, bottlenecks and potential problems to supervisor, for timely action.
• Provide technical and operational support to government counterparts, NGO partners,
• UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of UNICEF policies, strategies, processes and best practices in WASH, to support programme implementation.

4. Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response.

• Draft inputs for the preparation of WASH emergency preparedness, including the drafting of required supplies and services, long-term agreements, partnership agreements, and coordination mechanisms.
• Study and fully understand UNICEF’s procedures for responding in an emergency.
• Take up support roles in an emergency response and early recovery, as and when the need arises.

5. Networking and partnership building.

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts and national stakeholders through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve WASH output results.
• Draft communication and information materials for WASH programme advocacy to promote awareness, establish partnership/alliances and support fund raising for WASH.
• Participate in inter-agency meetings/events on WASH programming to collaborate with inter-agency partners/colleagues on UNDAF operational planning and preparation of WASH programmes/projects and to integrate and harmonize UNICEF output results and implementation strategies with UNDAF development and planning processes.
• Research information on potential donors and prepare resource mobilization materials and briefs for fund raising and partnership development purposes.

6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building.

• Assist in the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of WASH action research and innovation (technical or systems).
• Assist in the preparation of learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development.
• Assist in creating and delivering learning opportunities for UNICEF WASH staff, to ensure our sector capacity remains up-to-date with latest developments.
• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.

Requirements

Education:

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health engineering, civil engineering, sanitary engineering or another relevant technical field.

Experience: 

• A minimum of one year of professional experience in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required.
• Experience in designing water and sanitation systems in urban and rural areas is an asset. 
• Experience in using engineering software related to water and sanitation systems is an advantage.

Language: 

• Fluency in English and Arabic is required.

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability (CRITA) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter Here

Competencies required for this post are...

1. Demonstrates Self Awareness and Ethical Awareness (1)
2. Works Collaboratively with others (1) 
3. Builds and Maintains Partnerships (1) 
4. Innovates and Embraces Change (1)
5. Thinks and Acts Strategically (1)
6. Drive to achieve impactful results (1)
7. Manages ambiguity and complexity (1)

During the recruitment process, we test candidates following the competency framework. Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels: Here

Female candidates are especially encouraged to apply and please take a look at some of our entitlements for our female staff members:  Female Entitlements Edited2.jpg