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For every child, the right to Access

On 24 June 2026, two major earthquakes (7.2 and 7.5 magnitude) struck north-central Venezuela, causing widespread damage to critical infrastructure and basic services across several states. UNICEF estimates that 1.8 million people, including 680,000 children, require humanitarian assistance, and plans to reach approximately 280,000 people through its emergency response.

As the WASH response expands, the volume of operational information generated (by government counterparts, UN agencies, NGOs and other partners) increased significantly. Timely collection, analysis and dissemination of information on partner activities, geographical coverage, service gaps, population needs and response progress is urgently required for operational decision-making and advocacy.

Current UNICEF WASH capacity is focused on coordination, technical support and response implementation. As the response transitions from emergency assistance towards recovery and restoration of basic services, UNICEF is supporting government institutions to rehabilitate and restore essential WASH infrastructure in affected areas.

Existing staff do not have sufficient dedicated capacity to manage the increasing requirements associated with a large-scale, multi-state emergency response. The scale of the planned interventions requires dedicated technical field capacity to monitor implementation progress, support engineering supervision, coordinate with government counterparts and ensure the quality and functionality of rehabilitation works. The Urban WASH Officer will provide day-to-day technical oversight and field monitoring of WASH infrastructure interventions, helping ensure timely completion and operationalization of services for affected populations.

How can you make a difference?

The WASH Officer reports to the WASH Specialist and provides technical, operational and field-level support for the implementation, monitoring and supervision of urban WASH recovery interventions in earthquake-affected areas.

The incumbent will support the rehabilitation and restoration of water supply, sanitation and hygiene services through regular field monitoring, coordination with government counterparts, service providers, contractors and implementing partners. The position plays a key role in ensuring the quality, timeliness and compliance of infrastructure interventions, including community water systems, health facilities, schools and urban WASH infrastructure implemented in collaboration with the Ministry of Water (MINAGUAS) and other relevant authorities.

Key functions/responsibilities include:

1. Programme development and planning: Drafts updates and researches sector trends for WASH situation analyses to inform outcome and output results. Prepares accurate technical documentation, analyzes sector needs, and delivers administrative and transactional support across programming stages to facilitate review, approval, and strategic decision-making in the country programme.
2. Programme management, monitoring and delivery of results: Monitors WASH infrastructure activities and updates tracking tools and progress reports. Verifies targets for rehabilitated water systems, schools, and health facilities, validating beneficiaries reached. Assists in preparing donor reports, visibility materials, and sectoral updates, while collaborating with partners to resolve implementation issues and document lessons learned. 
3. Technical and operational support for programme implementation: Supports technical assessments and regular field monitoring of damaged WASH systems in communities, schools, and health facilities. Coordinates with government counterparts, including MINAGUAS, to verify quality, compliance, and functionality. Integrates resilience measures into rehabilitated infrastructure, resolves operational bottlenecks, and provides technical guidance to stakeholders to ensure sustainable service handover. 
4. Humanitarian WASH preparedness and response: Drafts requisitions for supplies, services, and partnership agreements to maintain UNICEF's emergency preparedness in WASH. Thoroughly understands emergency procedures to actively take on support roles during active crisis response and early recovery efforts, ensuring rapid readiness, operational compliance, and timely delivery when urgent needs arise. 
5. Networking and partnership building: Builds and sustains partnerships with key counterparts, service providers, and implementing partners for WASH infrastructure projects. Facilitates information sharing and technical alignment across stakeholders while representing UNICEF in inter-agency forums and working groups to drive joint planning, resolve implementation challenges, and achieve targeted programme results. 
6. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building: Assists in developing, monitoring, and documenting WASH action research and systems innovations. Prepares knowledge products and learning materials on good practices to advance sector development, while serving as a resource person in capacity-building initiatives to enhance stakeholder and client competencies. 

If you would like to know more about this position, please review the complete Job Description here:  Job description WASH Officer, (NO-2), TA, 6 months, #00138220, Caracas - Venezuela, LACR.pdf

To qualify as a champion for every child you will have…

Minimum requirements:

• Education: A completed first level university degree (Bachelor or equivalent) in one of the following fields is required: Civil Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Sanitary Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Engineering or another relevant technical field.
• Work Experience: A minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional work experience in WASH-related (Water, Sanitation and Hygiene) programmes for developing countries is required.
• Skills: Demonstrated skills in humanitarian WASH response and site inspection are required.
  Knowledge of urban WASH infrastructure and restoration of water supply is required.
  Demonstrated skills in WASH related situation analysis and field monitoring are required.
  Excellent stakeholder management skills are required.
• Language Requirements: Fluency in English and Spanish is required.

Desirables:

• Language: Knowledge of another official UN language (Arabic, Chinese, French, Russian) is desirable.
• Additional relevant post-graduate courses that complement/supplement the main degree are a strong asset.
• Relevant emergency response experience is highly desirable.
• 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.

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 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.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable 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.

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.

Visa residence requirements: i.e. UNICEF shall not facilitate the issuance of a visa and working authorization for candidates under consideration for positions at the national officer and general service category.

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.