Job Information
International Rescue Committee Emergency Environmental Health/WASH Assistant in Gaza, Palestine
Requisition ID: req52141
Job Title: Emergency Environmental Health/WASH Assistant
Sector: Environmental Health
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time
Open to Expatriates: No
Location: Gaza, occupied Palestinian Territory (oPT)
Work Arrangement:In-person
Job Description
The IRC began planning to reopen an oPt country program in mid-2022 and launched an emergency response in Gaza in October 2023. The organization is currently supporting a network of local partners in both Gaza and the West Bank to sustain critical health, protection, food security, cash, education, and early childhood development interventions. The IRC is also deploying emergency medical teams to provide surge clinical capacity in hospitals and other health facilities.
The IRC is working to scale its emergency response while building a longer-term oPt country program in parallel. This effort is being jointly managed by the Emergencies and Humanitarian Action Unit (EHAU) and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region, with a view to eventually transition the country program fully under the MENA region.
Scope of work
Reporting to the Emergency EH/WASH Officer, the Emergency EH/WASH Assistant will be responsible for the overall implementation, supervision and monitoring of the EH/WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC) emergency activities implemented directly by IRC and through local partners in Deir Al Balah/Khan Younis. During monitoring visits and as needed, the Emergency EH/WASH assistant will coach, mentor and capacity-build community structures on hygiene awareness while monitoring performance of the provided water and sanitation services.
Reporting relationships and coordination:
Reports to: Emergency EH/WASH Officer
Technically Supervises: Community groups such as WASH committees, hygienists/cleaners and hygiene volunteers.
Coordination:
• Coordinates WASH interventions with Emergency EH/WASH Officer and other IRC sector-leads, Field Management, and support departments.
• Liaise with HR in staff recruitment and onboarding, and Finance department to facilitate payments to service providers.
Roles and responsibilities
• In collaboration with other members of the EH/WASH team and Gaza WASH cluster partners participate in rapid assessments to identify emergency needs in affected communities.
• Support with the identification and training of Hygienists and IPC committees.
• Ensure hygiene and sanitation facilities are safe and functional; lead on minor repairs and upgrading facilities as needed.
• Review and compile weekly reports submitted by implementing partners and volunteers.
• Supervise water provision through water trucking from safe sources, to designated communal stations and ensure all documentation in place for reporting and procurement purposes.
• In coordination with other partners identify family and communal sanitation facilities for repairs and rehabilitations.
• Through community leadership identify and train WASH committees, hygiene volunteers and water point supervisors.
• Ensure accountability to our beneficiaries (notably through ensuring a functional feedback mechanism) and ensure accurate documentation of EH/WASH activities and lessons learned.
• Regularly monitor and report on emergency trends and alerts across Gaza.
• Participate in post-response reflections and evaluations in collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) department, including analysis of client feedback.
• Represent IRC in WASH area-based coordination (ABC) meetings across Gaza governorates.
• Ensure protection is mainstreamed in all EH/WASH activities.
• Perform any other tasks as requested by the Emergency EH/WASH Officer.
External coordination
• Collaborate closely with other WASH partners, Area based Coordination WASH forums across Gaza at community level.
• Participate actively in Gaza WASH cluster coordination and technical working groups in Deir Al Balah and Khan Younis.
Training and Capacity Building
• Develop, review, and deliver appropriate training and capacity-strengthening opportunities to WASH Committees and hygiene volunteers.
Requirements
• Proven experience managing WASH programs in high-risk and complex environments with at least 2 years’ experience as a WASH assistant officer.
• Community development, sociology, B.SC of civil engineering, hydrology, public health engineering degree or relevant qualifications will be considered.
• Experience managing WASH activities for 3 years in lieu of the degree may be considered.
• Experience in community development and hygiene promotion.
• Report writing skills.
• Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) experience preferred.
• Fluency in English and Arabic.