Programme Specialist (Groundwater Management), P-4, Nairobi, Kenya, Eastern & Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO)

Contract

This is a P-4 contract. This kind of contract is known as Professional and Director staff. It is normally internationally recruited only. It's a staff contract. It usually requires 7 years of experience, depending on education.

Salary

The salary for this job should be between 135,454 USD and 174,640 USD.

Please keep in mind that the salary displayed here is an estimation by UN Talent based on the location and the type of contract. It may vary depending on the organization. The recruiter should be able to inform you about the exact salary range. In case the job description contains another salary information, please refer to this one.

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.

And we never give up.

For every child, water.

Groundwater is the largest water resource in the arid and semi-arid lands of the East and Southern African region, having the greatest potential for providing water security and socio-economic benefit. However, there are major deficiencies in knowledge and understanding of groundwater suitability areas and how to mobilize the resource in a sustainable way in the face of a changing climate. Due to complex geology and hydrogeological context, drilling success rates have been poor - with record from previous drilling using conventional hydrogeological survey methods recording less than 50% success rate.

UNICEF using its 7% set aside funding from 2021 has started scaling up a new approach for finding ground water resources. The approach combines remote sensing, weighted GIS overlay analysis, hydrogeological mapping and geophysical surveying, that has significantly increased the success rate of drilling ground water. This approach was piloted in Afar region in northern Ethiopia and southern region of Madagascar to map deep aquifers will be scaled-up in Ethiopia and is now being replicated in arid/semi-arid regions in Angola, Kenya and Somalia. The project is currently being implemented in 23 districts across the 4 countries, with a total of 10 test wells being drilled and equipped with lessons learnt to date feeding into this additional request.

UNICEF East and Southern Africa Regional Office (ESARO) in Nairobi have now secured an additional 2-year funding from its office of innovation to expand this work into additional districts in the same countries as well as use it as a mechanism for strengthening the long term resilience of these countries in response to the drought conditions. The programme focuses on development of suitability maps, development, and implementation of well field monitoring system including existing wells and test wells; and integration of test wells and production wells monitoring systems to national water resources monitoring and available early warning systems. To ensure sustainability the project will also focus on strengthening of site specific environmental and social safeguards including implementation of risk analysis, mitigation and reduction measures for basin and source protection as well as ensuring that there are effective measures implemented to ensure knowledge management and capacity building of implementing local authorities and research institutions

How can you make a difference?

Under the direct supervision and technical guidance of the Regional Water Supply, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) advisor of ESARO, the Innovative Ground Water Mapping and Implementation -Programme Specialist will be responsible for (i) the management of the day-to-day operations of the Innovative Ground Water Mapping programme, including Country level oversight and coordination as well as regional or multi-country procurement oversight (ii) technical support to, and quality assurance of, ground water mapping and implementation operations managed by country offices.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Technical quality assurance and coordination

• Provide technical inputs and quality assurance to achieve programme deliverables including: -
• Reviewing groundwater potential and suitability maps developed in the programme.
• Supporting with selection of target areas and cluster with a high groundwater potential and close to priority population targets where multi-village water schemes can be developed later.
• Supporting COs and relevant stakeholders on ground-truthing in target areas and linkages and interpretation of the information obtained from the input layers and the results from the overlay analysis.
• Reviewing of site specific hydrogeological, geophysical field surveys results to verify the potential drilling sites for deep wells.
• Reviewing of test well results including pump-test wells to establish reliability and yield of boreholes, and water quality test for potability to provide opinions on viability for further well field development and development of related guidance for COs.
• Strengthening of site specific environmental and social safeguarding approaches applied through the programme by supporting ESS tools, supporting risk analysis and mitigation measures for basin and source protection.
• Supporting the development and implementation of well field monitoring systems including existing wells, test wells; and integration of test wells and production wells monitoring systems to national Water resources monitoring and early warning systems.
• Support the development of knowledge management resources as well as capacity building documentation for use by UNICEF, local authorities and research institutions for programme development, monitoring, data collection, analysis, and integrated planning.

Coordinating the Programme and Engaging Stakeholder

• Coordinate with OOI and lead technical reviews on designs, bills of quantities, environmental and social management frameworks and other key technical documents.
• Draft and coordinate the required programme reports with the project technical team, ESARO and OOI as well as archive project documentation.
• Develop investment proposals for CAPEX works related to the deep ground water aquifers including, well field development and monitoring and multiple village schemes.
• Conceptualize and provide required programme presentations and webinars.
• Support the programme engagement with external stakeholders interested and or working on similar projects including the World Bank, Regional Economic Communities and other donors and partners for capacity building and resource mobilization.
• Showcasing the innovative ground water mapping approach to stakeholders at webinars and events in order to raise awareness for how ground water can be utilized to build climate resilience and adaptation in communities.

Procurement Oversight

• Conceptualizing and contextualizing programme requirements together with OOI, COs, input and develop ToRs and other key documents for Expression of Interest for essential procurements.
• Developing ToRs for various component of the project including ground water mapping, water resources management and monitoring, environmental and social safeguarding, borehole drilling and knowledge management capacity building.
• Coordinating with CO and UNICEF ESARO supply and procurement teams to provide oversight for all regional procurements including regional service contracts for suitability map development and ground proofing, knowledge management and capacity building and environmental and social safeguards.

• Provide procurement oversight through managing and quality assuring regional procurements.

  Programme Coordination and Reporting

• Represent UNICEF ESARO and facilitate and organize coordination meetings with stakeholders, expert teams, OOI and COs on a monthly basis for programme updates including with the major development partners.

• Undertaking support missions with COs and other relevant stakeholders for country level technical support, coordination to ensure alignment between regional service contracts and Country Office level CAPEX and field level operations.
• Prepare programme reports in line with programme monitoring and reporting requirements.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have…

• An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in civil or water engineering or hydrogeology. Knowledge of engineering project management. *A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.
• A minimum of eight of relevant professional experience in development WASH programming – including planning, implementation, and monitoring of large water resources management and or hydrogeology projects.
• Thorough understanding of borehole drilling and hydrogeology theory and practice is essential.
• Demonstrated experience in designing, managing and quality assuring water and sanitation programmes in complex settings is indispensable.
• Familiarity with the range of development issues addressed by UNICEF in the Eastern and Southern Africa region is necessary. Prior work experience in the region is a distinct advantage.
• Experience in providing technical support to development stakeholders at different levels – including government, private sector, civil society, as well as UN and other partners – on engineering issues would be a plus.
• Experience in working with multiple stakeholders is an asset.
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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: https://uni.cf/UNICEFValues

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships (2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness (3) Drive to achieve results for impact (4) Innovates and embraces change (5) Manages ambiguity and complexity (6) Thinks and acts strategically (7) Works collaboratively with others.

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

UNICEF is committed to diversity and inclusion within its workforce, and encourages all candidates, irrespective of gender, nationality, religious and ethnic backgrounds, including persons living with disabilities, to apply to become a part of the organization.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. UNICEF also adheres to strict child safeguarding principles. All selected candidates will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles and will therefore undergo rigorous reference and background checks. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check.

Remarks:

UNICEF’s active commitment towards diversity and inclusion is critical to deliver the best results for children. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station, which will be facilitated by UNICEF, is required for IP positions. Appointments are also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Government employees that are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.