Vacancies at UNICEF

• The Hub will bring together a passionate community of strategic partners including children and young people, academia, private entrepreneurs, public policy makers, social development and humanitarian actors, and our global UNICEF WASH / CEED and innovation colleagues in 150+ countries. Collectively we will co-create, advocate, enable, convene, and motivate for innovative sustainable solutions to long-standing barriers and emerging opportunities for a WASH secure and climate resilient future for every child.

How can you make a difference? 

• The consultant will play a pivotal role in laying out the groundwork for an innovative approach to successful, sustainable, and evidence-based groundwater resource development and management. They will work closely with the Kenya Country office and the WASH innovation hub team which includes water and finance experts. The outcome of the consultancy work will be the identification of up to 4 potential pilot sites in the ASL counties (Wajir, Garissa, Mandera, Marsabite, Turkana and Samburu) of Northern Kenaya.

The consultant will outline for each potential site:

• Overview of the sustainability of the water source for identified location and logic for selection
• Top line overview of community expenditure on water and other investments
• County government appetite for innovation
• Outline any further studies needed to inform pilot design in identified sites
• Map and assess the different financing models that support water resource management and governance

Your main responsibilities will be:

• The consultant will be expected to compile reports for up to 4 locations outlining the below to the best of their ability with existing data sets. They will be expected to keep a database of the data used to compile the reports and outline how the data can be accessed in future.

The work for this consultancy is split into two areas.

• Summary of potential sites, which should outline (to the best of their ability with the data available):

Local Water Resources Assessment

• Based on existing data, studies and reports, assess the current status of groundwater, surface water, aquifers, recharge, and seasonal variability.
• Climate risk assessment on availability and use of water sources - rainfall patterns and projections, drought cycles / water scarcity, floods, community dynamics and conflicts. Identify and collate existing resources (e.g., hydrogeological surveys, research from universities and development partners, etc).
• Document accessibility of this information (custodians, portals, MoUs).
• Identify gaps in monitoring, climate impact projections, and spatial coverage.

Water Demand Assessment

• Review current and projected water demand, considering population distribution, agricultural uses and needs, livestock, migration patterns, and climate forecast for the regions
• Establish the average number of months /days that livestock depends on permanent groundwater sources per year and patterns overtime in the climate cycle calendar.

Map existing datasets

• Assess accessibility of data sources.
• Identify gaps in disaggregated demand data and climate-linked projections.
• Stakeholder Mapping and Capacity Needs
• Identify and map all relevant stakeholders, including county water departments, utilities, water user associations, NGOs, CBOs, donor agencies, and private-sector actors active in water supply and resource management in ASAL counties.
• Document their roles, mandates, geographic coverage, and current interventions, highlighting overlaps, gaps, and opportunities for improved coordination.
• Assess institutional capacities (technical, financial, human resource, governance) to plan, operate, and regulate water services in the ASAL context.
• Identify critical capacity development needs for both government and non-government actors, especially in areas such as data management, monitoring, operation and maintenance, water quality, climate resilience, and financial sustainability of services.
• Review of existing Tariff Structures and Setup
• Review current water market across the focus counties in Northern Kenya and water tariff-setting mechanisms in rural schemes for both domestic and livestock, urban utilities, private and informal water markets.
• Identify and collate available tariff data (Utilities, NGOs, county records as appropriate).
• Document accessibility of this information.
• Identify gaps in rural and informal market tariff data
• Affordability and Willingness to Pay analysis
• Review household-level affordability and willingness-to-pay studies in ASAL contexts.
• Collate socio-economic datasets on household income and livelihood, agricultural needs and expenditure, water expenditure, and coping mechanisms.
• Document accessibility of this information.
• Identify knowledge gaps, including ASAL-specific and gender-disaggregated data.
• Identify sources of conflict and possible mitigation measures
• Establishing What Finance Models Exist
• Map and document existing financing models for water resources and governance in Northern Kenya, covering public, community, private, donor/NGO, and emerging/innovative mechanisms.
• In discussion the WASH hub finance team analyze the sustainability and inclusiveness of these models, including their effectiveness in covering operation and maintenance, and their reach to marginalized and vulnerable groups.
• With inputs on criteria from the WASH hub finance team assess alignment with governance systems at county and national levels, including transparency and accountability.
• Identify financing gaps and opportunities for scaling up resilient, innovative, and blended financing approaches to strengthen water resources management and governance.
• Clarity on data leveraged
• Compile a clear report on the data used, available data and where to find it
• Design and populate a structured format that outlines all identified datasets, studies, and information sources, organized by theme (resources, demand, stakeholders, tariffs, affordability etc).
• Outline further studies required for selected sites
• Based on the sites proposed by the consultant they are asked to outline existing data gaps and outline how studies in those sites would need to be designed to ensure data gaps are addressed.
• If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Download File ToR National Consultant- Water Resource and Water Governance Data collection .pdf
• To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

• Education: An advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Hydrogeology, Hydrology, Water Resources Management, other Water related sciences or other relevant field.
• A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

Work Experience:

• A minimum of 8 years of relevant professional experience at the national and/or international levels, in water resource assessments, water governance, and/or other directly related technical fields is required.
• Demonstrated ability to identify and extract key data relevant to governance strategies and technical programs for water
• Demonstrated ability to synthesize complex data and produce actionable insights and reports

Skills:

• Excellent analytical, report-writing, and communication skills.
• Language Requirements:  Fluency in English is required. 

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 
• Strong understanding of Kenya’s water governance, water sector policies and institutional landscape is an asset
• Experience of supporting county or national actors in the Kenyan context is considered an asset
• Knowledge and experience of finance in WASH considered an asset
• Developing country work experience and/or familiarity with emergency is considered an asset.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

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• Join our team as a Child Protection Officer – Knowledge Management (Prevention of Harmful Practices) and play a pivotal role in advancing UNICEF’s global leadership to end child marriage and female genital mutilation. Based in the Nairobi Centre of Excellence, you will help ensure that evidence, lessons learned, and innovative approaches are captured and shared across countries and partners, strengthening visibility and impact at a critical time for donor engagement and global advocacy.

In this role, you will:

• Programme Support & Strategic Coordination – contribute to high‑level meetings, reports, and cross‑sectoral collaboration.
• Global Knowledge Management – lead the creation and dissemination of knowledge products, toolkits, and learning platforms.
• Advocacy, Visibility & Partnerships – drive communications, events, and partnerships to amplify UNICEF’s voice globally.
• Evidence Uptake & Policy Outcomes – synthesize data and research to influence policy and accelerate progress.
• This is a unique opportunity to transform knowledge into action and deliver measurable change for children worldwide.
• If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here: Child Protection Officer (KM PHP) 19 Nov.pdf

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements

• Education: Bachelor or equivalent (First Level University Degree) in International Business Relations,Political Science,Public Administration, International Relations, Political Science, Public Administration, Gender Studies and any other related fields.
• Work Experience: At least 2 years of relevant work experience in international development cooperation, human rights, external relations, or public affairs is required.
• Skills: Strong capabilities in knowledge management, strategic communications, and strategic coordination are required, along with demonstrated skills in partnership building, results reporting, and stakeholder management. The role also requires solid analytical and writing abilities, strong organizational skills, proficiency with digital collaboration and knowledge-sharing tools, and the ability to engage effectively with diverse internal and external partners.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required.

Desirables

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
• Relevant experience in child protection or related thematic areas, including programme or project development and management within a UN agency or an international development organization, is highly desirable. Prior experience supporting coordination or planning functions, or providing assistance within an executive office environment, is considered an asset.

Deadline: 17 Dec 2025

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Scope of Work

• Goal and objective: Under the supervision of the Deputy Regional Director and in collaboration with ESARO leadership and the Design School, the consultant will:
• Analyze UNICEF’s current programme delivery modalities across different country contexts.
• Develop and articulate a set of 3–4 prototype models that reflect operational realities and strategic opportunities across typologies (e.g., MCOs, fragile/humanitarian, MICs, transition countries).
• Translate these models into practical, visual, and interactive tools for collaborative use in workshops.
• Support the design and facilitation of co-creation sessions during the Deputy Representatives’ Workshop and the RMT meeting.
• Synthesize workshop outputs into actionable recommendations for a reimagined regional delivery framework.

Desired competencies, technical background and experience

• Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in Organizational Development, Systems Thinking, Public Policy, International Development, or related fields.
• Minimum 8–10 years of progressively responsible experience in programme strategy, systems design, organizational change, or innovation in international development settings.
• Demonstrated expertise in developing conceptual and operational models for programme delivery or organizational design.
• Familiarity with UNICEF’s programming approaches and structures (especially in decentralized, multi-country, and humanitarian contexts).
• Excellent analytical, facilitation, and visualization skills, including proficiency in tools such as Miro, Figma, or similar.
• Strong communication and drafting skills, with the ability to synthesize complex information clearly and visually.
• Must exhibit the UNICEF Core Values of: Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability
• The consultant is expected to maintain professional written and verbal communication in English.
• Administrative issues
• Consultancy Location: The consultant will be remote-based, with the option to work from Nairobi if preferred.

Deadline: 16 Dec 2025