Save the Children is the leading independent organization for children in need, with programs in over 120 countries, including the United States. 

POSITION : Water Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) Adviser

DESCRIPTION

• With limited support, leads on sectoral assessment, programme design and provides technical advice to ensure quality programs. The advisor develops the sector strategy of the master budget. The advisor leads in technical coordination and supports fundraising, recruitment and procurement.
• Plays a technical leadership role within the response team, ensuring WASH programs are of high quality and meet recognized standards.
• Supports colleagues and works to ensure that broader sector coordination mechanisms are functioning effectively. The advisor mentors and builds the capacity of Save the Children and partners’ staff. The adviser plays a leading role in national and state sector technical working groups.

 Responsibilities

• Lead on WASH or multi-sectoral technical assessments in coordination with other Save the Children thematic areas and/or other external sector agencies, ensuring assessment findings are documented and that all assessments include a specific analysis of children’s needs.
• Lead on developing WASH sector response plans and master budgets and contribute to Save the Children’s overall response strategy.
• Develop technical standards for all WASH construction and hygiene promotion programming within emergency contexts adhering to humanitarian standards.
• Provide technical oversight of WASH engineering designs and hygiene promotion programmes as well as proactively promote high quality WASH technical approaches within the country programmes.
• Lead on fundraising for the WASH sector, including development of high quality concept notes and proposals, and engagement with donors’ technical advisers.
• Oversee WASH programme implementation to ensure high quality, timely delivery of programme activities, for example, monitoring against log frames.
• Support program managers in the preparation of timely programme and donor reports on project activities in compliance with internal and external requirements.
• Work closely with the human resources team and identifies WASH staffing needs for the emergency programmes, and ensure rapid recruitment, induction and training of new staff.
• Identify WASH programme supply needs and supports program managers and the logistics team to put in place a sensible phased procurement plan.
• Working closely with the Monitoring & Evaluation team put in place a WASH sector M & E plan, ensuring this links to reporting requirements, and capacity build technical field staff in carrying out the work.
• Working closely with the accountability lead puts in place sector accountability mechanisms, ensuring that feedback is incorporated into programme design and learning disseminated to the wider WASH sector.
• Ensure minimum standards of humanitarian relief are maintained in accordance with the Sphere Charter and Red Cross Code of Conduct and other applicable standards.

Capacity Building:

• Develop WASH learning needs assessment and capacity building plans for both Save the Children and partner’s staff, linking capacity building initiatives to wider opportunities identified via coordination and networks.
• Coach and mentor Save the Children WASH managers, coordinators, officers as well as their national level counterparts.
• Oversee development of technical training material that will improve the different components of WASH portfolio within Save the Children.

Representation & Advocacy & Organisational Learning:

• Help shape broader sector strategies through influence of and leadership within inter-agency coordination forums, such as the WASH cluster, ensuring the specific needs of children are being addressed. This may involve taking on a co-chairing role where needs demand.
• Take the initiative in documenting lessons learned, best practices and case studies to shape in-country strategies and programme approaches, and contribute to broader sector learning.
• Pro-actively identify advocacy opportunities, case studies and research opportunities which link with wider organisational strategic objectives, and turn these into action.
• Play a leadership role in shaping WASH communications and media priorities in line with thematic priorities, acting as a spokesperson when required.

General:

• Demonstrate leadership in relation to Save the Children policies and practice with respect to child protection, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Deliver high quality results and development effective relationships with country programme staff which enhances the reputation of Save the Children.
• Demonstrate leadership in relation to Save the Children policies and practices regarding child protection, Code of Conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Responsible for the security of all staff. Ensure that the security, health and well-being of staff are ensured and staff management and other processes and policies and systems reflect Save the Children principles of equity and fairness.
• Perform such other responsibilities as agreed with the advisor line management.

Qualifications 

• Five years of experience working in the water and sanitation field including emergency response.
• BA/BS in engineering or equivalent required. Master’s degree preferred.
• Knowledge of water and sanitation engineering and training in the use of a variety of water equipment including emergency mobile water treatment and storage unit, sanitation kits, water treatment chemicals, design of boreholes, rehabilitation of hand dug wells, pipe lines, basic knowledge of treatment of sewages as well as concrete storages, etc.
• Previous experience of programme management.
• Ensures that systems are in place for longer-term operation and maintenance of all water supply and sanitation facilities and that projects are implemented in a consultative and participatory manner with beneficiaries.
• Demonstrated depth and breadth in participatory methods to engage local communities in needs assessments, design and implementation of local, culturally acceptable water and sanitation interventions.
• Support the long-term capacity building and programmatic integration of water and sanitation into Save the Children core programming in health, with particular emphasis on hygiene promotion and environmental sanitation.
• Commitment to, thorough understanding of, and able to train staff in participation and accountability approaches.
• Guide water and sanitation teams towards an integrated approach with other Save the Children programs to address community health needs, as well as cross-cutting themes such as gender.
• Ability to set up monitoring & evaluation systems in large complex programmes.
• Ability to set up learning and development processes.
• Ability of mentoring and coaching.
• Experience at technical level representation and in developing and negotiating successful partnerships with donors.
• Write clear and well-argued assessment and project reports in English.
• Communication skills.
• Ability to influence change at an operational and strategic level.
• Politically and culturally sensitive with qualities of patience, tact and diplomacy.
• Capacity and willingness to be flexible and accommodating in difficult and sometimes insecure working circumstances.
• Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children. In particular, a good understanding of Save the Children’s mandate and child focus and an ability to ensure this continues to underpin our support.

Desirable:

• Knowledge of working and living in relevant contexts.
• Experience of designing and managing DFID, ECHO, OFDA and other major donor projects.