Water Sanitation and Hygiene Officer (Retainer Contract)

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations,  supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and  development projects around the world. UNOPS supports partners to build a better future by providing services that increase the efficiency, effectiveness and sustainability of peacebuilding, humanitarian  and development projects. Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations. 

In Pakistan, UNOPS aims to make significant strides in promoting sustainable development, aiding the federal and provincial government in Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) attainment, and establishing itself as a reliable provider of efficient services for development programming around Climate Adaptation, Basic Service Delivery and Energy Efficiency. Operational since 1999, UNOPS Pakistan (Project Office) is part of the South Asia Multi-Country Office (SAMCO) in the Asia Pacific Region.

The project "Improved Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh" aims to enhance WASH infrastructure, capacity building, and community resilience in flood-affected areas. The project aims at improving access to clean and safe water, hygiene and sanitation and increasing the resilience of communities affected by floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces 

The project is articulated around three main components:

•  Improve quality and reach of water supply services and increase access to community and household sanitation (Infrastructure);

•  Provide more effective, gender-responsive, and transparent WASH services through enhanced capacity of government and communities (Capacity Building);

•  Reduce waterborne diseases and improve the resilience of communities

The consultant will support oversight of ongoing implementations in District Tank, ensuring alignment with project goals and quality standards. The consultant will provide intermittent technical support to monitor WASH infrastructure implementations in the District Tank. 

Key responsibilities include:

1. Field Monitoring & Quality Assurance:

• Conduct monthly site visits to assess the quality, progress, and compliance of WASH infrastructure works (e.g., water supply systems, and sanitation facilities) against approved designs, BoQs, and timelines. This includes the capacity-building part before the handover. 
• Verify adherence to Health, Safety, Social, and Environmental (HSSE) protocols.
• Support the WASH team in troubleshooting and capacity building where required. 

1. Reporting & Recommendations:

• Submit concise weekly reports (during active duty weeks) to the Project Manager, covering:
• Progress against work plans.
• Identified issues (technical, logistical, or social) and proposed corrective actions.
• Risks (e.g., delays, quality gaps) and mitigation measures.
• Provide real-time recommendations to contractors and project teams to resolve on-site problems.

1. Stakeholder Coordination:

• Liaise with contractors, local authorities (e.g., Public Health Engineering Department), and community representatives to address bottlenecks.
• Support the Community Engagement during implementations where needed.

1. Capacity Building Support:

• Monitor the implementation of training programs for local technicians/government staff and report on effectiveness.

Deliverables

• Monthly field visit reports (template provided by UNOPS).
• Incident/HSSE reports (if applicable).
• Updated progress trackers with photographic evidence.
• Final summary report per retainer cycle (highlighting key achievements and challenges)

Education:

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Water Resources, or related field.
• Master’s degree in the above disciplines is preferred but not required and my substitute for the years of experience required

Experience:

• Minimum 2 years in WASH infrastructure supervision, preferably in southern KP
• Experience in contract management, quality control, and HSSE compliance.
• Familiarity with AutoCAD/Hydraulic software is an advantage.

Languages

• Proficiency in English (reporting) and local languages (Pashto).

Mobility:

• Willingness to travel frequently to remote sites in District Tank. This is Home-based position (with weekly travel to project sites in District Tank, KPK)

  
  

1. Contract type: Local ICA Specialist
2. Contract level: LICA 8
3. Contract duration: Initially for 8 month until 31 Dec 2025

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 

• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.