UNICEF Hiring Gender Equality Consultant – Remote Opportunity | 15.5-Month Consultancy | Apply by August 19, 2026
UNICEF is inviting applications for a Gender Equality Consultant – Accelerating Sanitation and Water for All (ASWA) Programme consultancy within its Child Survival and Development Centre of Excellence and WASH Global Practice. The consultancy is based in Nairobi, Kenya, with a remote working arrangement and a contract duration of 15.5 months.
The opportunity is designed for an experienced professional with substantial expertise in gender equality, WASH programming, knowledge management, advocacy, evidence generation and technical assistance. The application deadline is 19 August 2026.
About the UNICEF Gender Equality Consultant Role
The consultancy will provide technical, facilitation and knowledge-management support to help UNICEF and ASWA country programmes integrate gender-intentional approaches into WASH programming.
The ASWA programme currently supports eight countries: Mali, Nigeria, Niger, Côte d’Ivoire, Burkina Faso, Mozambique, Tanzania and Somalia. The programme aims to strengthen WASH systems and accelerate progress toward universal access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
The consultant will also help consolidate and share evidence and practical lessons generated through ASWA implementation, positioning gender-equitable WASH approaches within broader global initiatives.
Key Areas of Work
The assignment is structured around three major areas of work:
- Thought leadership, knowledge and evidence generation
- Advocacy, partnerships and strategic influence
- Capacity building and technical support to UNICEF country offices
The consultant will contribute to technical leadership, knowledge products, evidence generation and cross-sectoral collaboration involving WASH, climate, health and nutrition.
Responsibilities will include developing technical briefs, presentations and learning resources, documenting programme experiences and lessons, and supporting the preparation of a comprehensive final ASWA report.
The successful consultant will also support advocacy objectives by presenting ASWA gender approaches and results at global and regional events. They will engage with international coordination mechanisms and help develop evidence-based advocacy messages designed to influence sector dialogue.
Technical Assistance and Capacity Building
A significant component of the consultancy will involve providing ongoing technical assistance to UNICEF country offices.
The consultant will support the implementation and monitoring of GALA Action Plans and encourage replication of the GALA methodology in additional country offices. The role will also involve developing technical guidance, coaching, training and peer-learning activities connected to the WASH-GAP 2030 agenda and WASH Academia.
This makes the opportunity particularly relevant to professionals who have experience providing technical support across multiple countries and contexts and who can translate specialist knowledge into practical guidance for programme teams.
UNICEF Consultancy Requirements
UNICEF is seeking highly experienced candidates for this assignment. Applicants must have a Master’s degree in gender studies, social sciences, public health, water and sanitation, civil engineering, international development or a related field.
Candidates must also have at least 15 years of progressively responsible experience in WASH programming, including experience integrating gender-intentional approaches into WASH programmes. Fluency in English is required, while working knowledge of French or another UN language is an asset.
Additional skills include knowledge of the global WASH development community and its stakeholders, experience in knowledge management and evidence generation, strong report-writing capabilities, and experience delivering capacity building and technical assistance to country teams across different regions.
Excellent facilitation, communication and advocacy skills are also important. Familiarity with the ASWA programme and GALA methodology is considered a strong advantage, while previous experience with UNICEF or another UN organisation is also desirable.
Application Documents
Qualified candidates are required to submit an updated TMS profile and CV, cover letter and separate financial proposal. Applicants must also provide a technical proposal demonstrating their methodology, technical capacity and relevant experience.
The technical proposal must explain how the consultant would address the assignment’s requirements across evidence generation, advocacy, partnerships, strategic influence, capacity building and technical support. UNICEF specifies that the technical proposal should be no more than 10 pages.
Deadline and How to Apply
The UNICEF Gender Equality Consultant position was advertised on 10 August 2026, and applications close on 19 August 2026 at East Africa Standard Time. The position is a 15.5-month remote consultancy associated with UNICEF’s Nairobi duty station.
Interested professionals should carefully review the Terms of Reference and prepare all required application documents before submitting their application through the UNICEF recruitment portal.
UNICEF also states that it does not charge any processing fee at any stage of recruitment, selection or hiring and will not request applicants’ bank account information.
For experienced WASH and gender-equality professionals, this consultancy offers an opportunity to contribute to global efforts to make water, sanitation and hygiene programming more gender-responsive while supporting evidence, advocacy and capacity development across multiple countries.
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