wash specialist

Background Information - Job-specific

The project "Improved Access to Water and Sanitation Services in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh" was initiated in September 2021. The project aims at improving access to clean and safe water, hygiene, and sanitatio,n and increasing the resilience of communities affected by floods in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Sindh provinces. It is expected to last 5 years, until December 2026.

The project is articulated around three main components:

• Improve the 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 through improved community and household hygiene practices (Behavioral Change).

The project started with a participatory needs assessment phase in coordination with all its stakeholders in view of identifying priorities and precising the specific outputs under each of the three components of the project. The project is now in its implementation stage.

Under the overall supervision of the WASH Project Manager, the WASH Retainer will provide technical leadership and donor engagement support to UNOPS Pakistan's Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) programme.The retainer will contribute to ensuring the technical quality and strategic alignment of ongoing and upcoming WASH projects, especially in supporting soft component development (e.g. capacity-building and trainings) for government counterparts. The consultant will also play a key role in strengthening UNOPS positioning in the WASH sector and supporting partnership development and resource mobilization.

Objectives of the Assignment

• Ensure strategic and technical quality of WASH programming in Pakistan, aligned with national priorities and donor expectations.
• Identify, design, and support implementation of WASH soft activities (e.g. trainings, capacity-building, stakeholder engagement) for government counterparts and communities.
• Enhance UNOPS visibility and positioning within the WASH sector at provincial and national levels.
• Support resource mobilization, proposal development, and donor engagement aligned with sectoral priorities

Functional Responsibilities

A. Strategic & Technical Leadership

• Provide high-level technical guidance to ensure quality, relevance, and sustainability of WASH programming.
• Develop or refine WASH strategy and technical frameworks in alignment with UNOPS policies and regional/global strategies.
• Support the implementation of WASH activities to ensure quality, timeliness, budget compliance, and alignment with donor requirements, while providing guidance on implementation and quality standards
• Identify and plan soft WASH activities in Sindh and KPK (e.g. trainings, capacity development workshops, technical exchanges) in coordination with government stakeholders and sector actors.
• Ensure designs and methodologies are culturally appropriate, environmentally sound, and cost-effective.
• Provide on-demand technical advice to field teams and review technical documents, assessments, and deliverables.

B. Donor Engagement & Resource Mobilization

• Analyse global and regional donor landscapes, identify emerging opportunities and trends.
• Prepare donor engagement briefs (including objectives, eligibility criteria, decision-making timelines, and contact mapping).
• Draft high-quality concept notes, proposals, theories of change, logframes, budgets, ESG risk screens, and gender plans aligned with donor templates and UNOPS standards.
• Support UNOPS partnerships team in identifying programme development opportunities, new funding sources, and strategic partnerships.
• Be available for donor meetings and sectoral forums, as delegated, and develop talking points, pitch decks, and meeting briefs.

C. Stakeholder Engagement and Sector Coordination

• Engage with relevant stakeholders including government bodies, UN agencies, and WASH partners to promote collaboration and coherence.
• Identify opportunities for cross-sectoral integration of WASH with protection, health, education, and environment.
• Update and maintain a mapping of WASH actors, resources, and interventions in project areas.
• Support coordination efforts through active participation in relevant inter-agency WASH sector meetings and working groups.
• Facilitate the alignment of partner activities with national WASH priorities and community needs.

Deliverables

• Detailed workplan with timelines aligned with UNOPS priorities.
• Soft activity implementation plans (Sindh and KPK) with stakeholder consultation records.
• Concept notes/proposals submitted to donors with all required documentation.
• Updated WASH actor mapping and engagement tracker.
• Training or capacity-building materials developed or reviewed.
• Technical review notes on project deliverables as required.

WASH,Stakeholder Engagement,Leadership

1

August 26, 2025

September 7, 2025

UNOPS

Project Management

Full Time/Permanent

Bachelors

LICA-10 (equivalent to NO-C)

6 Years