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.

For every child, the right to a Champion

How can you make a difference?

In Nigeria, UNICEF works in a complex humanitarian and development setting to fulfill and protect children's rights in partnership with the government, civil society, children, and families. UNICEF Nigeria is one of the largest UNICEF Country Offices globally - click the link to learn more about UNICEF in Nigeria: https://www.unicef.org/nigeria/.

The WASH Manager will make a difference by strengthening programme quality, consistency, implementation oversight and accountability across the WASH portfolio, supporting evidence-based decision-making, improving confidence in reported results by partners, donors and stakeholders, and helping ensure that UNICEF-supported interventions are delivered to a high standard and achieve sustainable results for children and communities.

The WASH Manager reports to the Chief WASH (P5) for general guidance and direction. The Manager supports the Chief in managing the WASH section, and in leading the development, preparation, management, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the WASH programme, improving consistency and quality of WASH infrastructure and services across programme areas, strengthening approaches to monitoring, documentation, and verification of programme results, enhancing use of risk-informed planning and implementation practices, increasing confidence in reported results by partners, donors, and stakeholders and strengthening the timely identification and resolution of implementation challenges within the country programme.
The Manager provides technical guidance and management support throughout the programming processes, to ensure the achievement of the WASH-related output results in the country programme. The Manager provides authoritative advisory services to government and sector support agencies and interacts with government at senior levels and with senior staff in the International Development Banks. The WASH Manager will support the strengthening of quality assurance, risk-informed programming, and implementation oversight across the WASH portfolio. The role will help ensure that programme interventions are delivered to a high standard, in line with technical norms, and that resources are used effectively to achieve sustainable results for children and communities. The position will contribute to enhancing transparency, accountability, and value for money, including through strengthened monitoring systems, partner support, and field-level verification of results. The position will be based in Abuja but will require significant travel to Maiduguri and other conflict-affected areas. An individual with strong WASH contract management, risk mitigation, compliance monitoring, construction oversight, accountability systems, and internal controls is required.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File TOR TA P4 WASH Manager, Abuja.docx.pdf

To qualify as a/an [champion or advocate] for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements

- 1. 1. Education: Master or equivalent (Advanced University Degree) in Public Health, Social Science, Construction Management, Sanitary engineering, Civil Engineer, Construction Management, MBA and any other related fields.
    2. Work Experience: At least 8 years of relevant work experience in WASH (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene), Construction oversight, Internal controls, Contract management. and any other related fields.
    3. Skills: Quality assurance, Contract management, Risk management, Compliance oversight, Financial stewardship, Due diligence.
    4. Language Requirements : English - Proficient/Fluent

Desirables
1. 1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
  2. UN experience, Complex environments, Conflict settings, Result verification
  3. 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 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 may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

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 [Insert candidates from targeted underrepresented groups] 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.

WASH Manager (P-4), TA, #137625, Nigeria, Abuja - Nigeria