JOB DESCRIPTION

E (most hardship)

Non Family with Residential Location

Non Family with Residential Location

Nairobi (CO), Kenya

GS7

General Service

Reason

Regular > Regular Assignment

2025-08-01

July 27, 2025

Senior WASH Associate

Organizational Setting and Work Relationships

The Senior WASH Associate works under the overall supervision of a more senior WASH colleague, Technical Coordinator, Programme Officer or the Head of Office and normally supervises some support staff. S/he will be primarily responsible for assisting the development, providing guidance on and overseeing the implementation of WASH strategies for refugee settlements. The incumbent will support WASH related activities in the refugee settlements working closely with the multi-functional teams including colleagues from protection, health, settlement planning, field and others..
The Senior WASH Associate provides technical guidance, works closely with partners and other external stakeholders, reviews ongoing activities and generally contributes to improving WASH service delivery to persons of concern (POC) to adequate levels at each site in accordance with the UNHCR WASH Manual and Technical Guidelines, and applicable UNHCR and/or national standards.
S/he will follow a rights-based and community focused approach to programme design and implementation. The incumbent will follow the five principles for protection, accountability and WASH as outlined in UNHCR’s WASH Manual.

All UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description. They do so within their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR’s core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.

Duties
– Apply appropriately and coherently UNHCR’s policies, standards and procedures relating to WASH in the area of responsibility (AoR).
– Provide technical guidance and support to partners on all WASH-related issues to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, sustainability and environmental sound WASH interventions.
– Liaise with implementing partners, operating partners and relevant governmental and non-governmental counterparts.
– Review on a regular basis the quantity and quality of water and sanitation services offered in the AoR and ensure the maintenance of records of WASH performance indicators for all locations.
– Support the review of performance, undertake field verifications, monitor development and support the evaluation of activities and approaches adopted by partners in WASH and related sectors, reporting the results to the supervisor for sharing with other technical units.
– Provide technical assistance (TA) to partners and help to enhance capacity building of partners.
– Promote community involvement and participation in all the different stages of the WASH project cycle.
– Build and maintain close relationships with other sectors, particularly site planning, health and community service, to locate, plan, implement and monitor WASH activities.
– Provide timely inputs to ensure that regular and accurate reports that analyse the challenges encountered in providing WASH services for beneficiaries are prepared and circulated.
– Participate in the preparation of all reports for management, boards, donors, budget reviews, programme analysis, monthly, annual reports etc. in a timely manner.
– Contribute to providing technical inputs during strategic and operational planning cycles of UNHCR within the AoR.
– Draft WASH interventions for the AoR in consistent with the country wide WASH policies.
– Assist in the communication of WASH related issues as well as of the needs and issues of other sectors through reliable regular field presence. Provide regular updates and track progress, prepare summaries and follow-up documents in correspondence.
– Participate in or lead WASH sector meetings, infrastructure coordination meetings, camp coordination meetings, cross-cutting sector meetings e.g. health, environment, as required by the supervisor.
– Compile documents and reports related to WASH activities and construction under the AoR.
– Record feedback from UNHCR camp management, field and community services colleagues on issues with water availability, access, quality, sanitation situation, and all resolutions employed.
– Support the management in provision of WASH facilities required (UNHCR managed and supported areas), including activities such as technical design, cost estimations of technical activities, development of bill of quantities for construction of all associated WASH works, and all operational and maintenance considerations.
– Provide project management support for UNHCR WASH activities employing typical PM tools for design control, procurement, implementation and monitoring, and contract administration including evaluations to support progress certificates.
– Promote and participate in the establishment of a complaint mechanism/system to improve the WASH accountability toward refugees; report all issues, communications and resolutions employed.
– Establish and follow master and detailed chronograms, reporting to the sector any issue resulting in delays or extra costs.
– Coordinate and supervise UNHCR partners’ construction and maintenance of WASH in UNHCR managed and supported areas.
– Assist in negotiations with local authority counterparts, partners and populations of concern.
– Provide inputs for country operations plan and other submissions and reports.
– Monitor WASH activities in the AoR on behalf of UNHCR and make recommendations to the supervisor and the UNHCR management team.
– Provide data inputs for the WASH monitoring system.

– Support the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility. Ensure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work. Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
– Perform other related duties as required.

Minimum Qualifications

Years of Experience / Degree Level
For G7 – 4 years relevant experience with High School Diploma; or 2 years relevant work experience with Bachelor or equivalent or higher

Field(s) of Education
Not applicable.

Certificates and/or Licenses
Agriculture Civil Engineering Environment Hydrology
Natural Resources Management Project management Public Health
Community Development Social Work Social Sciences
Architecture Water resource development Water/Sanit Management
Water Supply Urban Planning
(Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Relevant Job Experience
Essential
Strong experience in area of WASH including surveys, programme implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and coordination.

Desirable
Knowledge and understanding of water and wastewater hydraulics and physical, chemical and biological properties; solid waste management practices, vector control and hygiene promotion/awareness raising strategies. Knowledge and understanding of relationship between water, wastewater, solid waste, and vector control to public health indicators, and value of hygiene promotion/awareness raising.

Functional Skills
SP-Vector Control Systems Management
IT-Geographic Information Systems (GIS)
WA-WASH-related Technologies
WA-WASH Assessment: Survey planning, implementation and oversight
PH- Public Health Epidemiology
IT-Computer Literacy
(Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential)

Language Requirements
For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
For General Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.

All UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where each person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties. This includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment including sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination and abuse of power.

As individuals and as managers, all must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.

This is a Standard Job Description for all UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level. The Operational Context may contain additional essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position. Any such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.

The candidate should have solid knowledge of emergency WASH interventions, practical experience in empowering beneficiaries to manage water infrastructure, and the ability to promote community-led self-construction of sanitation facilities.

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French

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Operational context

Occupational Safety and Health Considerations:

Nature of Position:

Living and Working Conditions:

Additional Qualifications

Skills

IT-Computer Literacy, IT-Geographic Information Systems (GIS), PH- Public Health Epidemiology, SP-Vector Control Systems Management, WA-WASH Assessment: Survey planning, implementation and oversight, WA-WASH-related Technologies

Certifications

Agriculture – Other, Architecture – Other, Civil Engineering – Other, Community Development/Social Work – Other, Environment – Other, Hydrology – Other, Natural Resources Management – Other, Project Management – Other, Public Health – Other, Social Sciences – Other, Urban Planning – Other, Water/Sanitation Management – Other, Water Resources Development – Other, Water Supply – Other

Competencies

Accountability, Analytical thinking, Client & results orientation, Commitment to continuous learning, Communication, Managing performance, Organizational awareness, Planning & organizing, Teamwork & collaboration, Technological awareness

https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales

Compendium

Additional Information

This position doesn”t require a functional clearance