Wash Officer, NOB, Brasilia, Brazil

Contract

This is a NO-2 contract. This kind of contract is known as National Professional Officers. It is normally only for nationals. It's a staff contract. More about NO-2 contracts.

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,

Brazil has a rather elevated safe drinking water coverage with 87.8% in urban areas, and 71.8% in rural áreas. The situation of sanitation is more problematic with only 50.6% of access to safely managed sanitation in urban areas and rural areas with 62.9% having access to basic service, 34% to unimproved services and 2.3% practicing open defecation. As a result, 35 million M people don’t have access to safely managed drinking water, and 100 million people don’t have access to safe sanitation services, especially in the north and northeast regions. Within those territories, traditional people, that is to say Indigenous, quilombolas and ribeirinhos communities, suffers the greatest from lack of water and sanitation systems.​

WASH services are also affected by climate changes and environmental degradation impacts, with water scarcity increasing in the Northeast region and affecting the Amazon territory, water and sanitation systems damaged by heavy rains and flash floods, contamination by mercury and other pollutants because of uncontrolled mining and industrial agriculture.

How can you make a difference?

The WASH Officer reports to the Chief of Emergency, WASH-CEED focal point. The WASH Officer provides technical, operational and administrative assistance throughout the WASH programming process. The Officer prepares, manages and implements a variety of technical and administrative tasks, related to the development, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the WASH output results of the country programme.

Programme development and planning

• Draft updates for WASH in the situation analysis, to inform the development of WASH-related outcome and output results. Research and report on trends in WASH, for use in programme development, management, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Prepare technical reports and inputs for programme preparation and documentation, ensuring accuracy, timeliness and relevance of information.
• Contribute to 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.

Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results

• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/ share information on implementation issues, provide solutions on routine programme implementation and alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions. Keep records 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 reports on results for required action/interventions at the higher level of programme management.
• 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.
• Prepare sectoral progress reports for management, donors and partners.

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.

Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response

• Draft requisitions for supplies, services, long-term agreements and partnership agreements to ensure UNICEF is prepared to deliver on its commitments for WASH in case of an emergency.
• 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.

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 on UNDAF planning, 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

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.

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

• A university degree in one of the following fields is required: public health, social sciences, behavior change communication, sanitary engineering, or another relevant technical field. Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement/supplement the main degree are a strong asset.
• A minimum of two years of professional work experience in WASH-related programmes for developing countries is required.
• A minimum of 2 years in emergency related work is required.
• Experience of work with indigenous and traditional communities is required.
• Knowledge of disaster risk reduction and management is an asset.
• Proficiency in English and Portuguese required. Knowledge of Spanish will be considered as an asset.

For every Child, you demonstrate...

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

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, (8) Nurtures, leads and manages people.

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 here to serve the world’s most disadvantaged children and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, age, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, or any other personal characteristic. 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 is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. 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 candidates from diverse populations eligible and suitable candidates from diverse populations (afro-descendants, indigenous, and other minorities) are encouraged to apply.

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 subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (COVID-19). 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.

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

This position is for Brazilian citizens only.