Sustainable and Blended Finance Consultant - Financing Groundwater Schemes, Office of Innov

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

The Sustainable and Blended Finance Specialist (the Specialist) will bring their expertise in support to the Senior Adviser Sustainable Financing (SF) to offer expert advice and guidance around the Sustainable Finance work of the Hub in development and humanitarian contexts.

More specifically, the consultant will support UNICEF in designing feasible, scalable, and sustainable financial models for groundwater development in the ASAL region. Working with the Kenya Country Office and WASH Hub finance and water specialists, the consultant will:

• Analyze groundwater scheme cost structures, O&M profiles, and lifecycle costing.
• Assess revenue, tariffs, subsidies, and expenditure patterns across counties and utilities.
• Map public, private, community and blended financing instruments suitable for groundwater schemes.
• Provide actionable financing pathways for up to four pilot sites.

The outcomes will help inform future groundwater pilots and investment strategies.

The successful candidate will report to the Senior Adviser, Sustainable Financing responsible for SF in the Hub, and assist in driving projects to scale in close collaboration with the Senior Adviser, Innovation and the Hub Portfolio Manager. The successful candidate will also work collaboratively with the WASH GPD Centre of Excellence and UNICEF Country Offices.

Minimum requirements:

Education: Advanced degree in Finance, Economics, Civil or Public Engineering, Development Finance, Business Administration, or related field.

* A first University Degree in a relevant field combined with 2 additional years of professional experience may be accepted in lieu of an Advanced University Degree.

Work Experience:

• Minimum 8 years of professional experience in WASH finance, utility finance, infrastructure finance, or public financial management.
• Strong understanding of water sector or financial and governance frameworks in East Africa
• Demonstrated experience in financial modelling, tariff analysis, affordability studies, or cost recovery assessments.
• Experience working in or with low‑ and middle‑income countries; UNICEF programme countries preferred.

Skills: Strong analytical, report-writing, strategic thinking, and communication skills.

Language Requirements: Fluency in English required.

Desirables:

• Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts.
• Experience with climate finance or blended finance is an asset.
• Local languages is an asset.
• Experience with UN system or development organizations is an asset.

Travel:

• The position is remotely based.
• The consultant is expected to travel in Kenya with travel to Northern Kenya counties two times at 5 days at a time.
• The consultant is expected to spend up to two weeks at the WASH Hub in Copenhagen at 5 days at a time.
• The consultant is responsible for arranging his/her own travel, including visa and travel insurance.

Payment details and further considerations:

Payment of professional fees will be based on the submission of agreed deliverables. UNICEF reserves the right to withhold payment in case the deliverables submitted are not up to the required standard or in case of delays in submitting the deliverables on the part of the consultant.

How to apply:

• Interested applicants are required to submit a financial proposal with all-inclusive fee. Please see the financial proposal template Consultancy Financial Offer template.docx.
• Financial proposal must include travel costs (economy class) and daily subsistence allowance, if travel is required as per TOR and any other estimated costs: visa, travel/health insurance.
• Applications without a financial proposal will not be considered.

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