WASH Assistant

Eligibility criteria

Minimum age: 22 years old. Applicants must be nationals of or legal residents in the country of assignment.

Description of task

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of WASH Officer or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UNV WASH Assistant will:

Strategy and Policy

• Support the implementation of UNHCR’s Strategic Plan for WASH activities.

• Adapt internationally accepted standards, policies, and guidelines for WASH accordingly to the unique situation of UNHCR’s persons of concern and the country context.

• Ensure UNHCR WASH standards are respected in the delivery of WASH services to UNHCR PoCs.

  Technical Assistance

• Consolidate and provide technical guidance, in consultation with WASH Officer, and support to partners on all WASH-related issues to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, sustainability and environmental soundness in their implementation.

• Support the WASH Officer and Field Associate-WASH in Jam-Jang sub office in acting as focal person on water, sanitation and hygiene promotion issues within UNHCR and liaise governmental and nongovernmental counterparts.

• Review on a regular basis the quantity and quality of water, sanitation and hygiene services delivered and ensures the maintenance of records of WASH performance indicators for all locations.

• Review performance, undertake field verifications, monitor development and evaluate activities and approaches adopted by partners in WASH and related sectors, sharing the results with the WASH Officer in Jamjang.

• Formulate appropriate designs and corrective measures with a particular focus on hygiene promotion, public health risk prevention and reduction as well as natural resources management, in consultation with the WASH Officer, Jam-Jang and UNHCR Jam-Jang sub office.

• Promote PoC involvement and participation in all the different stages of the WASH project cycle.

• Liaise with other sectors, particularly Site Planning, Health, Nutrition, Protection, Community Based Protection and Field, to locate, plan, implement and monitor WASH activities.

• Ensure that regular and accurate reports that analyze the challenges encountered in providing WASH services for beneficiaries are prepared and circulated.

• Participate in the preparation of all reports for management, donors, partner budget reviews, camp Water Monitoring System (WMS)/report cards, programme analysis, weekly, monthly, annual reports etc. in a timely manner.

• Provide technical advice to the WASH Officer in Jamjang and UNHCR Jamjang Sub Office Management on any WASH related issues.

• Support the WASH Officer and Field Associate - WASH to lead the WASH sector coordination.

  Advocacy

• Advocate on all issues relating to WASH and refugees and other persons of concern to UNHCR both within and outside of UNHCR.

• Work with others in UNHCR to advocate for access to refugees and other persons of concern to WASH services in national and regional plans and proposals.

Any other related tasks as may be required or assigned by the supervisor

Qualifications/Requirements Required degree level: Bachelor degree or equivalent Education - Additional Comments:

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant area of Public Health, Civil Engineering, Environmental Sciences, Geology, Hydrology, Sanitation Engineering, Public administration or a field relevant to international WASH related development assistance

Required experience: 36 Months Experience remark:

• At least 3 years of professional work experience at the national and/or international level in WASH related programs or other relevant programmes; experience with refugee or camp setting WASH programs is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization;

• Additional training in Health Education or Communication for Development (Programme Communication), an asset.

• Experience in project cycle management, partnerships, exit strategy and sustainability of WASH projects is essential.

• Background/familiarity with Emergency preparedness and response (and the IASC Cluster approach).

• Experience in borehole drilling, installation and operation of submersible pumps and solar-powered water systems.

Desired/mandatory required technical knowledge:

• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;

• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;

• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;

• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;

• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; mapping; Auto CAD; and office technology equipment;

• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;

• Sound security awareness;

• Have affinity with or interest in protection of refugees, humanitarian relief, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

Language skills:

• English(Mandatory), Level - Fluent
• Arabic(Optional), Level - Working Knowledge

Area of expertise: Civil engineering and construction supervision, Water, sanitation and environmental engineering Area of expertise details:

• professional work experience at the national and/or international level in WASH related programs or other relevant programmes; experience with refugee or camp setting WASH programs is an asset, as is experience working in the UN or other international development organization;

• Additional training in Health Education or Communication for Development (Programme Communication), an asset.

• Experience in project cycle management, partnerships, exit strategy and sustainability of WASH projects is essential.

• Background/familiarity with Emergency preparedness and response (and the IASC Cluster approach).

• Experience in borehole drilling, installation and operation of submersible pumps and solar-powered water systems.

Desired/mandatory required technical knowledge:

• Excellent oral and written skills; excellent drafting, formulation, reporting skills;

• Accuracy and professionalism in document production and editing;

• Excellent interpersonal skills; culturally and socially sensitive; ability to work inclusively and collaboratively with a range of partners, including grassroots community members, religious and youth organizations, and authorities at different levels; familiarity with tools and approaches of communications for development;

• Ability to work and adapt professionally and effectively in a challenging environment; ability to work effectively in a multicultural team of international and national personnel;

• Solid overall computer literacy, including proficiency in various MS Office applications (Excel, Word, etc.) and email/internet; familiarity with database management; mapping; Auto CAD; and office technology equipment;

• Self-motivated, ability to work with minimum supervision; ability to work with tight deadlines;

• Sound security awareness;

• Have affinity with or interest in protection of refugees, humanitarian relief, volunteerism as a mechanism for durable development, and the UN System.

b) Competencies and values:

• Professionalism: demonstrated understanding of operations relevant to UNHCR; technical capabilities or knowledge relevant or transferrable to UNHCR procedures and rules; discretion, political sensitivity, diplomacy and tact to deal with clients; ability to apply good judgement; ability to liaise and coordinate with a range of different actors, especially in senior positions; where appropriate, high degree of autonomy, personal initiative and ability to take ownership; resourcefulness and willingness to accept wide responsibilities and ability to work independently under established procedures; ability to manage information objectively, accurately and confidentially; responsive and client-oriented;

• Integrity: demonstrate the values and ethical standards of the UN and UNHCR in daily activities and behaviours while acting without consideration of personal gains; resist undue political pressure in decision-making; stand by decisions that are in the organization’s interest even if they are unpopular; take prompt action in cases of unprofessional or unethical behaviour; does not abuse power or authority;

• Teamwork and respect for diversity: ability to operate effectively across organizational boundaries; excellent interpersonal skills; ability to establish and maintain effective partnerships and harmonious working relations in a multi-cultural, multi-ethnic, mixed-gender environment with sensitivity and respect for diversity; sensitivity and adaptability to culture, gender, religion, nationality and age; commitment to implementing the goal of gender equality by ensuring the equal participation and full involvement of women and men in all aspects of UN operations; ability to achieve common goals and provide guidance or training to colleagues;

• Commitment to continuous learning: initiative and willingness to learn new skills and stay abreast of new developments in area of expertise; ability to adapt to changes in work environment.

• Planning and organizing: effective organizational and problem-solving skills and ability to manage a large volume of work in an efficient and timely manner; ability to establish priorities and to plan, coordinate and monitor (own) work; ability to work under pressure, with conflicting deadlines, and to handle multiple concurrent projects/activities;

• Communication: proven interpersonal skills; good spoken and written communication skills, including ability to prepare clear and concise reports; ability to conduct presentations, articulate options and positions concisely; ability to make and defend recommendations; ability to communicate and empathize with staff (including national staff), military personnel, volunteers, counterparts and local interlocutors coming from very diverse backgrounds; capacity to transfer information and knowledge to a wide range of different target groups;

• Flexibility: adaptability and ability to live and work in potentially hazardous and remote conditions, involving physical hardship and little comfort; to operate independently in austere environments for protracted periods; willingness to travel within the area of operations and to transfer to other duty stations within the area of operations as necessary;

• Genuine commitment towards the principles of voluntary engagement, which includes solidarity, compassion, reciprocity and self-reliance; and commitment towards UNHCR’s mission and vision, as well as to the UN Core Values.

Driving license: No Competencies values:

Accountability, Client Orientation, Commitment to Continuous Learning, Communication, Ethics and Values, Integrity, Leadership, Professionalism, Working in Teams

Application procedure:

* Not yet registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first register your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/signup. Important: After creating your account, complete all sections

of your profile and submit it. Then go to ‘My Page’ at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink.

Lastly, select the special call to which you would like to apply.

* Already registered in the UNV Talent Pool?

Please first update your profile at https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/profile. Then go to ‘My Page’ at

https://vmam.unv.org/candidate/mypage and click on the ‘Special Calls’ hyperlink to select the special call to which you would like to

apply.

Application deadline: 14 March 2021