Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Section, D-2, Programme Group (PG) at UNICEF

Vision & Strategy 

• Shape and develop strategies to achieve the UNICEF Strategic Plan Target 2026-2029 across all five impact results, with particular emphasis on Impact Result 1 (saving children’s lives) and Impact Result 5 (reducing climate and environmental risks for children).  by contributing to:
• 300 million children have access to safely managed water, sanitation and hygiene services and that 100 million children have access to climate resilient WASH services.
• Define strategies for the Global WASH Practice, translating the Global WASH offer, to support governments to programme at scale ensuring resilient, equitable, and sustainable WASH service delivery that prioritizes the needs of children and women, including in resource-constrained and crisis-affected environments.
• Maintain UNICEF’s position as the knowledge center on child rights and provide technical and thought leadership in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene through innovation, impactful partnerships, knowledge management and application of evidence in programme development and design.

Representation & Partnerships 

• Develop and maintain strategic global and regional programme partnerships, including UN agencies, development partners, institutions/foundations, non-governmental organizations and academia and private sector to foster innovation, collaboration, knowledge sharing, and resource mobilization.
• Strengthening relations with key partners through effective policy dialogue and advocacy to mobilize and leverage resources for children.
• Develop and capitalize on new and emerging opportunities for resource mobilization including innovative financing and partnerships, especially in terms of non-traditional funding sources.
• Represent UNICEF in global and regional forums and to showcase the lead role of UNICEF of WASH in the UN system.

Technical Leadership, Policy Development and Advice 

• Guide the update and implementation of the Global WASH Strategy 2016 – 2030 building on the recent Mid Term Evaluation report.
• Provide leadership on the development of the major policies, regulations, standards and systems leading to reform that underpin Technical Assistance and WASH offer to Regions, Country Offices and governments.
• Lead the provision high quality technical assistance support for WASH to countries in various contexts including in policy reform and programme design, at-scale financing of WASH services, workforce development and institution building, quality and timely humanitarian response, digital enhancements in service delivery, integration with cross-cutting imperatives such as gender equality and leaving no child behind, and  routine programme management support to UNICEF Country Offices.

Management of people and resources 

Lead the transition into a fully functional Global WASH Practice capable of fulfilling the new roles and accountabilities of the Global WASH Practice across all  CoE locations, Nairobi, New York, Panama, Amman, and Bangkok.

Key Performance Indicators include:

• Ensure cross-sectoral (nutrition, gender, adolescents, child protection, social policy, education, health) and cross collaboration to align and maximize UNICEF’s support for WASH to regions, countries and governments.
• Create a unified culture to achieve common goals and objectives by motivating, coaching and supporting staff in the Global WASH Practice across the four CoE locations.
• Develop and manage workforce development, recruitment, performance management, learning and career management of staff.
• Manage staff performance and development through regular feedback, mentoring and career planning.
• Successfully establishing the Global WASH Practice.
• Change management leading to an integrated Global WASH practice delivering with impact.
• Strategic leadership skills.
• Global positioning of UNICEFs leadership in WASH.
• High quality Technical Assistance to Country and Regional Offices and Governments.
• Management of UNICEF’s human, financial and material resources assigned to the WASH portfolio.
• Deliver expected CoE roles and responsibilities to COs, ROs, and to the rest of GPD

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…  

Qualifications:

• An Advanced University Degree from an accredited institution in Public Health, Civil, Water or Sanitary Engineering, Social Sciences, Water resource management or related fields is required. A first level university degree may be exceptionally considered with two years of additional work experience. 
• A minimum of 15 years of professional experience that combines intellectual and managerial leadership in an international organization or corporation is required.
• Excellent leadership, managerial and people skills, with particular strengths in supporting, nurturing, motivating and engaging diverse teams and influencing partners.
• Prior experience in leadership positions in humanitarian and development contexts is an asset.
• Fluency in English is required. Knowledge of another official UN language or a local language is an asset.