Water & Sanitation Advisor

Location

Starting Date & Initial Contract Details

May 2023. Full time, 18 to 24 months.

Role Overview

Develop, lead, monitor and evaluate the WASH components of the country programme; to provide capacity building for national and international staff; lead on all WASH elements of proposals and reports; coordinate and network at senior level with national and regional WASH authorities and other NGOs; champion best practice (international and Medair) in all WASH programmes.

Project Overview

Multi-sector relief and rehabilitation programme including: provision of primary and emergency health care, water and sanitation, distribution of non-food items and emergency shelter to assist in reducing morbidity and mortality in vulnerable populations of South Sudan.

Our Culture

Key Activity Areas

Technical Design and Oversight

• Responsible for the overall quality and performance of all Medair South Sudan WASH programmes.
• With GSO WASH Advisor, PMs and DCDs lead on programme quality, develop proposals & donor reports.
• Provide leadership in defining sector strategy and participate in review of country strategy.
• Define the country level scope for the WASH program based on beneficiary needs, Medair experience and best practices as well as donor requirements in collaboration with the GSO WASH Advisor.
• Provide technical support to the WASH teams in all project sites, including the evaluation and impact analysis of current projects and the writing of donor proposals and reports.
• Research and recommend appropriate technologies for use in country WASH programs.
• Initiate and/or lead WASH Technical Working Groups (TWG).

Quality Management

• Responsible for ensuring all WASH project implementation is according to Medair policy and compliant with Medair, donor, South Sudanese and international guidelines, policies and standards
• Ensure sectoral integration, learning, sharing and adoption of best practices as outlined in Sphere guidelines, and Medair South Sudan guidelines to ensure quality of projects in liaison with Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, Health and Nutrition Advisors, and under advice of GSO WASH Advisor.
• Responsible to recommend, review or develop WASH technical guidelines with GSO WASH Advisor.

Staff Management and Leadership

• Support in the technical development of WASH staff by capacity building, coaching and mentoring.
• Support WASH Project Managers and Project Coordinators with the selection of appropriate technical knowledge when recruiting WASH staff.
• To reflect the vision and values of Medair when interacting with team members and beneficiaries.

Coordination

• Liaise with stakeholders: beneficiaries, ministries, local government officials, UN agencies (UNICEF, UNOCHA) and NGOs, on overall WASH coordination for South Sudan.
• Monitor the project performance and make necessary recommendations.
• Identify and initiate corrective action related to changes to the project scope, project schedule and project costs in consultation with senior management.
• Represent Medair, ensuring that good relationships are maintained and that Medair’s mandate and values are understood. Represent Medair to donor representatives for technical input, in liaison with Programme Funding Manager and senior management.

Communication

• Responsible for input to all WASH external reports and proposals for the Country Programme.
• Responsible for providing accurate and timely feedback regarding all WASH technical and programme issues to Project Managers, Deputy Country Directors, Country Director and GSO WASH Advisor.
• Liaison for the Medair GSO WASH Advisor for all WASH related questions and issues; provide feedback to the relevant managers within the South Sudan team.
• Develop and maintain a transparent, honest and supportive communication structure with the team members, so as to uphold a spirit of unity and mutual respect.

Logistics & Finance

• Ensure quality and technical specifications of all WASH-specific supplies procured.
• Assist/advise the project managers in development of WASH project budgets, in collaboration with senior management and WASH Project Managers.

Security Management

• Adhere to the security guidelines employed by Medair on site and when travelling
• Provide advice and support on security related issues while on field trips when required.

Team Spiritual Life

• Reflect the values of Medair with team members, local staff, beneficiaries, and external contacts.
• Work, live, and pray together in our Christian faith-based team settings. Fully contribute to the rich spiritual life of your team, including team devotions, prayers, and words of encouragement.
• Encouraged to join and contribute to Medair’s international prayer network.

This job posting covers the main tasks that are anticipated. Other tasks may be assigned as necessary.

Qualifications

• University degree in a WASH-related field (eg. civil engineering, hydrogeology/hydrology).
• Strong working knowledge of English (spoken and written).

What is the ROC and why is it required?

Experience

• 3 years professional experience in WASH in a developing country, preferably in a humanitarian context.
• Technical experience with WASH infrastructure (e.g. latrine designs, borehole installation, hand pump repair, and construction of hand dug wells) and software/training (behaviour change communication).
• Understanding and appreciation of the links between the hardware (water, sanitation facilities) and behaviour change. Competent report-writing skills.
• Experience in the design, implementation and evaluation of WASH programmes.

All new deploying international staff to Medair’s country programmes (and other roles which require field travel) should be fully vaccinated with a WHO-approved COVID vaccine, supported with a COVID vaccination certificate as evidence.