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UNICEF-WASH Sector Coordinator-P4-Kingston, Jamaica
Kingston, JamaicaPosition Title: WASH Sector Coordinator
Receiving Agency: UNICEF
P Level: P4
Location: Kingston, Jamaica
Duration: 3 months
Language: English
- Excellent coordination skills with ability to work effectively with government entities, United Nations agencies, non-governmental organizations, donors, and International Financial Institutions.
- Strategic thinking with ability to adapt rapidly to changing contexts while maintaining focus on results and accountability.
- Strong leadership and communication skills, able to facilitate consensus among diverse actors and present complex issues clearly to various audiences.
- Commitment to accountability to affected populations and child safeguarding principles.
Technical Competencies
- Solid experience in WASH emergency response programming in conflict-affected contexts, including assessment methodologies, response modalities, and accountability frameworks.
- Understanding of water supply and sanitation systems in urban and rural contexts, including technical aspects of water treatment, distribution networks, wastewater management, and district heating systems.
- Knowledge of contingency planning and preparedness approaches for infrastructure-dependent services in conflict contexts.
- Familiarity with institutional capacity building methodologies and coordination mechanisms in humanitarian contexts.
- Experience with monitoring and evaluation systems for humanitarian programming.
- Understanding of resource mobilization strategies and donor requirements.
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.
Receiving Agency: UNICEF
P Level: P4
Location: Kingston, Jamaica
Duration: 3 months
Language: English
Background and Context
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica in late October 2025, bringing severe rainfall, flooding, and landslides that have significantly affected water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services across multiple parishes. The damage to water infrastructure and sanitation facilities, combined with population displacement and disruption of health and education services, poses an increased risk of waterborne diseases and other public health emergencies.
UNICEF estimates that 864,000 people, including 280,000 children, are affected. Initial priorities include restoring access to safe water and sanitation, resuming primary health care and nutrition services, protecting vulnerable children and adolescents, ensuring continuity of education, and providing cash and in-kind assistance to stabilize households’ immediate needs for food and shelter.
The WASH Sector in Jamaica, led by the MoHW and co-led by UNICEF, is coordinating the national response to ensure the rapid restoration of essential WASH services, equitable assistance to affected populations, and early recovery of WASH systems.
To strengthen coordination, leadership, and strategic direction of the WASH response, UNICEF is looking at deploying an emergency WASH Sector Coordinator for a period of 3 months. The deployment aims to ensure immediate coordination of the WASH response, reinforce national coordination capacity and support transition toward national leadership and system strengthening.
UNICEF's Current WASH Response and Challenges
UNICEF is currently responding in WASH through two NGO, Water Mission and Food for the Poor, who are implementing water treatment, water trucking distribution of hygiene kit, construction of temporary water storage. UNICEF has also brought a large number of WASH supplies (hygiene kits mosquito net, bladders, collapsible jerrican etc.) that are distributed to population in shelters through both NGO and government. We are also facilitating restoration of centralized water servicing by the government, and supporting them in developing the reconstruction plan that will be presented to development donors. UNICEF is also ensuring emergency WASH sector coordination and information management services, although our capacity is currently stretch at the moment. Challenges include the large geographical area affected by the storm, the complex network of centralized water supply systems that existed in Jamaica where nearly 100% of the population has access to water supply at home, the widespread destruction of homes and public institution such as schools and health centers.
Purpose of the Assignment
Under the supervision of the UNICEF deputy representative in Jamaica, in close collaboration with the UNICEF emergency team (UNICEF emergency officer, UNICEF WASH IM, UNICEF surge WASH specialist) and in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), ODPEM, and WASH partners, the emergency WASH sector Coordinator will provide leadership, strategic guidance, and coordinate the
Hurricane Melissa made landfall in Jamaica in late October 2025, bringing severe rainfall, flooding, and landslides that have significantly affected water supply, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services across multiple parishes. The damage to water infrastructure and sanitation facilities, combined with population displacement and disruption of health and education services, poses an increased risk of waterborne diseases and other public health emergencies.
UNICEF estimates that 864,000 people, including 280,000 children, are affected. Initial priorities include restoring access to safe water and sanitation, resuming primary health care and nutrition services, protecting vulnerable children and adolescents, ensuring continuity of education, and providing cash and in-kind assistance to stabilize households’ immediate needs for food and shelter.
The WASH Sector in Jamaica, led by the MoHW and co-led by UNICEF, is coordinating the national response to ensure the rapid restoration of essential WASH services, equitable assistance to affected populations, and early recovery of WASH systems.
To strengthen coordination, leadership, and strategic direction of the WASH response, UNICEF is looking at deploying an emergency WASH Sector Coordinator for a period of 3 months. The deployment aims to ensure immediate coordination of the WASH response, reinforce national coordination capacity and support transition toward national leadership and system strengthening.
UNICEF's Current WASH Response and Challenges
UNICEF is currently responding in WASH through two NGO, Water Mission and Food for the Poor, who are implementing water treatment, water trucking distribution of hygiene kit, construction of temporary water storage. UNICEF has also brought a large number of WASH supplies (hygiene kits mosquito net, bladders, collapsible jerrican etc.) that are distributed to population in shelters through both NGO and government. We are also facilitating restoration of centralized water servicing by the government, and supporting them in developing the reconstruction plan that will be presented to development donors. UNICEF is also ensuring emergency WASH sector coordination and information management services, although our capacity is currently stretch at the moment. Challenges include the large geographical area affected by the storm, the complex network of centralized water supply systems that existed in Jamaica where nearly 100% of the population has access to water supply at home, the widespread destruction of homes and public institution such as schools and health centers.
Purpose of the Assignment
Under the supervision of the UNICEF deputy representative in Jamaica, in close collaboration with the UNICEF emergency team (UNICEF emergency officer, UNICEF WASH IM, UNICEF surge WASH specialist) and in coordination with the Ministry of Health and Wellness (MoHW), ODPEM, and WASH partners, the emergency WASH sector Coordinator will provide leadership, strategic guidance, and coordinate the
emergency WASH Sector coordination platform to Hurricane Melissa in Jamaica, fulfilling the usual 6 functions of the WASH cluster coordination:
Key Responsibilities
1. Supporting Service Delivery
Facilitate the coordination of WASH actors to ensure coverage, avoid duplication, and promote complementarity of efforts. Facilitate regular WASH coordination meetings (national and parish-level), ensuring participation, clear agendas, and follow-up on action points. Facilitate gap analysis, partner mapping, and coverage monitoring to identify priority areas for intervention.
2. Informing Strategic Decision-Making
Promote joint needs assessments, harmonized standards, and coordinated response planning among partners. Provide analysis and information to guide humanitarian response priorities and strategic planning.
3. Planning and Strategy Development
Develop and update the WASH sector response plan and strategy based on assessed needs and agreed priorities. Ensure integration of WASH activities with other sectors (Health, Shelter, Education, Protection) and inter-agency coordination platforms (OCHA, UNCT, CDEMA).
4. Advocacy
Identify and address gaps, overlaps, and constraints in the WASH response, and advocate for resources and policy support. Advocate for prioritization of WASH in response and recovery efforts and mobilize resources for critical gaps. Support the preparation of inputs to donor briefings, situation reports, and public communication materials.
Represent the WASH Cluster in inter-sectoral coordination forums and with government and donors.
5. Monitoring and Reporting
Track progress of the WASH response against agreed objectives, indicators, and targets, ensuring accountability. Ensure that key WASH indicators are defined, monitored, and reported in coordination with IM colleagues.
6. Contingency Planning, Preparedness, and Capacity Building
Support MoHW in leading coordination, ensuring national leadership and partner engagement. Strengthen national and local capacities for preparedness, early action, and resilient WASH systems. Facilitate a smooth transition from emergency response to early recovery and system strengthening Document lessons learned, good practices, and recommendations for future responses.
7. +1. Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)
Ensure that affected people are at the center of the response, promoting participation, feedback, and equitable access to services.
Key Responsibilities
1. Supporting Service Delivery
Facilitate the coordination of WASH actors to ensure coverage, avoid duplication, and promote complementarity of efforts. Facilitate regular WASH coordination meetings (national and parish-level), ensuring participation, clear agendas, and follow-up on action points. Facilitate gap analysis, partner mapping, and coverage monitoring to identify priority areas for intervention.
2. Informing Strategic Decision-Making
Promote joint needs assessments, harmonized standards, and coordinated response planning among partners. Provide analysis and information to guide humanitarian response priorities and strategic planning.
3. Planning and Strategy Development
Develop and update the WASH sector response plan and strategy based on assessed needs and agreed priorities. Ensure integration of WASH activities with other sectors (Health, Shelter, Education, Protection) and inter-agency coordination platforms (OCHA, UNCT, CDEMA).
4. Advocacy
Identify and address gaps, overlaps, and constraints in the WASH response, and advocate for resources and policy support. Advocate for prioritization of WASH in response and recovery efforts and mobilize resources for critical gaps. Support the preparation of inputs to donor briefings, situation reports, and public communication materials.
Represent the WASH Cluster in inter-sectoral coordination forums and with government and donors.
5. Monitoring and Reporting
Track progress of the WASH response against agreed objectives, indicators, and targets, ensuring accountability. Ensure that key WASH indicators are defined, monitored, and reported in coordination with IM colleagues.
6. Contingency Planning, Preparedness, and Capacity Building
Support MoHW in leading coordination, ensuring national leadership and partner engagement. Strengthen national and local capacities for preparedness, early action, and resilient WASH systems. Facilitate a smooth transition from emergency response to early recovery and system strengthening Document lessons learned, good practices, and recommendations for future responses.
7. +1. Accountability to Affected Populations (AAP)
Ensure that affected people are at the center of the response, promoting participation, feedback, and equitable access to services.
Accountability
The post holder is accountable to the UNICEF Deputy Representative Programme in Jamaica County Office. The coordinator will provide regular reporting on progress against deliverables, emerging risks, coordination outcomes, and strategic recommendations.
Critical Deliverables
1. Consolidation of WASH sector need assessments processes at site, parish and national level
2. Functioning WASH coordination mechanism at national and parish levels with clear roles, minutes, and follow-up actions.
3. WASH Response Plan and 3W/4W partner mapping (or similar tool) regularly updated and shared.
4. Monthly situation reports summarizing progress, coverage, gaps, and priorities.
5. Joint monitoring missions and response review conducted with partners.
6. Roadmap for transition from emergency response to early recovery and system strengthening.
Minimum requirements
Education
Advanced university degree in WASH, public health, environmental engineering, humanitarian response, or a related field.
Experience
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in emergency WASH response, including 2 in cluster/sector coordination roles.
• Proven experience in cluster/sector coordination, preferably under the Cluster / IASC framework.
• Strong understanding of humanitarian coordination mechanisms, preparedness, and recovery planning.
• Experience in the Caribbean or small island developing states (SIDS) context is an asset.
Skills and Competencies
• Strong leadership, facilitation, and negotiation skills.
• Excellent communication and representation skills with government and partners.
• Proven ability to manage complex coordination processes and build consensus.
• Fluency in English required;
Competencies
Core Competencies
- Strong understanding of humanitarian principles, cluster coordination approaches, and humanitarian-development nexus in conflict contexts.
The post holder is accountable to the UNICEF Deputy Representative Programme in Jamaica County Office. The coordinator will provide regular reporting on progress against deliverables, emerging risks, coordination outcomes, and strategic recommendations.
Critical Deliverables
1. Consolidation of WASH sector need assessments processes at site, parish and national level
2. Functioning WASH coordination mechanism at national and parish levels with clear roles, minutes, and follow-up actions.
3. WASH Response Plan and 3W/4W partner mapping (or similar tool) regularly updated and shared.
4. Monthly situation reports summarizing progress, coverage, gaps, and priorities.
5. Joint monitoring missions and response review conducted with partners.
6. Roadmap for transition from emergency response to early recovery and system strengthening.
Minimum requirements
Education
Advanced university degree in WASH, public health, environmental engineering, humanitarian response, or a related field.
Experience
• Minimum of 8 years of relevant experience in emergency WASH response, including 2 in cluster/sector coordination roles.
• Proven experience in cluster/sector coordination, preferably under the Cluster / IASC framework.
• Strong understanding of humanitarian coordination mechanisms, preparedness, and recovery planning.
• Experience in the Caribbean or small island developing states (SIDS) context is an asset.
Skills and Competencies
• Strong leadership, facilitation, and negotiation skills.
• Excellent communication and representation skills with government and partners.
• Proven ability to manage complex coordination processes and build consensus.
• Fluency in English required;
Competencies
Core Competencies
- Strong understanding of humanitarian principles, cluster coordination approaches, and humanitarian-development nexus in conflict contexts.
- Strategic thinking with ability to adapt rapidly to changing contexts while maintaining focus on results and accountability.
- Strong leadership and communication skills, able to facilitate consensus among diverse actors and present complex issues clearly to various audiences.
- Commitment to accountability to affected populations and child safeguarding principles.
Technical Competencies
- Solid experience in WASH emergency response programming in conflict-affected contexts, including assessment methodologies, response modalities, and accountability frameworks.
- Understanding of water supply and sanitation systems in urban and rural contexts, including technical aspects of water treatment, distribution networks, wastewater management, and district heating systems.
- Knowledge of contingency planning and preparedness approaches for infrastructure-dependent services in conflict contexts.
- Familiarity with institutional capacity building methodologies and coordination mechanisms in humanitarian contexts.
- Experience with monitoring and evaluation systems for humanitarian programming.
- Understanding of resource mobilization strategies and donor requirements.
CANADEM and its partners have a no-tolerance policy for inaction to prevent, respond to and follow up on alleged cases of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (SEAH). For this reason, we adhere to all policies, procedures and training of the United Nations on The Prevention of Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment (PSEAH). CANADEM mandates all deployees successfully complete the PSEA online course. This e-learning course is composed of a set of lessons designed to raise awareness about SEAH, become familiar with a range of measures to combat SEAH, understand the impact on victims and the consequences for UN Personnel who commit Sexual Exploitation, Abuse, and Harassment.