Associate WASH Officer at UNHCR July 2026

Job snapshot

Associate WASH Officer role at UNHCR Jobs Vacancy, Employment. The position supports the systems that underpin day-to-day operations. The post is based in Dar es Salaam.

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Role overview

The Associate WASH Officer assists in the provision of professional technical support and guidance on activities within the areas of Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) in the locations within the Areas of Responsibility (AoR).

Key responsibilities

• Empowering and Building Trust.
• Standard Job Description.
• That an adequate level of hygiene promotion service is provided at every site in accordance with the WASH entries in UNHCR's Emergency Handbook, UNHCR WASH Manual and WASH Guidelines, and applicable UNHCR Standards and/or National Standards.. This as well covers this will include coordination at site level with WASH partners in conjunction with the government authorities, and monitoring progress of WASH programme implementation.
• UNHCR and the Vice President's Office (VPO), as Executing Entities, are implementing this five-year project (2024-2029) under the overall supervision of the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) as the Accredited Entity.
• Desired languages.
• Supporting the identification and management of risks and seek to seize opportunities impacting objectives in the area of responsibility.
• Approval is requested to recruit a National Water Officer (NOB) under a temporary appointment arrangement to support the implementation of the Green Climate Fund (GCF) Project FP218: Building Climate Resilience in the Landscapes of Kigoma Region, Tanzania.
• Supporting the review and analysis of partner project proposals and budgetary submissions.
• Relevant Job Experience.
• Or other relevant field.
• In Regional Bureaux/HQ.
• Supporting operations to define the scope of UNHCR involvement, expressed in terms of overall and operational objectives while emergency, transition, and protracted phases.
• Engage with WASH actors (, Municipal Authorities, Utilities, and relevant government line ministries) for preparedness planning, inclusion in pro-poor tariffs, and provision of WASH services to the people we serve.
• FO-Complex field emergency operations.
• In Operations.
• Organizational Setting and Work Relationships.
• Field(s) of Education.
• This position requires Functional Clearance.
• Supporting the review and update WASH contingency plans for potential epidemics, refugee and returnee movement.
• Additional Qualifications.
• Making sure development of information, education and communication materials via community consultations, collaborating with women, girls, boys, men, elderly, persons with disability, and remaining potentially marginalised groups.
• The incumbent will oversee engineering activities aimed at reducing soil erosion and flood risks, support stakeholder engagement and land-use planning processes, prepare technical specifications and Bills of Quantities (BOQs), and provide technical oversight for water harvesting, irrigation, and watershed management infrastructure.
• Address gaps and overlaps in UNHCR funded WASH programmes and unmet needs, and the activities are oriented to addressing priority WASH issues.
• Ability to multi-task in a fast changing environment while handling competing priorities.
• Making sure decision making in risk based in the functional area of work.
• In emergencies, maintain communication with the sector staff in country to monitor the response and raise issues as they arise.
• Education.
• Judgement and Decision Making.
• PG-Programme Management (programme cycles & reporting standards).
• Supporting the advocacy for inclusion of every people we serve (the two in and out of settlements) inside national systems of WASH service provision.
• Settlement planning, shelter, energy, climate, innovative finance, protection, livelihoods and health.. This as well covers facilitate and provide support to a multi-sector team typically.
• Delays in recruitment would therefore directly affect project implementation timelines, achievement of project outputs, and compliance with donor commitments.
• Desired Candidate Profile.
• (Functional Skills marked with an asterisk* are essential).
• Contribute to global or regional level collaborations with a wide range of external WASH stakeholders, across the humanitarian and development spectrum, government entities, private sector and academia.
• Surveys, programme implementation, monitoring and evaluation, data management and coordination.. This as well covers proven expertise in the area of WASH.
• Commitment to Continuous Learning.
• Geographic Information Systems - Other.
• Competency Requirements.
• S/he will follow a rights-based and community focused approach to programme design and implementation, aligning with sustainable responses and inclusion from the start, where appropriate.
• Engage in a review of national and local standards and practices; advise on the alignment of humanitarian WASH programs with those.
• (Certificates and Licenses marked with an asterisk* are essential).
• Organizational Awareness.
• Type: Full time Jobs.
• Required languages (expected Overall ability is at least B2 level).
• The position is critical to the implementation schedule of the project.
• Facilitate capacity strengthening activities of UNHCR and its implementing/operational partners to address key areas of WASH importance to the people we serve.
• Draft routine sectorial reports and submit material for preparation of periodic project monitoring reports as required.
• UNHCR Salary Calculator.
• Carrying out remaining related duties as required.
• As individuals and as managers, every must be proactive in preventing and responding to inappropriate conduct, support ongoing dialogue on these matters and speaking up and seeking guidance and support from relevant UNHCR resources when these issues arise.
• Reporting and Accountability.
• Other information.
• Planning, budgeting and input to financial management of the programme.Where there are people we serve living outside of settlements, work with partners so that the enjoyment of the human right to water and sanitation by every people we serve.. This as well covers advise and assist the UNHCR programme staff on the development of WASH aspects of the programme.
• Jointly with WASH partners and remaining stakeholders, update detailed needs and resource assessments and revise designs and technical plans, taking into account practical aspects of implementation, long-term sustainable solutions, and relevant technical specifications and guidelines.
• Desirable.
• Technical Assistance and Capacity Building.
• Delivery of WASH services to beneficiaries meets UNHCR and /or nationally recognised and most up-to-date standards and policies.. This as well covers supporting the coordination of activities of WASH implementing partners, together with remaining UN agencies, governmental and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and other partners inside the AoR.
• Minimum Qualifications.
• For broad Service jobs: Knowledge of English and/or UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• Planning and Organizing.
• Staff Member / Affiliate Type.
• As part of UNHCR's implementation responsibilities under Outputs 2 and 3 of the project, the National Water Officer will provide the specialized technical expertise required to plan, coordinate, supervise, and monitor water-related and ecosystem restoration interventions.
• Given the technical complexity of the assignment and the need to coordinate with multiple government counterparts, implementing partners, contractors, and project stakeholders, the responsibilities warrant recruitment at the NOB level.
• The position might be located in Headquarters, in a Regional Bureau or in a Country Operation.
• Supporting alignment of WASH activities with UNHCR's WASH Manual, and remaining relevant strategies, WASH and environmental entries in UNHCR's Emergency Handbook, and the principles of the GCR.
• Supporting the collection and analysis of WASH and climate action data in the Technical Information Management System (TIMS).
• Every jobs at UNHCR require six core competencies and might as well require managerial competencies and/or cross-functional competencies. The six core competencies are listed below.
• They do so inside their delegated authorities, in line with the regulatory framework of UNHCR which includes the UN Charter, UN Staff Regulations and Rules, UNHCR Policies and Administrative Instructions as well as relevant accountability frameworks.
• Knowledge and understanding of water and wastewater hydraulics and physical, chemical and biological properties; solid waste management practices, vector control and hygiene promotion/awareness raising strategies.
• WA-WASH in emergencies.
• Functional Clearance.
• Water Resources Development; Public Health Engineering.
• August 8, 2026.
• Use community-based approaches, covering clear involvement of women, girls, boys, and men, elderly, persons with disabilities in the design of WASH related infrastructure, products, and services.
• Target Start Date.
• The incumbent will follow the five principles for protection, accountability and WASH as outlined in UNHCR's WASH Manual, as well as the principles of the GCR.
• EV-Environmental Mainstreaming.
• So that effective and delivery of project activities, the National Water Officer ought to be onboarded by August 2026.
• Environmental Engineering; Water/Sanitation Engineering.
• 2027-01-31.
• Every UNHCR workforce members must individually and collectively, contribute towards a working environment where every person feels safe, and empowered to perform their duties.
• Every such requirements are incorporated by reference in this Job Description and will be considered for the screening, shortlisting and selection of candidates.
• WASH Planning and Programme Support.
• Work with senior WASH staff (or Technical Officers/Coordinators) to support the implementation of sustainable responses in WASH programmes and the inclusion of refugees in national and local WASH systems and development plans, in close collaboration with a broad range of stakeholders (governments, humanitarian and development actors, donors, private sector and academia, among others).
• 2026-08-03.
• Facilitate WASH coordination among partners, ensuring that inclusive and good practice coordination structures for every technical sectors covered are in place, and that sector coordination functions at national and field levels are in line with operational and partner requirements.
• For P2/NOB - 3 years relevant experience with Undergraduate degree; or 2 years relevant experience with Graduate degree; or 1 year relevant experience with Doctorate degree.
• Report regularly on WASH activity implementation by every WASH partners, while maintaining accurate records of all relevant performance indicators.
• Technological Awareness.
• How to Apply.
• Core Competencies.
• The project seeks to enhance climate resilience and adaptive capacity among refugee and host communities in Kakonko, Kasulu, and Kibondo districts.
• This is a Standard Job Description for every UNHCR jobs with this job title and grade level.
• Communication.
• Civil Engineering; Hydrology.
• The development of transition plans and budgets, stakeholder coordination and the development of users' associations/committees/cooperatives.. This as well covers field level experience in leading transitions to local/national service providers in either WASH or energy,.
• Collate WASH services access data (for the two in-settlement and out-of-settlement) to identify and promote inclusion of people we serve inside national SDG 6 development plans and financing mechanisms and service delivery systems.
• National Professional Officer.
• Monitoring and Quality Assurance.
• Residential location (if applicable).
• At Headquarters or Regional level, the incumbent facilitates the work outlined above in relevant operations, supporting them with technical guidance, capacity building, data management and remaining requested support.
• For International Professional and Field Service jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English.
• Temporary > Temporary Assignment/ Appointment.
• Https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales.
• Managing Performance.
• Sexual harassment, sexism, gender inequality, discrimination, and abuse of power.. This as well covers includes by demonstrating no tolerance for sexual exploitation and abuse, harassment.
• Making sure community capacity building is carried out via multi-discipline teams working with women, girls, men, and boys of the community to train and empower them on WASH related aspects and menstrual health, hygiene promotion, operation and maintenance, monitoring and reporting, and remaining topics.
• Collate and contribute to analyse data on the satisfaction of people we serve with regards to WASH services.
• In addition, staff members are required to discharge their responsibilities in a manner consistent with the core, functional, cross-functional and managerial competencies and UNHCR's core values of professionalism, integrity and respect for diversity.
• Hardship Level.
• Every UNHCR staff members are accountable to perform their duties as reflected in their job description.
• They will aim to mainstream environmental considerations and climate action into WASH activities, while looking at overall sustainability of UNHCR WASH programs.
• Essential.
• WASH Strategy, Planning and Programme Support.
• Supporting the maintenance and application of a WASH strategy which identifies the targets and approaches for water supply, excreta management, personal and environmental hygiene (covering menstrual health), solid waste management, vector control, and institutional WASH facilities.
• Contribute to the development, updates and reporting of joint appeals, regional refugee response plans, regional refugee and migrant response plans, refugee and resilience plans, comprehensive responses.
• Contribute to technical assistance to UNHCR office(s) and programmes in the development, integration and mainstreaming of appropriate client-focused and cost-effective WASH programmes.
• WA-WASH for refugees and remaining persons of concern in out-of camp settings (urban WASH).
• In Country Operations, the Associate WASH Officer will support UNHCR, in coordination with the Government, to assess needs and coordinate the provision of WASH services to the people we serve.
• That people we serve are not being "left behind".. This as well covers monitoring the collection and recording of SDG 6 WASH access data in the WASH Monitoring System to enable comparative reporting against national averages,.
• Managerial Competencies.
• Where relevant, provide support to national government(s) for inclusion of the people we serve inside national SDG 6 development plans (Urban and Rural) and financing mechanisms and service delivery systems.
• Water-related activities under Output 3, which are to be implemented by the Vice President's Office inside host communities, cannot commence without the technical oversight and support provided by the National Water Officer.
• CO-Reporting skills.
• Contribute to capacity and competence building of UNHCR's staff on the two hardware and software components of WASH.
• So that wider reach out to the people we serve (refugees and their hosting communities) and ensure their close involvement in the delivery and management of the WASH services, the incumbent will need to establish an appropriate consultative and monitoring framework which would draw the experience and expertise of a wide range of actors the two internally and externally.
• In Country Operations, the Associate WASH Officer is normally supervised by (Senior) Programme, WASH Officer or Technical Officer/Coordinator and might receive technical guidance and support from the functional unit in Headquarters.
• Supporting the advocacy for the inclusion of forcibly displaced people and their hosting communities in regional, national and local WASH development plans.
• National Water Officer (NOB) - Green Climate Fund (GCF) Project.
• Raise risks, issues and concerns to a supervisor or to relevant functional colleague(s).
• Client & Result Orientation.
• Foster access by people we serve to feedback and accountability mechanisms for the WASH services.
• Making sure monitoring and quality assurance is carried out following UNHCR's WASH monitoring system and TIMS using standard resources for data collection, analysis and interpretation.
• Innovation and Creativity.
• CO-Reporting skills, EV-Environmental Mainstreaming, FO-Complex field emergency operations, IM-Information Management tools, PG-Programme Management (programme cycles and reporting standards), WA-WASH for refugees and remaining persons of concern in out-of camp settings (urban WASH), WA-WASH in emergencies.
• Category: NGO and Social Work JobsWASH Jobs.
• Geographic Information Systems.
• Teamwork & Collaboration.
• Good computer skills.
• Target End Date.
• The Operational Context might contain extra essential and/or desirable qualifications relating to the specific operation and/or position.
• Accountability.
• Providing input to adequate reporting, updates and briefings to donor and management.
• In addition, the incumbent will be expected to work inside multi-functional and interdisciplinary teams.
• Cross-Functional Competencies.
• That programmes are evidence-based and implemented in a comprehensive, protection sensitive, and cost-effective manner.. This as well covers supporting monitoring of WASH programmes against standard UNHCR and SDG indicators.
• Contribute to building key WASH strategic partnerships with development and humanitarian agencies to support inclusion of refugee WASH services inside national systems and development financing mechanisms.
• Coordination.
• Good interpersonal, written and spoken communication and data analysis skills and the capacity to interact with a variety of cultural and educational backgrounds.
• For National Professional jobs: Knowledge of English and UN working language of the duty station if not English and local language.
• Family Type.
• Work Experience.
• Knowledge and understanding of relationship between water, wastewater, solid waste, vector control to public health indicators, and value of hygiene promotion/awareness raising and behaviour change methodologies.
• Certificates and/or Licenses.
• Functional Skills.
• Job type complete-time Job, To submit your application, please follow the link provided below.
• IM-Information Management tools.
• Certifications.
• Language Requirements.

Requirements

• Https://icsc.un.org/Home/SalaryScales.
• Other information.
• Job type complete-time Job, To submit your application, please follow the link provided below.
• UNHCR Salary Calculator.
• How to Apply.
• Bachelor of Arts: Civil Engineering, Bachelor of Arts: Environmental Engineering, Bachelor of Arts: Hydrology, Bachelor of Arts: Public Health Engineering, Bachelor of Arts: Water/Sanitation Engineering, Bachelor of Arts: Water Resources Development.
• Years of Experience / Degree Level.

Key skills

• Environmental Sustainability
• Data Analysis
• Budgeting & Forecasting
• Talent Acquisition
• Stakeholder Engagement
• Quality Assurance
• Regulatory Compliance

How to apply

Apply through the UNHCR Jobs Vacancy, Employment careers portal for this Associate WASH Officer.

Apply on the UNHCR Jobs Vacancy, Employment site

Common questions

What role is open?

UNHCR Jobs Vacancy, Employment is recruiting a Associate WASH Officer.

Where is the job based?

The post is based in Dar es Salaam.

How do I apply?

Submit your application directly on the employer's official portal: Apply on the UNHCR Jobs Vacancy, Employment site