Senior WASH Officer | Somali

Internal/External

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IR/INT/EXT/VN/049.23
July 14, 2023

Post Title:                     Senior WASH Officer

Reports to:                  Area Coordinator

Duty Station:              Somali Regional State, Dekasuftu with frequent travel to Filtu, Guradamole and Kersadula

Salary:                            As per the organizations scale

Required:                     One (1)

Duration:                      Nine (9) months

  Introduction

Islamic Relief is an international relief and development charity founded in 1984 with its headquarters in Birmingham, UK. As well as responding to disasters and emergencies, Islamic Relief promotes sustainable economic and social development by working with local communities – regardless of race, religion or gender. The office officially started operation in Ethiopia in 2004. Islamic Relief Ethiopia (IRE) is operational in the Somali Regional State with a base office in Jigjiga, Hargelle, Elkere, Bare, GG and Dekasuftu, Afar Regional State; Ewa, Awra and Gulina; Oromia regional State, West Harergeye, Chiro and Meayso Woredas,Borena zone of Dire,Dubluk,Elewaye and Yabello woredas  and an additional operational office in Addis Ababa. For more information, please visit our website: http://www.islamic-relief.org/work-with-us

 Job Purpose

The Senior WASH Officer will be responsible for supporting the field-based WASH team for the successful implementation of WASH project activities including WASH infrastructure constructions and renovations in drought-affected communities in the project area through the capacity advancement of WASH team members. The post holder will provide strategic WASH Sector guidance and leadership under supervision in regular consultation with the supervisor and implements emergency WASH activities in Somali Regional State, Liben Zone, Dekasuftu, Filtu, Guradhamole, and Kersadula. Responsible for the technical contribution to the development, planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of the Emergency WASH activities to improve the improved WASH services in agropastoral communities that are affected by recurrent drought.

He/she will lead the design, monitoring, and evaluation of Islamic Relief’s Waterworks supplies together with the sanitation and hygiene components.  He/she will lead the overall WASH intervention and provide technical support in WASH thematic area to the field teams and represent Islamic Relief in the Regional National WASH forum and other related clusters. Central to his role will be building the capacity of field staff and relevant offices. The Senior WASH officer will support the WASH coordinator in all the oversight technical supervision, and management and provide inputs for the development of project technical proposals and reporting.

The senior WASH Officer will also be responsible for the timely implementation of the planned activities, documentation of the project plans, outputs, outcomes, and reporting as per the reporting schedule set by the project under close supervision of the Senior Project Officer.

Major Duties and Responsibilities of this post include:

Within the delegated authority and under the given organizational set-up, the incumbent may be assigned the primary, shared, or contributory accountabilities for all or part of the following areas of major duties and key end results. To improve the Water and Sanitation condition of the target beneficiaries, Senior WASH Officer will be primarily responsible to design, plan, implement, monitor, and evaluate Islamic Relief’s WASH Project in coordination with the Area coordinator, and WASH Coordinator. He/she is ultimately responsible for completing projects as planned and planned.

WASH Preparedness and Response

·          Identifies formal and informal sources of information and collects, and reports all available data on the evolving situation in the sector.

·          Keeps the effective flow of information and communication crucial for the planning and implementation of measures in the WASH sector.

·          Assists in organizing, mentoring, and couches project staff and partners to strengthen the capacity building in Emergency WASH preparedness and response.

·          Ensure that core WASH activities including (water scheme rehabilitation and upgrading) and targets are achieved through regular monitoring and supervision through coordinating with the field-based WASH team and ensuring the use of best technical and do no harm practices.;

·          Provides input in and contributes toward determining priorities and an appropriate intervention by Islamic Relief and coordinates with other partners to make a WASH assessment and feasibility study.

·          Collaborate with community group rehabilitation, government, UN agencies, and other partners who are active in WASH intervention in the area like Zonal and Woreda administrations and water sector and Disaster Risk Management officials so as to establish a conducive working environment, promote transparency, ensure support of sector offices, increase stakeholder participation

·          Provide support in ensuring strong cross-sector technical coordination.

·          Ensure timely delivery of assistance and procurement of emergency WASH supplies, and monitors the appropriate and effective use of Islamic Relief resources. Identifies problems and constraints in project delivery.

·          Led detailed WASH technical assessments and feasibility studies, and prepare BoQs for different WASH activities.

·          Share weekly WASH situation reports to concerned parties as required.

·          Assists in identifying longer-term requirements of WASH intervention/operations.

·          Regularly monitor WASH activities like construction hygiene and sanitation activities and coordinate with other sector interventions.

WASH Project

·          Participates in the implementation of plans of action for WASH project under his assignment.

·          Collects and analyses lessons learned from IR’s Emergency WASH operations experience.

·          Works with other colleagues to make sure that disaster prevention, mitigation, preparedness, and response strategies are mainstreamed.

·          Actively play a role towards community empowerment through community mobilization strategies and approaches, design operational strategies for community participation as working committees, women’s group, youth groups, etc.

·          Identify required Emergency WASH supplies, ensure the quality of materials, and prepare the bill of quantities.

·          Will monitor strategic wells scheme rehabilitation activities,

·          Support with designing and contextualizing specific WASH IEC materials.

·          Participate in the designing of IR standard WASH materials (for example CHC handbooks, and technical designs of WASH infrastructures) and support cascade training.

·          Support the WASH Coordinator in drafting, technical designs, and preparation of BoQs, briefing materials specifications, and responding to requests for WASH program information.

 Monitoring and reporting

·          Prepare a detailed project work plan, procurement plan, and spending plan for the Emergency WASH projects.

·          Monitor the implementation of Emergency WASH activities, ensure quality control, and conduct visits to the project area when necessary.

·          Monitoring progress by following up on the project work plan, procurement plan, and spending plan through coordination with relevant field project teams.

·          Raise procurement requests and monitor IR’s Budget versus Actuals Online system.

·          Through regular coordination with project teams, undertake regular monitoring of activities to assess progress, identify issues, collect information, maintain detailed records of program activities, and document lessons learned.

·          The development of detailed implementation plans, maintaining WASH rapid response capacity, and monitoring program delivery in line with Islamic Relief minimum standards for WASH according to standards, policies, and procedures of the organization and donor.

·          Undertakes frequent field visits to target communities, to assess local conditions and monitor project progress. Carries out project administration. Prepares inputs and updates for further appeals related to Water scheme facility construction, Hygiene, and sanitation promotion, lifesaving WASH items, and water distribution activities.

·          Prepare project annual and quarterly action plans and budget, when approved implement to achieve intended objectives, outputs, activities, and targets; collection of project data from field-based project teams for a monthly progress report.

·          Prepare and submit regular project Government reports to the Area Coordinator and technical reports to the regional liaison person and WASH Coordinators.

·          Assign and manage project staff performance and development under his/her supervision;

·          Oversee administrative, financial, and management aspects to ensure successful and timely implementation of planned activities and appropriate expenditure of funds.

General

·          Always prioritize staff safety and security at all levels of project implementation.

·          Where necessary, participate in the recruitment of new members/ staff of the WASH project team.

·          Ensure the timely submission of funds and supply requests by preparing relevant documents, e.g. PR.

·          Perform any other tasks assigned by the WASH Coordinator and/or Head of Programs as appropriate.

Personal Specification

Formal Education/Qualification and

·          University bachelor’s degree in Water Resources Management, hydraulics, Environmental, or any other related discipline with hand on emergency WASH experience and training.

Work Experience

·          At least 5 years of relevant experience preferably working in NGO setups.

Skills and Competences

·          Demonstrated skills in design preparation, bill of quantities, and specifications

·          Proven skills in project planning, design, implementation, and M&E;

·          Demonstrated ability in the proposal and report writing skills;

·          Proven management and people coaching, mentoring, and supervisory skills;

·          Good communication skills, ability to convey complex information in a straightforward manner to target communities and staff under his supervision.

·          Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relations with multicultural and multi-ethnic teams, including working with partner organizations

·          Experience in training and capacity building and ability to carry out training needs analysis and develop capacity building, Mentoring, and coaching skills

·          Ability to work in hardship and longer hours and good skill of data collection

·          Proven experience in networking, influencing, and negotiation skills

·          Strong commitment and sympathy to core Islamic Relief Values

·          Knowledge of the government’s current systems and policy environment specifically at the Woreda level;

·          Willing to work in remote areas, committed to challenging   work, and value-centered individual;

·          Fluency in oral and written communications in English.  Knowledge of local culture and language is preferable.

·          Demonstrated skills working in computer software, Spreadsheet, etc.

Safeguarding and Equal Opportunity

Islamic Relief and Islamic Relief staff considers the welfare and protection of children, young people and people at risk to be paramount to the organization. And must adhere the principle of ‘do no harm and leave no one behind.’ It is critical we do not expose communities or staff we work with to the risk of harm through our interventions.  With a zero tolerance approach Islamic Relief have a number of related policies which also describe standards in behavior expected from the organization, its staff and representatives towards each other and those we serve. Islamic Relief is committed to responding swiftly, appropriately and constructively to any and all information children, young people and people at risk have disclosed.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. We participate in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme and will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and child abuse during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment before signing the contract agreement.

Islamic Relief believes everyone has the right to be safe, respected and valued regardless of who they are or their circumstances, and an equal employment opportunity to all candidates and qualified applicants, we do not discriminate on the base of age, sex, race, color, religion, national or ethnic origin, disability status and diversity.