Technical Expert for District Heating (WASH)

Host entity: UNICEF Ukraine

Volunteer type: National

Areas of expertise: Engineering, construction, Emergency preparedness, crisis response, Energy

Application deadline: 21/10/2026

Mission and objectives

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

Assignment context

This United Nations Volunteers (UNV) assignment is part of UNICEF Ukraine's WASH programme, specifically supporting the District Heating stream of the National WASH Cluster's Technical Cell, established in response to the ongoing armed conflict.

UNICEF — the United Nations Children's Fund, established in 1946 — is mandated to protect the rights of every child and operates in over 190 countries. 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, sanitation, hygiene, and district heating sectors.

Now in the fourth year of full-scale armed conflict, Ukraine's district heating infrastructure faces severe and repeated damage. Years of underinvestment and ageing infrastructure, compounded by weak operations, maintenance, and governance mechanisms, had already left pre-existing vulnerabilities in the system before February 2022. The renewed wave of strikes against the Ukrainian energy sector is more powerful and more precise than the one that began in autumn 2022: approximately 9 GW of generation capacity has already been destroyed, 80% of thermal generation and 80% of wind generation have been damaged or occupied, 21% of solar generation has been damaged or occupied, and direct losses in the energy sector are estimated at USD 16.1 billion. A lack of electricity often means a lack of water and heating.

Key stakeholders include district heating companies and communal enterprises that provide heating services, the District Heating Association, the Ukraine Critical Infrastructure Association, local authorities, governmental bodies, and implementing partners active in the energy sector. Programme outcomes include strengthened institutional capacity of district heating companies, improved coordination and prioritization of support, and evidence-based short-, medium-, and long-term recovery planning for district heating infrastructure. Further information: www.unicef.org/ukraine.

UNICEF is providing support to the National WASH Cluster in Ukraine in the development and implementation of a comprehensive strategy to urgently repair and modernize water and heating systems. The Technical Cell of the WASH Cluster conducts numerous assessment visits and supports the coordination of over 100 simultaneous projects across fifteen oblasts, mostly in Kherson, Mykolaiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia, to support district heating and water utilities. Accordingly, the purpose of this position is to support the functioning of the District Heating Technical Cell, coordinate emergency response efforts, communicate with district heating companies and partner organisations, provide technical expertise on heating systems, and support the development of short-, medium-, and long-term recovery plans for district heating infrastructure.

Task description

Under the direct supervision of the WASH Cluster Technical Cell Lead, the expert will be part of the Technical Cell team and will support and work closely with WASH Cluster staff, sub-national clusters, and technical working groups. The expert will:

1. Build a strong network with district heating companies and communal enterprises that provide heating services, through field missions to assess their needs and prioritization, for the perusal of the WASH Cluster and its partners;
2. Organize coordination meetings with government partners, water utilities, utility companies, local authorities, and NGOs/CSOs, and track and map district heating projects implemented in Ukraine (data collection and duplication check);
3. Provide technical insight, input, assessments, and reviews to inform the established coordinative and supportive relationship with government partners, district heating companies, vodokanals, communal enterprises, local authorities, and NGOs/CSOs, focusing on the roadmap for early recovery efforts in the heating sector;
4. Support utilities and partner organisations with prioritization according to their most critical needs and principles;
5. Facilitate communication, targeted, efficient information sharing, and solution-finding between utilities, communities, authorities, and aid organisations and donors in crises;
6. Organize coordination cluster meetings and coordination with sub-national colleagues, including preparing and presenting presentations based on field visits and assessments at WASH cluster meetings, including the District Heating Working Group, and on the most frequently requested technical solutions by district heating companies;
7. Support capacity-building activities;
8. Any other relevant task assigned by the supervisor.

Skills and experience

· District heating, power generation, or energy services sector technical expertise in Ukraine or a comparable post-conflict context, including a minimum of five years of relevant technical due diligence, operational, or engineering experience; experience with UN agencies in WASH or the energy sector is an advantage;

· Installation, operational, and/or maintenance experience of mechanical systems, especially district heating networks; experience leading technical workstreams on projects, including managing supply chains, producing project reports, and managing multiple stakeholder relationships, is an advantage;

· Sound understanding of heat supply and of the energy-efficient, high-quality, safe, environmentally friendly, and reliable functioning of the heat supply system; knowledge of applicable codes, policies, standards, and best practices related to heating;

· Strong understanding of project cycle management, including monitoring and evaluation, technical supervision, financial management, and planning; good understanding of Ukrainian legislation and regulations on contracting and construction of infrastructure projects;

· Excellent interpersonal and communication skills with a range of stakeholders, including local authorities, contractors, consulting firms, and NGOs/CSOs; ability to communicate key messages to different audiences;

· Good understanding of the humanitarian approach; experience in development and humanitarian work, especially emergency response, is an advantage;

· Ability to lead assessment processes and/or technical working groups; ability to perform several tasks in a timely manner with a focus on quality;

· Proficient in MS Excel, MS Word, and MS PowerPoint; familiarity with design software such as AutoCAD and planning software such as MS Project is an advantage;

· Desirable: Not required for this assignment;

· Sound security awareness;
· Working knowledge of English (minimum upper-intermediate, B2 level) is required.

· Have affinity with or interest in Ukraine's district heating sector recovery, WASH sector reform, and the humanitarian-to-development transition, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN system.

Competencies and values

· 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 Expert >> USD $ 2,616USD

The contract lasts for the period indicated in the vacancy with the possibility of extensions subject to 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) USD $ 2,616 (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.

Full eligibility requirements, conditions of service and application instructions are available on the official UNV platform.