Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (Wash) Emergency Officer (Roster)

** Deadline to apply is 21 August 2026 **
Description of assignment title
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Officer (HER Roster)
Host entity
UNICEF Vietnam
Modality
Onsite
Type
National
Volunteer category
Specialist
Work schedule
Full-time
Number of Assignments
1
Assignment country
Viet Nam
Duty stations
Hanoi
Work location
On UN premises
Expected start date
[protected info]
Duration
12 months (with possibility of extension)
Context
The United Nations Volunteers (UNV) Regional Office for Asia and the Pacific (ROAP) has established the Humanitarian Emergency Response (HER) Roster to support speedy recruitment of qualified and motivated UN Volunteers for potential emergency response assignments. Candidates will be pre-screened based on their qualifications, experience, and suitability for the specific thematic or functional areas described in this Description of Assignment (DoA). Shortlisted candidates may remain in the UNV HER Roster for up to 6 months and be contacted should an emergency arise. Inclusion in the UNV HER Roster does not guarantee recruitment as a UN Volunteer. Selection and recruitment timelines will depend on the emergency occurrence, availability of candidates, and final approval by the UN host entity in accordance with Conditions of Service for UN Volunteers.
UNICEF Viet Nam is part of the United Nations Children's Fund, which works in more than 190 countries and territories, and is a member of the United Nations system in Viet Nam. Guided by the Convention on the Rights of the Child, UNICEF has a universal mandate to promote and protect the rights of every child. UNICEF has worked in Viet Nam since 1975 as a trusted partner of the Government and other national and international partners.
Today, UNICEF supports national efforts to ensure that all children in Viet Nam are safe from climate, disaster and environmental risks, healthy, educated, protected, heard, and able to reach their full potential. Under the UNICEF-Government of Viet Nam Country Programme 2027-2031, UNICEF places stronger emphasis on protecting children from climate, disaster and environmental risks, including through child-centred disaster risk reduction, emergency preparedness, anticipatory action, response and recovery, and climate-resilient essential services.
This focus responds to growing evidence that climate, disaster and environmental risks are no longer episodic events, but structural threats to children's rights in Viet Nam. The country is increasingly exposed to typhoons, floods, landslides, drought, heatwaves, saltwater intrusion, disease outbreaks and environmental health risks. Recent emergencies, including Typhoon Yagi in 2024 and the severe storm and flood events in 2025, have demonstrated the scale of risks to children, families and essential services, including water, sanitation and hygiene, health, nutrition, education, child protection and social protection. Children from ethnic minority communities, children with disabilities, children in remote and disaster-prone areas, and children from poor households are often disproportionately affected.
In this context, the WASH Emergency Officer will support UNICEF Viet Nam's WASH emergency preparedness and response work during 2026-2027. Under the direct supervision of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Officer, the ​Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Officer​ will contribute to strengthening UNICEF's operational readiness, risk analysis, early warning, emergency coordination, rapid assessments, preparedness tracking, documentation and response support for the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene sector. The assignment will help ensure timely, principled and child-centred humanitarian action in line with UNICEF's Core Commitments for Children in Humanitarian Action, while also strengthening linkages between emergency response, early recovery, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience programming.
Task description
Under the direct supervision of the WASH Officer, and working through this function to support UNICEF Viet Nam's office-wide WASH-related emergency preparedness and response work, the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Emergency Officer will provide operational, coordination, information management, documentation and capacity-building support to the Deputy Representative, WASH Programme, the Emergency Management Team and relevant UNICEF sections, as appropriate. Responsibilities include, but are not limited to:
Task 1: Support emergency WASH assessments, response planning, technical implementation and learning in line with agreed work plans and budgets.
1.1. Work with national and provincial counterparts to conduct rapid and post-disaster WASH assessments and translate findings into response priorities.
1.2. Provide technical support for emergency WASH response activities, ensuring quality, accountability and alignment with UNICEF's Core Commitments for Children.
1.3. Document key decisions, achievements, bottlenecks, lessons learned and good practices, and support After-Action Reviews and follow-up on agreed recommendations.
Task 2: Coordinate WASH supply distribution and Cash Plus for WASH recovery support, ensuring timely delivery, accountability and feedback mechanisms.
2.1. Coordinate with partners, supply colleagues and local authorities to deliver WASH supplies during emergencies and prepare regular distribution updates.
2.2. Work with finance service providers and local authorities to implement Cash Plus for WASH recovery, including beneficiary communication, feedback and follow-up.
Task 3: Support monitoring, community engagement and coordination for an inclusive and evidence-based WASH emergency response.
3.1. Conduct field monitoring visits, provide technical assistance and collect disaggregated data on beneficiary reach, needs and use of WASH assistance.
3.2. Engage local authorities, community leaders and affected communities to strengthen participation, ownership and accountability to women, children and people with disabilities.
3.3. Provide monitoring findings and technical inputs to WASH in Emergency coordination mechanisms to inform response planning and adjustments.