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, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built: we offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

How can you make a difference?

The Program Officer (Sub-national Cluster Coordinator) will work impartially, serving the needs of all members of the WASH Cluster (partners, oblast focal points, co-lead) and should work closely with the WASH Cluster Coordinator (national level) and/or the Chief of Field Offices in the AoR, OCHA focal points, and Local Government counterparts as appropriate.

The objective of the sub-national WASH Cluster is to facilitate and support operational coordination of humanitarian/early recovery actions and plans amongst all local WASH stakeholders at the oblast / region level.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Facilitate regular operational coordination meetings, ensure minutes of meetings, and follow up of action points. Establish contacts with relevant authorities, local civil society, and other relevant actors or structures at the regional/local level.
Ensure linkages with other sub-national cluster focal points (notably Health, CCCM/Shelter, Education) to support them in tracking and communicating WASH-related gaps in institutions and establish ways of working to refer WASH-related gaps amongst WASH actors.
In collaboration with the national coordination team, ensure regular analysis of needs and response data, to identify geographic gaps, activity gaps, and/or emerging technical issues.
Ensure that needs and response gaps are identified, and that cluster activities address them while preventing overlap and duplication.
Coordinate with and secure commitments from humanitarian actors to respond to WASH emergencies.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File JD Programme Officer, NO 2, Ukraine, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Temporary Appointment.doc

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

Minimum requirements

Education: A university degree in one of the following fields is required: Technical/Applied Sciences, Natural Sciences, Social Sciences, or medical field. International Relations, Government, Public Administration, Public Policy, Social Policy, Social Development, Community Development, or another relevant technical field.
Work Experience: At least 2 years of relevant work experience in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Emergency, WASH, humanitarian coordination, cluster coordination, program management, monitoring and evaluation, emergency preparedness, capacity building, data analysis and reporting, partnership management, contingency planning. and any other related fields.
Skills: Rights-based and Results-based approach and programming, Methodology of programme/project management.
Language Requirements: English - Proficient/Fluent and Ukrainian - Proficient/Fluent.

Desirables

Language: Knowledge of another official UN language.
Humanitarian Response & Recovery Planning, Developing Country Operations, Water Utility Management, Municipal Infrastructure & District Heating, NGO / International.
Organization Experience, Multi-Stakeholder Coordination & Meeting Facilitation.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

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

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). 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 based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. 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. 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, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable people with disabilities are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions 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.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

Batch Recruitment: Programme Officer (Sub-National WASH Cluster Coordinator), 2 positions (North and South), NO-2, Temporary Position, Kharkiv (North) and Mykolaiv (South), Ukraine