WASH Engineer

Mission and objectives

UNICEF works in some of the world’s most challenging environments to reach the most disadvantaged children and adolescents.

In Ukraine, UNICEF supports humanitarian response, early recovery and system strengthening to ensure that children have access to safe water, sanitation, hygiene, heating, health, education and protection services. UNICEF’s work is guided by its Equity Strategy and the Convention on the Rights of the Child, with a strong focus on resilience, sustainability and accountability in a protracted crisis context.

Context

The full-scale war in Ukraine has caused widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure, including water supply, wastewater treatment and district heating systems, particularly in frontline and border oblasts such as Kharkiv and Sumy. Recurrent missile and drone attacks, prolonged power outages, population displacement and harsh winter conditions have severely affected the continuity, safety and quality of essential services, increasing public health risks for children and vulnerable populations.

In response, UNICEF Ukraine’s WASH programme has transitioned from short-term emergency interventions toward a hybrid humanitarian–resilience model. The programme combines urgent repairs and winterization with medium-term investments in system resilience, energy efficiency, decentralization and utility capacity strengthening. In Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts, UNICEF supports municipal water and heating utilities, local authorities and implementing partners to restore and sustain services for households, health facilities, schools and collective centres.

The scale, technical complexity and geographic dispersion of WASH and heating interventions require strong field-level assessment, monitoring, quality assurance and reporting capacity. To strengthen this work, UNICEF Kharkiv Field Office is seeking a WASH Engineer (UN Volunteer Specialist) to provide hands-on technical support for assessments, implementation monitoring and completion reporting of WASH and heating projects.

Key responsibilities

WASH and heating assessments

• Conduct field-based assessments of water supply, wastewater, sanitation and heating infrastructure in conflict-affected communities, institutions and utilities.
• Assess technical condition, functionality, risks, winterization needs and energy dependency of systems.
• Support preparation of technical scopes of work, Bills of Quantities (BoQs) and cost estimates in coordination with UNICEF engineers and partners.

Implementation monitoring and quality assurance

• Carry out regular monitoring visits to project sites in Kharkiv and Sumy oblasts.
• Verify compliance of works with approved designs, technical specifications, safety standards and environmental safeguards.
• Monitor contractor and implementing partner performance, construction progress and material quality.
• Identify technical risks, delays or quality issues and propose corrective actions to the UNICEF WASH team.

Accountability, verification and documentation

• Collect and verify field-level evidence, including photographs, measurements, checklists and test results.
• Support commissioning, completion and handover processes of WASH and heating facilities.
• Ensure proper technical documentation and site records in line with UNICEF quality and accountability requirements.

Reporting and knowledge management

• Prepare clear and timely field monitoring reports, assessment summaries and project completion reports.
• Provide technical inputs to donor reporting, management briefs and internal updates.
• Maintain organised technical files and contribute to knowledge sharing within the WASH team.

Coordination and field-level support

• Liaise with local authorities, municipal utilities, contractors and implementing partners at field level.
• Support facility managers and utility staff in understanding operation and maintenance requirements of rehabilitated systems.
• Participate in coordination meetings, joint missions and technical discussions as required.
• Perform other relevant duties as assigned by the supervisor.

Requirements

• Master’s degree in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Mechanical Engineering, or a closely related technical field relevant to water supply, sanitation or heating systems. A first-level university degree, combined with relevant training and/or professional experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced degree.
• Minimum 3 years of progressively responsible professional experience in WASH engineering, municipal infrastructure, utilities, or related technical fields, including field-based work.
• Ukrainian: Fluent (required)
• English: Fluent (required)

Essential skills

• Demonstrated experience in water supply, wastewater/sanitation and/or district heating systems, particularly in damage assessments and emergency/early recovery repairs (e.g., pumping stations, treatment facilities, networks, heat supply systems).
• Strong ability to prepare or support preparation of technical scopes of work, BoQs and cost estimates.
• Excellent oral and written communication and reporting skills in English and Ukrainian.
• Strong interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a wide range of partners and authorities.
• Ability to work effectively in a challenging, fast-paced and multicultural environment, including with minimal supervision and tight deadlines.
• Solid computer literacy, including proficiency in MS Office (especially Excel, Word) and use of email/internet; familiarity with basic data/record management.
• Sound security awareness and readiness for frequent field travel within the area of responsibility.
• Affinity with or interest in children’s rights and volunteerism, and motivation to contribute to the UN system.

Desirable skills

• Experience working with municipal utilities (Vodokanals, district heating companies), local authorities or hromadas.
• Prior experience in humanitarian, early recovery or post-conflict contexts.
• Experience supporting or monitoring donor-funded infrastructure projects (e.g., EU, IFIs, bilateral donors).
• Relevant post-graduate courses complementing the main degree.

Allowances

Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): USD 1,587 per month (in UAH equivalent), including Well-Being Differentials for Ukraine’s “E” hardship classification.

Entry lump sum: USD 400 (one-time payment).

Medical and life insurance

Medical insurance: Provided to the UN Volunteer and eligible PFU dependents for the duration of the assignment and up to one month after contract end.

Life insurance: Coverage provided for the entire assignment period, with benefits payable to designated beneficiaries.

Leave entitlements

Annual leave: 2.5 days per month; unused days (up to 30) may be carried over if the contract is extended.

Learning leave: Up to 10 working days per 12 months, subject to approval and exigencies of service.

Certified sick leave: Up to 30 days per 12-month cycle.

Uncertified sick leave: 7 working days per calendar year.