Current vacancies

UNICEF, guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, works together with partners in 190 countries and territories to promote and advocate for the protection of the rights of every child.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do. 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 personal and professional development that will help them develop a fulfilling career while delivering on a rewarding mission. We pride ourselves on a culture that helps staff thrive, coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

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

For every child, Health

The UNICEF Programme of Cooperation with the Government of the Republic of Zambia (GRZ) is designed to address and mitigate the threat of poverty the country's children face, while responding to the needs with interventions addressing the multiple causative factors.

To find out more about UNICEF's work in Zambia, please visit UNICEF Zambia

How can you make a difference? 

The consultant will provide technical assistance and guidance to NEWZA stakeholders at different levels including CSO hired for MHHM activities to achieve the following targets:

• Households construct improved climate resilient toilets with hand washing facilities in locations where KfW is building water systems and other high needs areas to reach at least 25,000 toilets.
• 250 local artisans and sanitation entrepreneurs trained to deliver affordable, climate resilient household toilets and hand hygiene facilities.
• Train 1,000 MOE and school staff in Menstrual Health & Hygiene Management (MHHM).
• At least 25,000 menstruating students have participated in menstrual health and hygiene management activities.

Scope of Work:

The assignment will be conducted through a comprehensive process that involves several steps.

Prioritize vulnerable communities in NEWZA districts through a review of secondary information: Review existing sanitation and hygiene data and assessment reports with DWASHE, PWASHE, commercial utilities, and councils to identify vulnerable communities for targeted interventions.

Technical assistance to districts to identify sanitation and hygiene gaps in the selected communities and develop action plans: Elaborate methodology and apply participatory assessments to conduct a toilet census, identify toilet and hand hygiene gaps, and develop context-specific action plans to close the gap. These plans should include demand creation strategies, sanitation marketing and financing approaches for household toilets, and hand hygiene facility construction.

Provide technical support in implementation of community sanitation & hygiene action plans in NEWZA districts: Guide DWASHEs, CUs and communities to implement action plans. The goal is construction of 25,000 improved, climate-resilient household toilets and hygiene facilities by the end of April 2026.

Train 250 local artisans and sanitation entrepreneurs: Engage stakeholders, identify and organize training for 250 local artisans and entrepreneurs to build their capacity to deliver affordable, climate resilient household toilets and hand hygiene facilities.  The training will cover different types of improved facilities to ensure households have options depending on what a household can afford.

Track progress in construction of improved and climate resilient toilets and hand hygiene facilities: Engage stakeholders to establish a weekly reporting system to monitor the number of household toilets and hand hygiene facilities constructed in the target communities. This should include documentation of community insights and feedback on challenges, progress, and successes.

Train MoE and school staff in Menstrual Health Hygiene Management: Engage stakeholders including CSO and provide technical assistance to train 1,000 staff across target districts in MHHM.

Provide technical support for MHHM implementation in 400 schools: Adaptation of training materials for schools on MHHM and developing tools for participation of adolescents and parents in MHHM activities promoting open discussion and addressing negative norms associated with menstruation.

Design and test tools for monitoring MHHM activities for use in the 400 selected schools, analyse monitoring data and qualitative insights for progress reports and document good practices from selected schools.

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

• Advanced university degree (Masters) in Public Health or WASH related, or related areas.
• At least six years' experience in planning and implementation non-subsidy sanitation programmes successfully implementing approaches to create demand for improved household sanitation, sanitation marketing and financing in Zambia.
• Demonstrated experience in child rights programming, following a human rights-based approach, gender equality and services for people with disabilities.
• Excellent skills in working with a team.
• Ability to make own arrangements and coordinate effectively with government at national and sub-national levels and other key project stakeholders for timely delivery of high-quality project results.
• Experience working in rural settings in Zambia particularly the NEWZA districts.
• Fluency in English, both verbal and written skills are required. Knowledge in the spoken local languages in NEWZA districts is considered an asset

If you are a committed, creative professional and are passionate about children’s rights and making a lasting difference on children’s lives, one of the global leading entities on children’s rights would like to hear from you.

For more details, click here:  NEWZA Consultant.pdf

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF's values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust, Accountability, Sustainability (CRITAS), and core competencies in Communication, Working with People and Drive for Results.

UNICEF is also proud of a diverse workforce who are profoundly committed to supporting the full realization of children’s rights, and in uplifting a rights-based approach in all that we do.

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 

Click here to learn more about UNICEF’s values and competencies.

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.

We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF strongly encourages the use of flexible working arrangements.

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. 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.

Remarks:  

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. 

Individuals engaged under a consultancy or individual contract will not be considered “staff members” under the Staff Regulations and Rules of the United Nations and UNICEF’s policies and procedures, and will not be entitled to benefits provided therein (such as leave entitlements and medical insurance coverage). Their conditions of service will be governed by their contract and the General Conditions of Contracts for the Services of Consultants and Individual Contractors. Consultants and individual contractors are responsible for determining their tax liabilities and for the payment of any taxes and/or duties, in accordance with local or other applicable laws. 

The selected candidate is solely responsible to ensure that the visa (applicable) and health insurance required to perform the duties of the contract are valid for the entire period of the contract. Selected candidates are subject to confirmation of fully-vaccinated status against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid-19) with a World Health Organization (WHO)-endorsed vaccine, which must be met prior to taking up the assignment. It does not apply to consultants who will work remotely and are not expected to work on or visit UNICEF premises, programme delivery locations or directly interact with communities UNICEF works with, nor to travel to perform functions for UNICEF for the duration of their consultancy contracts.