WASH Specialist( Strategic & Technical Support)Retainer Contract

Job Description

Dutystation: Islamabad, Pakistan

Functional responsibilities

• Provide high-level technical guidance to ensure quality, relevance, and sustainability of WASH programming.
• Develop or refine WASH strategy and technical frameworks in alignment with UNOPS policies and regional/global strategies.
• Support the implementation of WASH activities to ensure quality, timeliness, budget compliance, and alignment with donor requirements, while providing guidance on implementation and quality standards
• Identify and plan soft WASH activities in Sindh and KPK (e.g. trainings, capacity development workshops, technical exchanges) in coordination with government stakeholders and sector actors.
• Ensure designs and methodologies are culturally appropriate, environmentally sound, and cost-effective.
• Provide on-demand technical advice to field teams and review technical documents, assessments, and deliverables.

• Analyse global and regional donor landscapes, identify emerging opportunities and trends.
• Prepare donor engagement briefs (including objectives, eligibility criteria, decision-making timelines, and contact mapping).
• Draft high-quality concept notes, proposals, theories of change, logframes, budgets, ESG risk screens, and gender plans aligned with donor templates and UNOPS standards.
• Support UNOPS partnerships team in identifying programme development opportunities, new funding sources, and strategic partnerships.
• Be available for donor meetings and sectoral forums, as delegated, and develop talking points, pitch decks, and meeting briefs.

• Engage with relevant stakeholders including government bodies, UN agencies, and WASH partners to promote collaboration and coherence.
• Identify opportunities for cross-sectoral integration of WASH with protection, health, education, and environment.
• Update and maintain a mapping of WASH actors, resources, and interventions in project areas.
• Support coordination efforts through active participation in relevant inter-agency WASH sector meetings and working groups.
• Facilitate the alignment of partner activities with national WASH priorities and community needs.

• Detailed workplan with timelines aligned with UNOPS priorities.
• Soft activity implementation plans (Sindh and KPK) with stakeholder consultation records.
• Concept notes/proposals submitted to donors with all required documentation.
• Updated WASH actor mapping and engagement tracker.
• Training or capacity-building materials developed or reviewed.
• Technical review notes on project deliverables as required.

Education/Experience/Language requirements

• Master’s degree in civil/environmental engineering, water resources, public health, development studies, or a related field.
• A Bachelor’s degree with 2 additional years of relevant experience may substitute for the masters degree requirement

• Minimum 6 years of senior-level experience in WASH programming, preferably in humanitarian or development contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in identifying and implementing soft WASH activities is required.
• Experience engaging with donors, preparing proposals, and drafting technical content is required.
• Proven expertise in stakeholder coordination and inter-agency collaboration is required.
• Strong understanding of donor landscapes and sector priorities is required
• Experience in Pakistan or similar socio-political contexts is highly desirable.

• Fluency in English (written & verbal) is required.
• Knowledge of urdu and regional languages is an asset

About the Organization

TOGETHER, WE BUILD THE FUTURE

UNOPS – an operational arm of the United Nations – supports the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) by successfully implementing its partners’ peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.

Our mission is to help people build better lives and countries achieve peace and sustainable development.

We are proud of our people and embrace diversity and are committed to equal employment opportunities. Our workforce brings together approximately 160 nationalities, represented by over 5,000 UNOPS personnel as well as some 7,800 personnel recruited on behalf of our partners. Spread across 80 countries from a range of backgrounds, and languages and have different gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities.

We encourage women and candidates from underrepresented groups in UNOPS to apply. These include candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.