FirstBank Jobs

Requisition ID: req52144

Job Title: Environmental Health/WASH Officer - Roving

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 Senior EH/WASH Manager, the Emergency EH/WASH Officer 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 Gaza. This position will provide technical oversight to provision of emergency water supply, sanitation and hygiene services through IRC, partners, private service providers and community structures. During monitoring visits and as needed, the Emergency EH/WASH Officer will coach, mentor and capacity-build partners and community structures on WASH in emergencies and infection prevention and control (IPC). The Emergency EH/WASH Officer will also support IRC’s Gaza overall emergency preparedness with contextual monitoring, training volunteers while working closely with the Supply Chain department to monitor pre-positioned stock.

Reporting relationships and coordination:

Reports to: Emergency Senior EH/WASH Manager

Technically Supervises: EH/WASH Assistant Officers and provides technical support to community groups such as WASH committees and hygiene volunteers.

Coordination:

• Coordinates WASH interventions with Emergency Senior EH/WASH Manager and other IRC sector-leads, Field Management, and support departments.

• Works closely with supply chain department to ensure timely procurement, selection and inspection of EH/Materials and services.

• Liaise with HR in staff recruitment and onboarding, and Finance department in budget preparation and utilization.

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.

• Participate in the due diligence process of identifying service providers in order to assess their capacity to implement WASH activities.

• Undertake regular and frequent supportive field visits and monitor progress of WASH and Infection prevention control (IPC) activities across Gaza.

• Implementing and oversight of protocols with the health team for infection prevention and control as well as medical waste management at health mobile clinics/outreach sites.

• 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.

• Act as the technical lead for all IRC-implemented emergency WASH responses, including developing budgets, scope of works, Bill of Quantities (BoQs), workplans, procurements plans, MEAL plans and regular report updates in close coordination with relevant departments.

• Ensure accountability to donors and 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.

• Contribute towards IRC’s overall emergency WASH preparedness plans.

• In collaboration with the Supply Chain department, support the procurement, pre-positioning, and timely distribution of context-relevant emergency supplies.

• 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 Senior EH/WASH Manager.

External coordination

• Collaborate closely with other WASH partners, Area based Coordination WASH forums across Gaza.

• Participate actively in Gaza WASH cluster coordination and technical working groups.

Training and Capacity Building

• Develop, review, and deliver appropriate training and capacity-strengthening opportunities to IRC EH/WASH Assistant, WASH Committees and hygiene volunteers.

Staff Performance Management, Learning & Development

• Hire, supervise, and build the capacity of EH/WASH Assistants for hygiene promotion.

• Coach, train, supervise, and mentor direct-report staff, including communicating clear expectations, setting annual performance objectives, providing regular and timely positive and constructive performance feedback, and providing documented semi-annual performance reviews.

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit.

• Promote and monitor staff care and well-being. Model healthy work-life balance practices.

Requirements

• Proven experience managing WASH programs in high-risk and complex environments with at least 3 years’ experience as a WASH officer.

• B.SC of civil engineering, hydrology, public health engineering degree or relevant qualifications will be considered.

• Experience managing WASH activities for 5 years in lieu of the degree may be considered.

• Demonstrated experience in preparing technical WASH documents including designs, BoQs and scope of works.

• Report and Proposal writing skills.

• Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) experience preferred.

• Fluency in English and Arabic.