WASH Specialist (P-3), TA (364 days) #00138507

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Contract Expires In -1 week Kampala Duty Station - Kampala Master's Degree 5 years experience Government Science & Engineering Social Services & Nonprofit WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)

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Job Details

Vacancy: WASH Specialist (P-3), Temporary Appointment (364 days), Job No: 595811 - UNICEF Uganda Country Office, ESAR

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda (Kampala - Uganda Country Office)

Contract Type: Temporary Appointment (TA) - Full-time, 8 hours per day | Level: P-3 | Duration: 364 days

Reporting Line: Reports to the Chief of WASH, Environment and Climate Action (Level 5/4) for guidance and general supervision

Industry: Public Administration and Government | Categories: WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)

Salary: Not Disclosed

Background & Role Context:

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children's lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence. At UNICEF, promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling. UNICEF offers diverse opportunities for professional and personal development with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

The WASH Specialist Level 3 post is situated in the UNICEF Uganda Country Office, where WASH, Environment and Climate Action are a strategic and growing component of the Country Programme. The post provides dedicated technical, programme management and partnership support to the WASH portfolio, with special focus on the KOICA-supported climate-resilient WASH programme in Karamoja. The programme builds on UNICEF and KOICA's longstanding partnership and supports expanded access to safe, inclusive and sustainable WASH services in schools and health facilities, while strengthening operation and maintenance systems, institutional capacity, evidence generation, monitoring, visibility and donor accountability. Given the scale, complexity and strategic importance of the KOICA programme, including its multi-year implementation, engagement with national and district government counterparts, coordination with KOICA and UNICEF teams, and alignment with national WASH and climate priorities, a dedicated P-3 WASH Specialist post is necessary to ensure effective planning, quality assurance, timely implementation, results monitoring and sustained partnership management.

Purpose: The Specialist supports the development, preparation, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the WASH, Environment and Climate programme within the country programme and provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes to facilitate achievement of WASH and Climate-related output results.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

Programme development and planning: Design evidence-based WASH and climate programmes aligned to national priorities and UNICEF Country Programme.
Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results: Track implementation, resources and results; ensure timely delivery, quality assurance and donor accountability for the KOICA-supported programme in Karamoja and broader WASH portfolio.
Technical and operational support for programme implementation: Provide technical guidance, resolve bottlenecks, and support operation and maintenance systems for WASH services in schools and health facilities.
Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response: Support emergency readiness and response, contributing to humanitarian action and resilience of communities and national authorities.
Networking and partnership building: Strengthen partnerships, advocacy and resource mobilization with national and district government counterparts, KOICA, UNICEF teams and other stakeholders.
Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building: Promote learning, innovation, evidence generation, and capacity development for institutions and partners; support visibility and knowledge sharing.
Climate change mitigation, adaptation and engagement: Integrate climate resilience and sustainability across WASH programming, strengthening climate-resilient services and institutions.
Coordinate planning, monitoring, evaluation and reporting in line with UNICEF policies and standards.

Qualifications, Skills and Requirements

Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Public Health, Social Science, Behavior Change Communication, Sanitary Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, International Development, Environmental Science, Climate Studies or any other related field.
Work Experience: At least 5 years of relevant work experience in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Programme Management, Monitoring and Evaluation, Partnerships, Environment and Climate Action, Partnership Management, Policy and Advocacy, Capacity Building, Knowledge Management or any other related field. At least 1 year of deployment in a developing country is required.
Skills: WASH Systems Expertise, Humanitarian WASH, Programme Management, Policy and Financing, Equity and Inclusion, Climate-Resilient Programming.
Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.
Desirables (considered an asset):
- Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language.
- Experience in Public Sectors, Public Health Environments, System Strengthening Work, Green Climate Funds and Renewable Energy Systems.
- Experience in Donor Relations and/or Partnership Work and/or familiarity with the Government of Korea and KOICA.
- Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
UNICEF Core Values (CRITAS): Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability - underpin everything we do.
UNICEF Competencies required for this post:
- (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
UNICEF promotes diversity and inclusion, encourages applications from all qualified candidates regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic background and disability, and has zero tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks, verification of academic credentials and employment history, and medical clearance. Issuance of visa by host country is required for IP positions.
Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF.
Detailed Job Description available as: JD_WASH Specialist_P-3_TA.pdf

About UNICEF Uganda

UNICEF Uganda works to give every child, particularly the most marginalized, the chance to survive, learn, and thrive safely. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Government of Uganda's Vision 2040, Third National Development Plan 2020–2025, and the UN Sustainable Development Cooperation Framework 2021–2025, UNICEF supports the Government to reach the most vulnerable children and young people.

The Country Programme 2021-2025 focuses on: education, child protection, social protection, health, reproductive, maternal, newborn, child and adolescent health and HIV/AIDS, nutrition, and Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH). UNICEF also prioritizes cross-sectoral themes: early childhood development, adolescent development, social behaviour change and advocacy. While working at national scale, UNICEF uses a focus-district approach targeting 29 districts with highest child deprivation or vulnerability, supported through three Zonal Offices and the Kampala Head Office.

Relevance to this role — WASH, Climate Action and the Environment:

Advocate with government to provide water and sanitation for all: Support the Ministry of Water and Environment to develop climate-resilient WASH policies and community engagement in planning and maintenance of WASH facilities.
Promote hygiene and healthy practices: Promote handwashing facilities in schools and health facilities, menstrual hygiene management, and ending open defecation, including climate-smart technologies for schools and health facilities.
Advocate for climate-resilient services: Strengthen child-focused, climate-resilient policies across sectors and promote meaningful participation of children and adolescents in climate resilience solutions.

This directly aligns with the WASH Specialist's focus on the KOICA-supported climate-resilient WASH programme in Karamoja, expanding safe WASH services in schools and health facilities and strengthening systems, capacity and sustainability.

More about UNICEF Uganda: https://www.unicef.org/uganda/ and https://www.unicef.org/uganda/what-we-do

Application Procedure

Visit the official UNICEF Careers application page: Apply Now
Click "Apply Now" and create or log into your UNICEF Careers profile.
Complete the online application form and upload required documents (including CV, cover letter, and academic credentials where requested).
Respond to any screening questions and ensure your experience demonstrates the minimum requirements (Master's degree + 5 years WASH-related experience + 1 year in a developing country + fluency in English).
Submit your application before the deadline: 25 September 2026 E. Africa Standard Time (aggregator listing shows 30 September 2026 - apply by the earlier UNICEF official deadline).
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process.
UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of recruitment. If you require reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process, use the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage.
For the full Job Description, download: JD_WASH Specialist_P-3_TA.pdf from the vacancy page.

Job Summary

Job Category: Social Services & Nonprofit, Science & Engineering, Government, WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene)
Job Type: Full-time (Temporary Appointment, 364 days - Contract)
Deadline of this Job: 2026-09-25 (Official UNICEF deadline 25 Sep 2026 EAT; aggregator lists Wednesday, September 30 2026)
Duty Station: Kampala
Date Posted: 2026-09-18 (Friday, September 18 2026; Advertised 18 Sep 2026 EAT)
No of Positions: 1
Application Link: Apply Now
Location pin: Kampala, Uganda - UNICEF Uganda, Plot 9, George Street, Kampala, Uganda
Employment Type Detail: Temporary Appointment, P-3 Level, reports to Chief of WASH, Environment and Climate Action