UNICEF Invites Applications for Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Section, D-2 – Programme Group (PG)

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UNICEF Invites Applications for Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Section, D-2 – Programme Group (PG)

Posted: September 27, 2025
Deadline: Not specified
Duty Station: Nairobi, Kenya
Organization: UNICEF
Job Type: Full-time
Experience Required: 15+ years

About UNICEF

The United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) is the world’s leading organization for children, working in more than 190 countries to protect children’s rights, meet their basic needs, and expand their opportunities. UNICEF provides vaccines, supports child health and nutrition, education, water and sanitation, and protects children from violence, exploitation, and HIV/AIDS.

Job Overview

UNICEF is seeking an experienced Director, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Section, D-2 to provide global strategic leadership for its WASH programmes. Based in Nairobi, this senior leadership role will shape global WASH strategies, strengthen partnerships, provide technical assistance, and ensure UNICEF delivers on its WASH goals within the 2026–2029 Strategic Plan.

Key Responsibilities

Vision & Strategy

Lead the development and implementation of strategies to achieve UNICEF’s WASH targets, including:
- 300 million children with access to safely managed WASH services.
- 100 million children with access to climate-resilient WASH services.
Translate the Global WASH offer into scalable, resilient, and equitable WASH programmes, even in fragile contexts.
Position UNICEF as the global leader on child-focused WASH policies, innovation, and knowledge management.

Representation & Partnerships

Strengthen strategic global and regional partnerships with UN agencies, governments, NGOs, academia, and private sector partners.
Drive policy dialogue, advocacy, and resource mobilization, including innovative financing and non-traditional partnerships.
Represent UNICEF in high-level forums, ensuring UNICEF maintains leadership on WASH within the UN system.

Technical Leadership & Policy Development

Guide the update and implementation of the Global WASH Strategy 2016–2030.
Lead policy reform, programme design, at-scale financing, and institution-building in WASH.
Ensure high-quality humanitarian WASH response, workforce development, and digital innovations in service delivery.
Integrate WASH with cross-sectoral areas: gender equality, health, nutrition, child protection, and education.

Management of People & Resources

Lead the Global WASH Practice across centres of expertise in Nairobi, New York, Panama, Amman, and Bangkok.
Oversee workforce development, recruitment, performance management, and staff learning.
Foster a unified culture of excellence across regions and teams.
Manage UNICEF’s human, financial, and material resources dedicated to WASH.

Key Performance Indicators

Establishment of a fully functional Global WASH Practice.
Effective cross-sectoral collaboration within UNICEF.
High-quality technical assistance to country and regional offices.
Increased global positioning of UNICEF’s WASH leadership.
Measurable progress toward WASH-related strategic goals.

Qualifications

Advanced university degree in Public Health, Civil/Water/Sanitary Engineering, Social Sciences, Water Resource Management, or related fields.
- A first-level degree may be considered with two additional years of experience.
Minimum 15 years of professional experience, including leadership in international organizations or corporations.
Demonstrated expertise in strategy, technical leadership, and managing large multicultural teams.
Experience in humanitarian and development contexts is an asset.
Fluency in English required; knowledge of another UN language is an advantage.