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For every child, the right to Dedication.

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the Organization does — in programmes, advocacy and operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential without discrimination, bias or favoritism.

The GCF Climate-Resilient WASH Project Lead role is established for CRDM-CAR, a six-year GCF investment supporting climate-resilient WASH services, water resources management, disaster risk reduction, early warning, urban drainage, institutional capacity building, safeguards, monitoring and learning in Bangui, Ouham, Bamingui-Bangoran and Vakaga. The post combines project leadership, cross-functional PMU management and technical oversight to ensure that the GCF investment is delivered with strong implementation discipline, fiduciary accountability, safeguards compliance and measurable climate adaptation results.

How can you make a difference?

You as, the GCF Climate-Resilient WASH Project Lead, P3, reports directly to the WASH Climate Chief, P4. Under the leadership of the WASH Climate Chief, you are accountable for the day-to-day management of CRDM-CAR and its Project Management Unit, ensuring that implementation remains aligned with the GCF proposal, UNICEF rules and procedures, government priorities, fiduciary and safeguards requirements, and the strategic direction set for the project. The role is dedicated exclusively to the delivery, coordination and quality assurance of the GCF CAR project within the WASH programme framework.

You manage the planning, implementation, coordination, monitoring support, financial follow-up, quality assurance and reporting of CRDM-CAR. The position provides cross-functional leadership for the project and its PMU across programme, operations, finance, supply, partnerships, ESS, risk management, gender, indigenous peoples and social inclusion functions, while ensuring technically sound delivery of climate-resilient WASH, WRM, DRR, EWS, O&M, institutional strengthening, learning and climate finance results.

Summary of key functions/accountabilities:

Project and PMU leadership, planning and cross-functional coordination
Programme management, monitoring support, reporting and delivery of results
Technical leadership and quality assurance for climate-resilient WASH implementation
Networking, government partnership and climate finance engagement
Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File TDR WASH_Specialist_Level_3_GCF_CAR 0728 - ws.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: An advanced university degree in civil or water engineering, hydrogeology, public health, environmental science, water resources management or another relevant technical field is required.
Work Experience: A minimum of 5 years of professional experience in WASH-climate related programmes in developing countries is required. Significant experience in climate adaptation, resilience programming and climate-resilient infrastructure or services is required. Demonstrated experience leading or coordinating multi-year climate adaptation, resilience or WASH systems-strengthening projects is required. Experience in WRM, DRR, solarized water systems, rural water supply, infrastructure quality assurance, O&M models, donor reporting, financial monitoring or climate finance is required. One year of deployment in a developing country is required. At least three years of deployment in a humanitarian context with the UN, government or an INGO is required or strongly desirable, depending on HR classification.
Technical requirements:
- Rural water supply in low income countries, including water safety, sustainability, climate risk screening, sustainable abstraction and solar-powered systems – expert knowledge.
- Rural sanitation and climate-adapted community sanitation approaches, including CATS/CLTS principles and sustainability – substantial knowledge.
- Urban drainage and flood-risk reduction, including nature-based/permeable or climate-resilient drainage options where feasible – basic to substantial knowledge.
- WASH in schools and healthcare facilities, including accessibility, MHH, IPC and climate-resilient institutional service continuity – substantial knowledge.
  National government WASH policies, standards, sector financing, climate adaptation planning and advocacy – substantial knowledge.
- Humanitarian WASH preparedness, response and recovery, including cholera and flood/drought-related public health risks – basic to substantial knowledge.
- Programme/project leadership, cross-functional PMU management, financial monitoring, capacity development, knowledge management, monitoring and evaluation, and donor/GCF reporting – substantial to expert knowledge.
- Human rights and WASH; gender equality and WASH; disability inclusion; indigenous peoples/pastoralist.
Skills: Ability to lead project coordination, travel frequently to field locations, work in fragile and access-constrained settings, coordinate with government and implementing partners, manage technical consultants and contractors, and prepare high-quality technical, donor-facing and management documents within deadlines.
Language Requirements : Fluency in French is required for CAR implementation and coordination with national counterparts. Fluency in English is required for UNICEF and GCF reporting.

Desirables:

Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, Russian or Spanish) is desired.
Knowledge of Sango or another local language is an asset.
Additional relevant post-graduate training in climate-resilient WASH, climate finance, project management, safeguards, solar water systems, WRM or DRR is a strong asset.
Prior experience implementing, or leading the implementation of, a GCF-funded project is highly desirable.
Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.

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

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, discrimination, fraud, corruption and other forms of misconduct.

UNICEF is committed to promoting the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference, safeguarding and background verification checks. These checks may include verification of academic credentials and employment history, screening against relevant United Nations misconduct databases, and requests for misconduct disclosures from current and former employers, professional associations, other relevant organizations and participating organizations under inter-agency safeguarding initiatives, including the Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), where applicable. Appointment, selection and continued engagement are subject to the satisfactory completion of all required checks. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information and consent to enable UNICEF to undertake these 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, 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 female candidates 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.

UNICEF staff members holding fixed-term, continuing, or permanent appointments who are considered to be on abolished post status may apply for this temporary position and, if selected with a start date before 31 December 2025, may take it up as a temporary assignment, in line with UNICEF guidance on separation due to the abolition of posts or staff reduction. They will retain their fixed-term entitlements but will not hold a lien to their abolished post. For other scenarios where a Temporary Assignment may be possible, please refer to Additional guidance on IP to IP temporary assignments after completion of the full TOD.pdf (accessible to UNICEF personnel only).

The conditions of a temporary assignment, including relocation entitlements, will depend on the status of the staff member's original appointment and may be limited in accordance with applicable UNICEF policies, procedures, and practices in force.

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.

WASH (Climate) Specialist (P-3), TA (364 days), #138814, Bangui, Central African Republic - WCAR