National Consultant - Technical Expert
Organizational Context
UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential. We are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.
Job Purpose
The National Consultant - Technical Expert will provide specialized technical, institutional, and quality-assurance support to UNICEF Bangladesh’s Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Section, focusing on its sanitation and WASH infrastructure portfolio. This role is crucial for advancing SDG 6.1 and 6.2 and national WASH targets. The consultant will contribute to safe, inclusive, climate-resilient, and financially sustainable WASH services through technical assessments, field monitoring, capacity development, stakeholder coordination, and the preparation of actionable technical products. The assignment involves a range of activities including sanitation systems strengthening, market development, faecal sludge management, wastewater treatment, construction supervision, infrastructure quality assurance, and ensuring sustainable operation and maintenance for various projects, including climate-resilient water supply systems.
Responsibilities
The consultant will be responsible for catalyzing financing for climate-resilient and safely managed sanitation by assessing and strengthening DPHE stewardship, regulation, market monitoring, and accountability. This includes supporting sanitation enterprise registration, training, certification, standards, affordability, and financing assessments, as well as developing regulated faecal sludge management (FSM) service and financing models. For climate-resilient mini-piped water supply systems, the consultant will support construction monitoring and QA/QC, verify compliance with designs, and assist with operational readiness, water safety, climate resilience, and sustainable operation and maintenance (O&M). The role also involves supporting citywide inclusive sanitation (CWIS) initiatives, including sustainable O&M of FSM and wastewater treatment facilities, and technical monitoring of child well-being centres. Additionally, the consultant will provide technical backstopping and performance assessment for wastewater treatment plants, construction supervision for faecal sludge and wastewater treatment plants, and prepare facility-specific SOPs and O&M arrangements. Cross-cutting responsibilities include reviewing technical documents, maintaining non-conformity tracking, strengthening counterpart capacity, facilitating consultations and training, documenting best practices, and submitting progress reports. Field travel will be undertaken for QA/QC, consultations, and on-the-job coaching.
Work Experience
Experience in sanitation systems strengthening, faecal sludge management, wastewater treatment, construction supervision, and quality assurance is required. Experience with climate-resilient infrastructure and sustainable operation and maintenance is also necessary.
Skills
Technical expertise in WASH infrastructure, Sanitation systems strengthening, Faecal sludge management (FSM), Wastewater treatment, Construction supervision, Quality Assurance/Quality Control (QA/QC), Climate-resilient infrastructure, Sustainable operation and maintenance (O&M), Stakeholder coordination, Capacity development, Technical assessment, Reporting