Senior Adviser WASH (IPC), P-5, TA (6 months), #138244, Bunia, Democratic Republic of Congo, - WCAR

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The Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo has declared an outbreak of Ebola Virus Disease affecting Ituri and other affected or at-risk provinces. National authorities, with the support of humanitarian partners, have activated emergency coordination and response mechanisms to contain transmission and protect affected communities.

The outbreak is unfolding in a complex humanitarian environment marked by insecurity, population displacement, high mobility, constrained access to essential services and weak water, sanitation, hygiene and infection prevention and control systems. These conditions heighten the risk of transmission in health facilities and communities and require rapid, well-coordinated and technically rigorous WASH/IPC action.

The geographic expansion of the outbreak, the operational complexity of the response and the need to align interventions across national, provincial and health-zone levels require senior leadership. An experienced profile is therefore required to provide the strategic expertise, technical authority and convening capacity needed to lead UNICEF's WASH/IPC response and support Government-led coordination across affected and at-risk areas.

How can you make a difference?

The WASH/IPC Senior advisor will lead strategic planning, policy dialogue, technical guidance, resource mobilization and inter-agency coordination while providing oversight of UNICEF's WASH/IPC response to Ebola outbreak across all affected provinces

The position will ensure coherence between UNICEF WASH/IPC priorities and the Ebola Incident Management/Coordination structure, operating under the technical guidance of the Chief WASH and the direct supervision of the Ebola Response Senior Project Coordinator in Bunia. The incumbent will ensure that WASH/IPC interventions are prioritized according to epidemiological and operational evidence and integrated with case management, safe and dignified burials, RCCE, logistics, supply and other response pillars.

Tasks and Responsibilities: 

1. Strategic leadership of UNICEF's WASH/IPC response

2. WASH/IPC coordination and inter-agency leadership

3. Government planning and technical alignment

4. Prioritized operational response and cross-pillar integration

5. Technical quality, evidence and adaptive management

6. Partnerships, capacity strengthening and resource mobilization

7. Risk management and accountability

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  ToR P-5 WASH-IPC Senior Advisor - Bunia.docx

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

Minimum requirements

• Education: An advanced university degree in public health, environmental health, sanitary or environmental engineering, water and sanitation engineering, infection prevention and control, humanitarian assistance with a public health specialization, or another relevant field.
• Additional postgraduate training in public health emergencies, epidemiology, humanitarian WASH, infection prevention and control or emergency response is an asset.
• Work experience: A minimum of ten years of progressively responsible professional experience in WASH, IPC, public health emergencies or humanitarian response, including substantial senior leadership experience in complex emergencies.
• Key skills:
• Strategic leadership, sound judgement, political sensitivity and strong convening capacity in high-pressure emergency environments.
• Excellent coordination, negotiation and partnership-management skills across Government, UN, NGO and community platforms.
• Strong analytical capacity to interpret epidemiological, technical, operational and community data and translate findings into prioritized WASH/IPC action.
• Ability to mentor teams, strengthen field capacities and support quality implementation at scale.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills, including preparation of strategic briefs, donor updates, management notes and high-level presentations.
• Language requirements: Fluency in French and English is required. Knowledge of local languages spoken in affected provinces is an asset.

Desirables

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language
• Demonstrated experience leading or supporting multi-partner WASH/IPC coordination mechanisms in outbreak settings; experience in Ebola or other viral haemorrhagic fever responses is highly desirable.
• Strong experience in strategic planning, programme and partnership oversight, quality assurance, resource mobilization and the use of epidemiological and operational evidence for decision-making.
• Proven ability to advise senior leadership, influence inter-agency priorities and manage multidisciplinary teams in insecure, hard-to-reach or resource-constrained environments.
• Experience working with Ministries of Health, WHO, UNICEF, Africa CDC, humanitarian coordination mechanisms and operational partners is a strong asset.
• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships
(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness
(3) Drive to achieve results for impact
(4) Innovates and embraces change
(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity
(6) Thinks and acts strategically
(7) Works collaboratively with others

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance. Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments are conditional on the selected candidates willingness to comply with current or future vaccination requirements, should UNICEF mandate it for personnel. Failure to comply with such requirements, where applicable and without a duly approved medical exemption from the relevant UN authority, will result in the cancellation of the selection or may lead to other administrative measures, including separation from service.

Remarks:

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

This position has been assessed as an elevated risk role for Child Safeguarding purposes as it is either a role with direct contact with children, a role that works directly with identifiable children’s data, a safeguarding response role, or an assessed risk role. Additional vetting and assessment for elevated risk roles in child safeguarding (potentially including additional criminal background checks) apply. 

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason.

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants' bank account information.

Mobility is a condition of international professional employment with UNICEF and an underlying premise of the international civil service.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF's Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

Eligible staff members on fixed-term, continuing or permanent contracts applying to IP TA positions in a duty station designated as L2/L3, may be able to retain a lien and their fixed-term entitlements, subject to approval by their Head of Office. The conditions of the temporary assignment will vary depending on the status of their post and relocation entitlements may be limited as per the relevant policies.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.