WASH (Climate) Specialist
Organizational Context
UNICEF operates in over 190 countries and territories, dedicated to saving children’s lives, defending their rights, and helping them fulfill their potential. We are committed to promoting the rights of every child, everywhere, through our programmes, advocacy, and operations, with a focus on the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families.
Job Purpose
The GCF Climate-Resilient WASH Project Lead (P-3) role is established for the Central African Republic (CAR) to manage a six-year GCF investment supporting climate-resilient WASH services, water resources management, disaster risk reduction, early warning systems, urban drainage, and institutional capacity building. The post is dedicated exclusively to the delivery, coordination, and quality assurance of this GCF CAR project within the UNICEF WASH programme framework. The role combines project leadership, cross-functional Project Management Unit (PMU) management, and technical oversight to ensure the GCF investment is delivered with strong implementation discipline, fiduciary accountability, safeguards compliance, and measurable climate adaptation results, aligning with the GCF proposal, UNICEF rules, government priorities, and strategic project direction.
Responsibilities
The GCF Climate-Resilient WASH Project Lead (P-3) reports to the WASH Climate Chief (P-4) and is accountable for the day-to-day management of the CRDM-CAR project and its Project Management Unit (PMU). This includes ensuring alignment with the GCF proposal, UNICEF rules and procedures, government priorities, fiduciary and safeguards requirements, and the project's strategic direction. The role involves managing the planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring support, financial follow-up, quality assurance, and reporting of the CRDM-CAR project. It provides cross-functional leadership for the project and PMU across programme, operations, finance, supply, partnerships, environmental and social safeguards (ESS), risk management, gender, indigenous peoples, and social inclusion functions. The position ensures technically sound delivery of climate-resilient WASH, Water Resources Management (WRM), Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR), Early Warning Systems (EWS), Operation and Maintenance (O&M), institutional strengthening, learning, and climate finance results. Key functions include project and PMU leadership, planning, cross-functional coordination, programme management, monitoring support, reporting, delivery of results, technical leadership, quality assurance for climate-resilient WASH implementation, networking, government partnership, climate finance engagement, innovation, knowledge management, and capacity building.
Work Experience
A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in WASH-climate related programmes in developing countries is required. Significant experience in climate adaptation, resilience programming, and climate-resilient infrastructure or services is necessary. Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating multi-year climate adaptation, resilience, or WASH systems-strengthening projects is required. Experience in WRM, DRR, solarized water systems, rural water supply, infrastructure quality assurance, O&M models, donor reporting, financial monitoring, or climate finance is required. One year of deployment in a developing country is required. At least three years of deployment in a humanitarian context with the UN, government, or an INGO is required or strongly desirable.
Skills
Project Management, WASH Programming, Climate Adaptation, Resilience Programming, Water Resources Management, Disaster Risk Reduction, Financial Monitoring, Donor Reporting, Capacity Building, Stakeholder Engagement, Technical Oversight, Quality Assurance