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UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to innovate

For more than 70 years, UNICEF has championed innovation to advance the rights and wellbeing of every child. This commitment continues through the Sustainable WASH Innovation Hub, based in Copenhagen, where we bring new approaches, bold partnerships, and impactful technologies to the forefront of the global WASH agenda. Emerging from UNICEF’s Office of Innovation and now proudly part of the Global WASH Practice within the UNICEF Center of Excellence for WASH, the Hub is uniquely positioned to accelerate promising solutions across UNICEF’s extensive global network and that of our partners.
At the intersection of cutting‑edge thinking and large‑scale development challenges, the WASH Innovation Hub serves as a bridge—connecting UNICEF’s deep field experience with the agility of start‑ups, the creativity of researchers, the vision of entrepreneurs, and the lived expertise of communities. This convergence of perspectives drives our mission: to transform how WASH challenges are understood, tackled, and ultimately solved.

We are cultivating a vibrant global community that includes children and young people, academic institutions, private sector innovators, public policy leaders, social development practitioners, humanitarian actors, and WASH and innovation colleagues across more than 150 countries. Together, we are co‑creating, testing, scaling, and advocating for new ways to overcome long‑standing barriers to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene.

Through collaboration, convening power, and a relentless focus on impact, the Hub is enabling a future where sustainable, climate‑resilient WASH solutions become the norm—not the exception. By energizing and empowering the ecosystem, we aim to ensure that every child can grow up in a world where their right to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene is realized.

How can you make a difference? 

The Consultant will contribute to the objectives of the WASH Hub by developing a strategic plan for the Hub, analysing the current WASH challenges, innovation ecosystem and the role of the Hub and progress to date. This will be done through consultations with WASH Hub colleagues and other key players, including academia, development partners, INGOs, UN, private sector and government.

The Hub is transitioning at multiple levels, from the initial funding grant to a more established entity, with growing credibility and influence. At the same time the Hub is being incorporated into the new Center of Excellence for WASH in Nairobi, with capacity to more directly leverage WASH programmatic outcomes through closer links to the WASH network. It is important to understand how to navigate the Hub’s evolution through these changes, including potential geographical shifts of some of the team to Nairobi. The potential for the Hub to contribute to dramatic improvements in WASH access is exciting, but it is a critical time with a range of challenging decisions going forward, which could stifle growth and momentum.

Into this context, the consultant is expected to deliver a Strategic Plan for the Hub through the following steps:

1. Analytical & Diagnostic Deliverables
2. Strategic Visioning Deliverables
3. Strategic Plan Deliverables
4. Organisation & Operational Model including:
5. Financing and Enabling Environment (High‑Level) Requirements
6. Knowledge, Data & Learning
7. Final Outputs

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Hub Strategy ToR .pdf

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

Minimum requirements:

Education:  Advanced university degree (Master’s or higher) in International Development, Public Policy, WASH, Innovation, Engineering, Public Health, or a related field
(a first degree plus two additional years of experience may be accepted in lieu of an advanced university degree).

Work Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of international experience in strategic planning, innovation systems, or programme design.
• Demonstrated track record developing strategic plans, Theories of Change, and multi-year frameworks for global or multi-country programmes.
• Strong understanding of global WASH challenges, climate-resilient WASH systems, and opportunities for innovation-led transformation.
• Demonstrated experience of working in UNICEF program countries on development/ humanitarian programs. Extensive experience of working with/ into these countries may be accepted in lieu of significant in-country experience.
  
  

Skills:

• Strong analytical skills and ability to synthesize complex evidence into clear strategic direction.
• Excellent writing and communication skills, capable of producing high-quality, publication-ready deliverables.
• Proven ability to facilitate multi-stakeholder consultations with multi-lateral organizations, governments, innovators, and partners.
• Demonstrated ability to work effectively across cultures and time zones, particularly in Africa and LMIC settings.
• Capacity to produce design-ready strategic documents, summaries, and presentation materials.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English is required. 

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 
• Prior experience with UNICEF or UN agencies is an asset.
• Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian or Spanish) or a local language is an asset.

Payment details and further considerations
Payment of professional fees will be based on the submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

How to apply:

• Interested applicants are required to submit a financial proposal with all-inclusive fee. Please see the financial proposal template. Consultancy Financial Offer template.docx
• Please include examples of past strategic work for consideration in assessment of applicants (either electronic copies or links)
• Applications without a financial proposal will not be considered.

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

The 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 may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. 

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.

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.

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.