WASH Specialist (Karachi)

Organizational Context

Pakistan, a signatory to the Convention on the Rights of the Child, faces significant challenges for its children and adolescents. UNICEF partners with the Government of Pakistan to advance children's rights and achieve Sustainable Development Goals. The organization focuses on child survival, learning, protection, and ensuring safe, clean environments with access to water and sanitation. This role supports strengthening climate-resilient and inclusive WASH interventions, emphasizing partnerships and community engagement.

Job Purpose

This role provides essential technical, programmatic, and capacity-building support to enhance the design, implementation, monitoring, and scaling of climate-resilient and inclusive Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) interventions in Pakistan. Aligned with UNICEF’s child rights-based approach, the position contributes to achieving Sustainable Development Goals and advancing children's rights through collaboration with government institutions, communities, and stakeholders. The WASH Programme prioritizes system strengthening, expanding access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, and developing climate-resilient WASH services, with a strong emphasis on gender-responsive, disability-inclusive, and child-friendly approaches.

Responsibilities

The incumbent will report to the Provincial WASH-CEE Specialist, providing programmatic and technical support for the WASH programme. Key duties include assisting in the preparation of annual work plans, budgets, and implementation roadmaps, and developing monitoring frameworks. The role involves ensuring WASH services are safe, inclusive, gender-responsive, and disability-inclusive, adhering to UNICEF's child rights approach and global standards. Support will be provided for developing and implementing safely managed, climate-resilient WASH service models. Technical assistance will be offered to improve WASH infrastructure in schools and health facilities, ensuring compliance with minimum service standards. The position will also support evidence-based behavior change strategies, conduct field visits for quality assurance, and provide technical backstopping. Data analysis, reporting, documentation of results, and contribution to donor reporting are crucial. Furthermore, the role involves documenting best practices, innovations, and supporting knowledge-sharing events, as well as coordinating with provincial departments, district authorities, and development partners, and representing UNICEF WASH in technical working groups.

Work Experience

A minimum of 7 years of overall experience is required, with at least 2 years of relevant experience in WASH programming and climate-related fields within a humanitarian or development organization. Experience with child rights, gender equality principles, gender-sensitive WASH programming, and conducting research/analysis on WASH projects is essential. Prior experience with UN agencies or international organizations is an asset.

Skills

Essential skills include excellent writing and communication abilities, and the capacity to work both independently and collaboratively within a team. Desirable skills involve knowledge of current climate change trends and their impact on WASH. Expertise areas include community development, development programmes, and social work.

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