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

The Global Programme Division (GPD) plays a central role in driving programme excellence across UNICEF. It provides global strategic leadership and policy direction, develops and monitors frameworks and standards, and ensures coherence and alignment across sectors, regions and partners. GPD generates high-impact, evidence-based solutions and serves as a hub of specialized expertise, offering technical guidance on policy reform and scalable programming.

GPD leads UNICEF's policies, standards and negotiations for programme, ensuring the organization’s priorities are aligned with and contribute to child development goals. It strengthens country-level implementation through integrated technical support, linking global policy with on-the-ground action to deliver results for children at scale.

As part of this structure, UNICEF has established Centres of Excellence (CoEs) to provide high-quality, demand-driven technical assistance to Country and Regional Offices and their partners. Located strategically in Nairobi, Panama, Amman and Bangkok, the CoEs bring together cross-cutting expertise across time zones. They function as a single point of entry for support, delivering tailored assistance in priority areas such as policy reform, at-scale programme design, public finance, workforce development and institutional strengthening, as well as timely humanitarian response, while promoting resilient development.

Within this context, the position contributes to advancing UNICEF’s global WASH agenda through the establishment of a Global Acceleration Programme and global initiatives, providing technical leadership and partnership support across global, regional and country levels.

How can you make a difference?

If you are driven to influence global systems and partnerships to deliver results for children at scale, this role offers a unique opportunity to shape the future of WASH globally.

The Senior Adviser, Global Acceleration Programme and Global Initiative lead, reports to the Director WASH (D2) and is responsible for managing and supervising all stages of WASH partnerships and global programme—from strategic planning and formulation to delivery of results.

In this role, you will:

Provide strategic leadership in establishing a Global WASH Acceleration Programme and shaping UNICEF’s engagement with public and private sector partners
Ensure coherence between programmatic priorities, strategies and partnerships, leveraging these to maximize results for children
Influence global WASH agendas by leveraging UNICEF’s leadership, experience and partnerships
Lead and coordinate collaboration with key stakeholders, including private sector, international financial institutions and global initiatives
Strengthen country-level programming by supporting scalable solutions and innovative approaches across diverse contexts
Represent UNICEF in global fora and networks, contributing to shaping policy discussions and global priorities

This position also serves as a deputy to the Director WASH, contributing to the overall leadership, coordination and strategic direction of the WASH function.

Join our team to shape UNICEF’s global WASH agenda and help deliver results for children at scale. As Senior Adviser, Global Acceleration Programme and Global Initiatives, you will provide strategic leadership to design and drive global WASH partnerships and programmes, from planning through to delivery.

You will play a central role in ensuring coherence between programmatic priorities and partnerships, while leveraging public and private sector engagement to maximise impact for children.

Your key areas of responsibility will include:

Global partnerships and acceleration programme for WASH
Advisory services and technical support across global, regional and country levels
Advocacy, networking and partnership building to influence global WASH agendas
Supporting overall WASH leadership, including deputising for the Director when required

In this role, you will help position UNICEF as a leader in shaping global WASH strategies and partnerships that deliver scalable, sustainable solutions for children.

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File Classified Job Description - Senior Adviser WASH - GAP (P5), Nairobi_00133982.pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education: An Advanced University Degree in public health, social sciences, behavior change communication, sanitary engineering, communication and advocacy or other specialist field related to WASH is required.
Work Experience: A minimum of ten (10) years of progressively responsible professional experience in WASH related programmes, including work across multiple country contexts, with demonstrated experience in the strategic design, implementation, and oversight of large scale and/or multi country initiatives.
Skills:
- Strategic partnership development, including public and private sector engagement.
- Analytical and evidence-based decision making, including synthesis of complex information for senior audiences.
- Advocacy and influencing skills, with the ability to position UNICEF effectively in global and multi stakeholder settings.
- Strong communication skills, including high-quality written products and confident, engaging public speaking.
- Programme and project management, including planning, coordination, and delivery at scale.
Language Requirements: Knowledge of English language at a Proficient/Fluent level is required.

Desirables:

1. Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language.
2. Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement / supplement the main degree will be an asset.
3. Experience working in fragile and conflict affected, humanitarian, arid, dimate vulnerable, and low access contexts.
4. Experience designing, managing, or contributing to large, multi-year, multi country investment portfolios, including urban sanitation and water supply programmes.
5. Experience engaging with International Financial Institutions (IFIs), including negotiation, programme design, and implementation support.
6. Experience in market shaping and/or innovative financing approaches for WASH.
7. Experience influencing or contributing to global WASH agendas and initiatives.
8. Experience representing an organization at senior level in high level meetings, partnerships, or global fora.
9. 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
(8) Nurtures, leads and manages people

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 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.

In this role, you will collaborate with colleagues across multiple locations. For effective collaboration, we encourage flexible working hours that accommodate different time zones while prioritizing staff wellbeing.

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.

Senior Adviser WASH (Global Acceleration Programme and Global Initiatives- GAP), P-5, FT, #00133982, Global Programme Division, WASH, Nairobi, Kenya - COE