WASH Officer

The fundamental mission of UNICEF is to promote the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything the organization does — in programs, in advocacy and in operations. The equity strategy, emphasizing the most disadvantaged and excluded children and families, translates this commitment to children’s rights into action. For UNICEF, equity means that all children have an opportunity to survive, develop and reach their full potential, without discrimination, bias or favouritism. To the degree that any child has an unequal chance in life — in its social, political, economic, civic and cultural dimensions — her or his rights are violated. There is growing evidence that investing in the health, education, hygiene/sanitation and protection of a society’s most disadvantaged citizens — addressing inequity — not only will give all children the opportunity to fulfil their potential but also will lead to sustained growth and stability of countries. This is why the focus on equity is so vital. It accelerates progress towards realizing the human rights of all children, which is the universal mandate of UNICEF, as outlined by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, while also supporting the equitable development of nations.

Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) aim at ensuring access to water and sanitation for all. Despite efforts made in the past decades, current water and sanitation coverage in Mozambique is amongst the lowest in Sub-Saharan Africa with only 63% having access to safe water and 42% to adequate sanitation (JMP, 2022).

In Cabo Delgado, this situation is compounded by insecurity and displacement resulting from armed conflict since 2017. By August 2024, over 1.3 million people in the Northern provinces had been displaced, with approximately 570,000 returnees and 670,000 internally displaced persons, including 417,310 children (OCHA, 2024). Schools in these areas face overcrowded classrooms, inadequate infrastructure, and limited access to inclusive and gender-sensitive latrines and safe drinking water. Many healthcare facilities which have already limitations in providing quality healthcare services and lack adequate WASH services, are also severely affected by insurgent attacks. In addition, extreme climate events have also hindered progress in the province, where it is estimated that 2.2 million people will be at risk of urban/rural floods, drought, tropical cyclones and strong winds in the 2024-2025 rainy season (OCHA, 2024)

UNICEF Mozambique is implementing a comprehensive WASH programme under its 2022–2026 Country Programme, supporting both development and humanitarian priorities in collaboration with national and decentralized authorities. In Cabo Delgado, armed conflict, displacement, and climate shocks continue to severely affect access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene, particularly in rural and urban areas with high numbers of displaced populations.

The WASH section in Cabo Delgado leads humanitarian and early recovery water supply interventions, with a strong emphasis on the construction and rehabilitation of rural and urban water supply systems, including boreholes equipped with handpumps or solar technology, and multi-use solar-powered water supply systems. This assignment contributes directly to the achievement of SDG 6 and UNICEF’s WASH Output, with a strong focus on resilient, climate-smart water supply infrastructure.

To support implementation of the above priorities, UNICEF is seeking suitable candidates to fulfil a Volunteer (UNV) position for a WASH officer within the Pemba Field Office and WASH team, to support implementation of its workplan on WASH related issues in Cabo Delgado province. The UNV position will be directly supervised by the WASH Specialist in Field Office (P3) with technical support from WASH Specialists based in Maputo. The UNV will also engage with other sectors within the UNICEF Mozambique Country Office, partner organizations, such as governmental offices at national and decentralized level, NGOs and other civil society organizations.

UNICEF offers reasonable accommodation for UN Volunteers with disabilities. This may include, for example, accessible software, travel assistance for missions or personal attendants. We encourage you to disclose your disability during your application in case you need reasonable accommodation during the recruitment process and afterwards in your assignment.

The UN Volunteer will provide technical and coordination support for the implementation and monitoring of WASH activities in Cabo Delgado, with a primary focus on:

• Rural and urban water supply infrastructure, including boreholes and multi-use solar-powered systems.
• Monitoring and partner coordination.
• Procurement and contract follow-up.
• Environmental and social safeguards.
• Sustainability and community engagement.
• Data collection and reporting.

Under the direct supervision of the WASH Specialist based in Cabo Delgado and in coordination with the other members of the WASH team in Maputo, the UN Volunteer will undertake the following tasks:

A. Rural and Urban Water Supply Systems
• Support planning, implementation and monitoring of water supply systems in resettlement sites, host communities, small towns, and other rural or urban settings.
• Ensure quality assurance in the construction and rehabilitation of boreholes, installation of handpumps, and development of multi-use solar-powered water supply systems.
• Conduct regular field visits to verify technical compliance, progress, and functionality.
• Liaise with contractors, government stakeholders, and implementing partners to address challenges and follow up on agreed corrective actions.

B. Contract & Procurement Monitoring
• Support development and review of tender documents, technical specifications, and workplans for WASH infrastructure implemented through government-led contracts.
• Monitor progress of contractor deliverables including physical execution, payment requests, work completion certificates, and final reports.
• Assist in tracking implementation of Project Documents (PDs), Service Contracts, and public works contracts managed by government counterparts (e.g., DPOP, SDPI, SDJETS, SPI).
• Ensure alignment with national procurement regulations and procedures; knowledge of Mozambican government procurement systems and workflows is essential.

C. Assessment, Data & Reporting
• Contribute to WASH needs assessments, feasibility studies, hydrogeological surveys, Post Distribution Monitoring (PDM), and KAP studies.
• Support updating and management of WASH databases, including 5Ws and water system performance indicators.
• Assist in drafting technical reports, donor sitreps, and field briefs highlighting progress and impact of rural and urban water supply interventions.

D. Capacity Building, Sustainability & Knowledge Management
• Support documentation of good practices and technical lessons learned in the design, implementation, and sustainability of solar-powered and borehole-based water systems.
• Contribute to training supervision engineers, government technicians, and partner staff on water supply infrastructure standards.
• Support training and capacity building of community-based water management committees to enhance sustainability and community ownership of water systems.
• Promote sustainability mechanisms, including local O&M structures and cost-recovery models.
• Support communication and visibility activities related to water system achievements.

E. Environmental and Social Safeguards
• Support the screening, implementation and monitoring of Environmental and Social Safeguards (ESS) related to water infrastructure projects, in line with UNICEF procedures and Government of Mozambique regulations.
• Assist in identifying potential environmental and social risks (e.g., land access, groundwater contamination, construction impacts) and propose mitigation measures.
• Participate in consultations with communities and local authorities to ensure safeguards are integrated into planning, construction, and use of water supply systems.
• Contribute to the preparation and review of Environmental and Social Management Plans (ESMPs) and ensure field-level compliance by implementing partners and contractors.