Organization Mission

UNICEF is supporting health, nutrition, HIV prevention, education, access to safe drinking water, sanitation and protection for children and families caught in the conflict.

Context

In Ukraine, UNICEF has been present since 1997 and serves as the lead agency of the WASH Cluster, a humanitarian coordination mechanism uniting over 100 implementing partners active across fifteen conflict-affected oblasts. UNICEF Ukraine’s WASH programme supports emergency response, service restoration, and systems strengthening across water supply, sanitation, hygiene, and district heating sectors.
Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine’s water and sanitation infrastructure faces critical degradation. Thousands of water supply and wastewater facilities have been damaged or destroyed, leaving millions of people — particularly children — without reliable access to safe water. Restoring and modernizing WASH infrastructure is essential not only for public health but for Ukraine’s broader recovery, resilience, and EU integration trajectory. UNICEF, as WASH Cluster lead, coordinates a large portfolio of infrastructure restoration projects implemented through government partners, NGOs, and civil society organizations, requiring robust programme management, technical oversight, and strategic coordination.
In this context, UNICEF Ukraine supports the coordination of the Water Sector Working Group (Water SWG) – a formal multi-partner coordination platform operating under the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development (MinDev) and embedded in Ukraine’s Recovery and Reform Architecture. The Water SWG unites over 20 international partners across six thematic sub-groups covering strategic planning and regulatory harmonisation, financial sustainability, human resources capacity, EU standards implementation, infrastructure recovery, and partner coordination. Water SWG outputs feed directly into the Ukraine Donor Platform Steering Committee and the Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) process.
This assignment supports the Water SWG coordination function, serving as the strategic interface between the Government of Ukraine, UNICEF, international donors, and implementing partners. The Senior Coordinator facilitates alignment of partner programming with national recovery priorities, supports EU integration of the water sector, and ensures comprehensive mapping and coordination of existing initiatives to prevent duplication and maximise recovery impact.
Key stakeholders include MinDev, regional and local authorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD, KfW), bilateral donors (EU Delegation, Sida, GIZ), and UN and NGO implementing partners including UNDP, UNICEF, UNECE, and others.

Key stakeholders include the Ministry of Development of Communities and Territories of Ukraine (MinDev), regional and local authorities, vodokanals and communal enterprises, international financial institutions (EIB, World Bank, EBRD), and NGO/CSO implementing partners. Programme outcomes include restored WASH services for conflict-affected populations, strengthened institutional capacity of utilities and local authorities, and evidence-based infrastructure planning aligned with national recovery frameworks. Further information: www.unicef.org/ukraine. Ukraine is undergoing an extensive recovery effort following the devastation caused by conflict, with significant damage to critical infrastructure, including water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) systems.

Key Responsibilities

– The Senior Coordinator will provide high-level strategic, technical, and coordination support for Ukraine’s WASH sector recovery, donor alignment, and EU integration. Specifically, the Senior Coordinator will:
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– Lead the coordination of the Water SWG Secretariat, including planning and facilitating plenary sessions and thematic sub-group meetings, managing documentation and communication flows, and ensuring continuity of coordination processes across all working group streams;
– Serve as the primary liaison and coordination interface between the Ministry of Communities and Territories Development (MinDev), UNICEF, and the international partner and donor community – ensuring government priorities are reflected in donor programming and partner activities are aligned with national recovery frameworks;
– Develop and maintain a live mapping of existing WASH recovery initiatives, partner mandates, geographic coverage, and financial commitments across Ukraine, identifying gaps and overlaps to inform strategic planning and resource mobilisation;
– Coordinate thematic sub-group work across six streams (strategic planning, financial sustainability, human resources capacity, EU regulatory harmonisation, infrastructure recovery, and partner coordination), supporting co-leads and consolidating outputs into coherent Water SWG deliverables;
– Ensure Water SWG outputs are systematically elevated to the Ukraine Donor Platform Steering Committee and integrated into Ukraine Recovery Conference (URC) reporting and planning processes;
– Provide coordination support for the development of the 10-year Water Supply and Sanitation Utilities Development Strategy, facilitating input from government, IFIs, and bilateral partners;
– Support EU regulatory harmonisation coordination, including partner alignment on implementation of the Urban Wastewater Treatment Directive, Drinking Water Directive, and related EU standards, in collaboration with MinDev and international partners;
– Facilitate partner surveys, needs assessments, and consultation processes to generate evidence for Water SWG strategic decisions and donor reporting;
– Mainstream gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability into Water SWG coordination outputs, ensuring alignment with UNICEF’s equity mandate;
– Support UNICEF Ukraine’s WASH programme with strategic advisory input on water sector reform, recovery planning, and donor engagement as required.

Required Skills and Experience

• WASH sector recovery, municipal infrastructure development, or public-private partnerships in the water/utilities sector; experience with the State Agency for Restoration and Infrastructure Development of Ukraine or equivalent national recovery institutions is an asset, as is experience working with UNICEF, IFIs (EIB, EBRD), or other international development organizations;
• Demonstrated experience in policy analysis, drafting regulatory and legislative proposals, and engaging with central and local executive authorities on infrastructure governance and reform;
• Proven track record in stakeholder coordination across government, donor, and civil society actors, including associations of local self-government bodies and sectoral utilities associations;
• Excellent oral and written skills in Ukrainian and English (C1 level or equivalent); excellent drafting, formulation, and reporting skills;
• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;
• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;
• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various Microsoft Office applications (Excel, Word, among others), email, and internet; familiarity with database management; and office technology equipment;
• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;
• Desirable: valid national driver’s license and proven ability to drive manual gear 4×4 over rough terrain;
• Sound security awareness;
• Have affinity with or interest in WASH UNICEF volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development and the UN system.

Core Competencies

• Accountability
• Adaptability and flexibility
• Creativity
• Judgement and decision-making
• Planning and organising
• Professionalism
• Self-management

Living Conditions

As it is a national UN Volunteer’s assignment, the UN volunteer shall organize his/her accommodation by themselves.

Entitlements of National UN Volunteer Senior Expert >> USD $ 3198

The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy, with the possibility of extensions subject to the availability of funding, operational necessity, and satisfactory performance. However, there is no expectation of renewal of the assignment. This is a full-time contract.

Allowances:
• Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA): A Volunteer Living Allowance (VLA) of USD 3198 (equivalent in UAH) is provided monthly to cover housing, utilities, and normal cost of living expenses. This includes Well-Being Differentials for the period while the ICSC applies hardship classification to duty stations in Ukraine as “E”.
• USD 350 entry lump sum, one-time payment.

Medical and life insurance:
• Medical insurance: The UN Volunteer and eligible PFU dependents will receive UNV-provided medical insurance coverage. Coverage for UN Volunteers begins at the Commencement of Service and normally ceases on the last day of the UN Volunteer Contract.
• Life Insurance: UN Volunteers are covered by life insurance for the duration of the UN Volunteer assignment. If a UN Volunteer dies during the UN Volunteer assignment, the eligible designated beneficiaries will be entitled to receive a life insurance lump sum.

Leave entitlements:
• Annual leave:  UN Volunteers accrue an entitlement to 2.5 days of Annual Leave per completed month of the UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave up to a maximum of 30 days is carried over in case of a contract extension within the same UN Volunteer assignment. Unused accrued Annual Leave may not be carried over in case of reassignment or a new assignment.
• Learning leave: Subject to supervisor approval and exigencies of service, UN Volunteers may request up to ten working days of Learning Leave per consecutive 12 months of the UN Volunteer assignment, starting with the Commencement of Service date, provided the Learning Leave is used within the contract period.
• Certified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers are entitled to up to 30 days of certified sick leave based on a 12-month cycle. This amount is reset every 12-month cycle.
• Uncertified Sick Leave: UN Volunteers receive seven days of uncertified sick leave working days in a calendar year. This amount will be reset at the established interval period.