JOB DESCRIPTION

General Information

Position Title

Sanitation Governance Advisor

Job Category

Project

Duty Station(s)

Home based

Seniority Level

Senior Level

ICS Level

ICS 12

Contract Type

ICA – IICA – Retainer

Contract Level

IICA 4

Posting Start Date

11-Nov-2025

Posting End Date

25-Nov-2025

Duration

One year subject to satisfactory performance and availability of funds

Job Highlight

This role supports the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) in strengthening sanitation governance and market systems in Low- and Middle-Income Countries. It helps governments develop and implement policies, regulations, and frameworks that promote private sector participation, structured financing, and sustainable service delivery. Working with government counterparts and partners, the role provides advisory and capacity-building support, guiding the development of tools and recommendations for policy reform and financing mechanisms. The position contributes to building inclusive, well-governed sanitation markets that advance public health, economic growth, and climate resilience.

About the Region

The UNOPS Africa Regional Office, based in Nairobi, Kenya, oversees the delivery of over 250 projects across 40 countries, with a focus on fragile and conflict-affected settings. Supported by more than 1,000 personnel across five multi-country offices—spanning North, West, Central, Eastern and Southern Africa, and the Horn of Africa—the office advances national priorities through strategic initiatives in Climate Action, Health, Infrastructure, Peace and Security, Middle-Income Country Support, and Small Island Developing States (SIDS). The Regional Office provides strategic leadership, operational support, and oversight in key areas including Partnerships, Communications, Management and Oversight, Infrastructure and Project Management, Health and Safety, and Security. By promoting excellence in project delivery, fostering knowledge sharing, and driving continuous improvement, the office contributes to sustainable infrastructure, transparent resource management, and a better quality of life for communities across the continent.

About the Country/Multi-Country Office

UNOPS is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian, and development projects around the world. Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve sustainable development. UNOPS areas of expertise cover infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial management, and human resources. UNOPS is the legal and administrative host of the Sanitation and Hygiene Fund, with hosting arrangements managed by the Geneva Office.

Working with Us

UNOPS offers short- and long-term work opportunities in diverse and challenging environments across the globe. We are looking for creative, results-focused professionals with skills in a range of disciplines.

Diversity

With over 4,000 UNOPS personnel and approximately 7,000 personnel recruited on behalf of UNOPS partners spread across 80 countries, our workforce represents a wide range of nationalities and cultures. We promote a balanced, diverse workforce – a strength that helps us better understand and address our partners’ needs, and continually strive to improve our gender balance through initiatives and policies that encourage the recruitment of qualified female candidates.

Job Specific Context

The Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF)

Operational since 2021, The Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) is dedicated to improving access to sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health (MH) through market-based approaches. SHF works with Low and Middle-Income Countries (LMICs) to build robust and climate-resilient sanitation economies and MH markets through catalytic financing. We do this by working in partnership with governments, development partners, development financing institutions, civil society organizations, and the private sector to tackle barriers to inclusive growth and accelerate sustainable markets. We put women and girls – their choice and agency – at the center of our approach, with gender responsiveness being integrated into the design and delivery of sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health products and services, thereby contributing to human, social, and economic development outcomes. By promoting circular and sustainable sanitation, hygiene, and menstrual health value chains, we support climate mitigation and adaptation and minimize environmental impact.

The Sanitation and Hygiene Fund (SHF) is a project of UNOPS.

Role Purpose

SHF aims to structurally increase access to sanitation and hygiene by strengthening markets in LMICs. Through the framework of rules, regulations, policies, and taxes, governments play a pivotal and leading role in building sustainable and well-functioning markets. SHF works side-by-side with national governments and public institutions through the provision of Technical Assistance (TA) to develop an in-depth understanding of the state of these national markets, identify market failures, gaps, opportunities, and sector potential, highlight how government rules and regulations interact with the market, what the status of private sector engagement and financing is at country level, and develop a range of recommendations for regulatory reforms, policies and interventions designed to strengthen these markets and improve delivery of sanitation and hygiene services at scale. While the context in each country may differ, the approach to understanding how these markets operate and which interventions are required has to be the same in its design and execution. As a global fund, a consistent approach is crucial to ensure the comparability of findings and to identify market trends over time and across country contexts.

Reporting to the Technical Services Unit Manager and being briefed by the SHF Deputy Executive Director, and on a day-to-day basis working closely with the Sanitation and Hygiene Markets Specialist, and wider SHF country and technical team, this role will undertake the operationalization and implementation of SHF’s government technical assistance work stream. This will require collaboration with external stakeholders, partners, and third-party service providers.

The assignment will:

• Oversee operationalization of the framework and provide guidelines on how to most effectively leverage the tools and frameworks in SHF’s engagement countries
• Advise SHF on country-related sanitation policy development and reform, institutional and governance analysis, and regulatory framework design and enforcement mechanisms in alignment with SDG targets and climate adaptation
• Provide guidance to SHF regarding public sector capacity building and inter-agency coordination mechanisms.
• The role may require occasional official travel during the implementation of the technical assistance tools and frameworks in SHF engagement countries

Through this work, the role will support SHF’s mission to catalyze the sanitation economy in a tailored and sustainable way.

Functions / Key Results Expected

1. The role will

• Advise and undertake the development of the deliverables as per SHF government technical assistance offering.
• Fully discuss expectations and agree with the SHF on a work plan and timeframe to execute the implementation of SHF government technical assistance frameworks and methodologies in the implementation countries.
• Interview relevant experts and professionals to source information and insights that will assist the process; where other stakeholders are doing complementary work, agree with SHF on how to proceed with alignment, avoidance of any duplication of effort, and ensure complementarity.
• Consider a range of factors that are needed for government technical assistance tools.
• Leverage SHF’s and other development partners’ existing work in the area of government TA, market maturity, and sanitation market sizing.

2. Deliverables

• Provide technical expertise and advisory in the implementation of the following interventions, as required in selected countries, including by providing guidance or quality control:
  • Policy and Regulatory Development: Development of national sanitation policies, sanitation PPP development, strengthen legal frameworks for private sector participation, and create inclusive strategies that enable market-based sanitation solutions.
  • Assessments: Conduct market assessments, cost-of-inaction studies, and sanitation demand analyses.
  • Capacity Building: Strengthen governance and capacity at municipal/regional and sub-national levels for policy implementation and adaptation.
  • Coordination and Financing: Improve coordination between different ministries and agencies. Establish national sanitation financing mechanisms, such as pool funding and carbon credits, and identify sub-national market segments and investment gaps.
  • Compliance and Enforcement: Enhance local regulatory compliance and enforcement to ensure effective implementation of sanitation policies and frameworks.
• Refine SHF’s existing government technical assistance frameworks and tools, tailor existing frameworks from other secto

Skills

Capacity Building, Project Governance, Sanitation, Structured Finance

Competencies

Develops and implements sustainable business strategies, thinks long term and externally in order to positively shape the organisation. Anticipates and perceives the impact and implications of future decisions and activities on other parts of the organisation.

Treats all individuals with respect; responds sensitively to differences and encourages others to do the same. Upholds organisational and ethical norms. Maintains high standards of trustworthiness. Role model for diversity and inclusion.

Acts as a positive role model contributing to the team spirit. Collaborates and supports the development of others. For people managers only: Acts as positive leadership role model, motivates, directs and inspires others to succeed, utilizing appropriate leadership styles.

Demonstrates understanding of the impact of own role on all partners and always puts the end beneficiary first. Builds and maintains strong external relationships and is a competent partner for others (if relevant to the role).

Efficiently establishes an appropriate course of action for self and/or others to accomplish a goal. Actions lead to total task accomplishment through concern for quality in all areas. Sees opportunities and takes the initiative to act on them. Understands that responsible use of resources maximizes our impact on our beneficiaries.

Open to change and flexible in a fast paced environment. Effectively adapts own approach to suit changing circumstances or requirements. Reflects on experiences and modifies own behavior. Performance is consistent, even under pressure. Always pursues continuous improvements.

Evaluates data and courses of action to reach logical, pragmatic decisions. Takes an unbiased, rational approach with calculated risks. Applies innovation and creativity to problem-solving.

Expresses ideas or facts in a clear, concise and open manner. Communication indicates a consideration for the feelings and needs of others. Actively listens and proactively shares knowledge. Handles conflict effectively, by overcoming differences of opinion and finding common ground.

Education Requirements

Required

• Advanced university degree (Master’s degree or equivalent) in finance, economics, WASH, business administration, engineering, international development, public policy, or a related field.
• A Bachelor’s degree in the above-mentioned areas or a related field, in combination with an additional 2 years of relevant work experience, may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree

Experience Requirements

Required

• Minimum of ten (10) years (or more, depending on academic credentials) of progressive experience in the WASH sector, of which a minimum of 5 years is required to be in the sanitation sector.
• Five (5) years of experience at the international level in public policy, governmental legal and regulatory frameworks, institutional development or related profiles, including at a senior technical or management level is required.
• Demonstrated experience in the provision of technical assistance to national governments in LMIC is required.
• Prior experience in countries where the SHF operates, or plans to operate, is required

Desired

• Experience working in a UN agency in the development or humanitarian context is desirable.

Language Requirements

LanguageProficiency LevelRequirementEnglishFluentRequiredFrenchBasicDesirable

Additional Information

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.
• Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement. Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures, languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce.
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process. If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post.
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• For more details about the contract types, please click here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.