WASH Emergency Officer (Refugee Influx)

Organisation: United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF)

Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda

Deadline: 30th September 2025

Key Requirement: 5+ years in WASH sector, 2+ years in emergency response (refugee/conflict settings).

About the Organisation

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is mandated by the UN general assembly to advocate for the protection of children’s rights, to help meet their basic needs and expand their opportunities to reach their full potential. Together with our partners, we work in 190 countries and territories to translate that commitment into practical action, focusing special effort on reaching the most vulnerable and excluded children, to the benefit of all children, everywhere.

Job Summary

Under the direction of the WASH Manager in close coordination with other members and technical specialist of the WASH in Kampala and in the UNICEFZOs, information management and Field Operations teams, the WASH Emergency Consultant for refugee, Refugee hosting communities and Public Health Emergencies, will be the focal person responsible for and supporting the implementation, and monitoring of UNICEF’s emergency WASH response for refugees and people affected by PHEs, in activities and results related to improving public health of the affected population by ensuring access to safe drinking water, excreta disposal and promoting safe hygiene practices, including appropriate use and maintenance of WASH facilities and services; ensuring overall efficiency, effectiveness and delivery of results in accordance with UNICEF’s Core Commitment for Children in Emergencies (CCCs) and national and international humanitarian standards.

Key Duties and Responsibilities

• Support WASH sector needs assessment and identifies priorities to define the preparedness and response plans to deliver safe drinking water, safe excreta disposal facilities, and promote safe hygiene practices within affected refugee population and host communities, under the refugee coordination framework and corresponding response programme for Uganda.
• Plan, design, implement, monitor, and evaluate gender-sensitive WASH response programme for refugees and host communities to ensure quality delivery of the results in coordination with UNHCR, OPM, refugee settlement administration, Private Sector, WASH partners in consideration of multisector inputs, SPHERE, UNHCR and national standards.
• Strengthen the sustainability of water supply systems in refugee settlements and transit centers by improving operation and maintenance mechanisms, building local capacity for resource management, and providing targeted capacity-building to partners responsible for managing UNICEF-supported WASH infrastructure.
• Promote gender equality and women’s empowerment by ensuring the active participation of women, youth, and other marginalized groups in the management, operation, and decision-making processes of water source governance structures within settlements and transit centers.
• Ensure integration of WASH response with other sectors such as Nutrition, Health, Education, and Child Protection, to address the multi-sector needs of the refugee children and their families, wherever needed.
• Incorporate the critical cross-cutting needs such as disability-friendly and gender-sensitive facilities and approaches, while carrying out WASH response, recognizing the different needs and vulnerabilities of women, girls, boys, and men. Prepare timely and accurate reports on program activities, including assessments, progress, and challenges, for internal and external stakeholders.
• Coordinate with UNHCR, Government ministries/departments, NGOs, and other stakeholders involved in the emergency response to ensure harmonized and complementary of WASH interventions. Represent UNICEF in WASH-related sector coordination meetings, ensuring the agency’s priorities are reflected in the wider humanitarian response plan.
• Assist developing plan and proposals for mobilizing resource under the guidance of WASH Manger; and engage in other relevant emergency support that is assigned.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience

• Advanced university degree or equivalent experience in Civil Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, Geology, Hydrogeology, Public Health, Sanitation Engineering, or another related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of progressively responsible experience in the WASH sector, with at least 2 years in emergency response settings (preferably in refugee or conflict-related situations in developing countries).
• Proven experience in designing and implementing emergency WASH interventions, including water supply systems, sanitation, and hygiene promotion.
• Experience in capacity building and working with local authorities, NGOs, and communities.
• Experience in sector/cluster coordination, working with UN agencies, government bodies, and partners in a humanitarian response context.

Knowledge/Expertise/Skills required:

• Demonstrated experience in conducting studies / assessments of WASH infrastructures in schools and health care facilities as well as working with children.
• Ability to mobilize muti-disciplinary team involving WASH programme persons and enumerators.
• Experience of working with relevant stakeholders from the government and non-governmental institutions.
• Excellent communication, leadership and interpersonal skills Knowledge of English is mandatory.

For every Child, you demonstrate…

UNICEF’s values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, and Sustainability (CRITAS).

How to Apply

All suitably qualified and interested applicants who wish to join United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) should apply online at the link below:

Apply Here

Deadline: 30th September 2025

Brown Alex Wednesday, 24 September 2025 Jobs NGO