Job Vacancy @ Action Against Hunger – WASH Specialist

WASH Specialist

 (National Status)

Action Against Hunger is an equal opportunity employer

Women are strongly encouraged to apply

ABOUT US

International Non-governmental organization, Action Against Hunger has been working to fight undernutrition and support communities affected by crisis across the globe for almost 40 years and across nearly 50 countries. Action Against Hunger established its presence in both Liberia and Sierra Leone in 1991 during the Civil War and since then has been operational in the two countries by implementing various humanitarian and development programs related to health, nutrition, food security/livelihoods and advocacy geared towards the reduction of the prevalence rates of under-nutrition in both countries. The Sierra Leone Coordination office is based in Freetown, Sierra Leone overseeing the operations in Bonthe and Moyamba.

Action Against Hunger is recruiting a suitably qualified Sierra Leonean as WASH specialist to Coordinate the implementation of WASH programs under the supervision of the line manager and technical reference in accordance with ACF and international standards and national policies. Coordinate, lead, and ensure the proper planning, implementation, and timely completion of WASH activities in intervention areas, in coordination with other sectors, and check the WASH standards and procedures.

KEY ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES :

        Mission 1: Contribute to the implementation of WASH strategy in ACF Sierra Leone

• Understanding and monitoring the humanitarian situation in WASH and the intervention context
• Integrating the WASH sector priorities with other technical sectors (Food Security & Livelihoods, Nutrition-Health, Mental Health & Care Practices, protection and gender)
• Taking into account gender (including all types of vulnerability or specificity such as chronic illness, disability), protection, and the environment in the WASH sector strategy.
• Monitoring and providing technical support for the implementation of the WASH activities its revision, and its accountability.
• Coordinating with the other sector specialist/consortium coordinator/HoDs in order to ensure the greatest impact of projects by utilizing integration.
• Writing up or consolidating reports on chosen subjects in consultation with the Consortium Coordinator
• Coordinating, providing leadership and technical supervision to WASH activities
• Developing a monitoring framework for WASH action plans and monitoring achievements against them.
• Identifying the themes for sectoral advocacy specific to the WASH program, in collaboration with other sectorial specialists/Heads of Department and Consortium Coordinator.

Mission 2: Coordinate and Contribute to WASH project formulation 

• Coordinating the identification of WASH and  humanitarian needs in the intervention areas
• Formulating and implementing feasibility studies of WASH projects (public health, technical, socio-economic, cultural and environmental aspects.
• Lead WASH needs assessment, formulation of WASH section of the project on timely and at scale, and ensure WASH activities are developed in line with humanitarians needs.
• Coordinating and/or writing up reports of the needs and feasibility assessments to donor.
• Holding technical discussions, and exchanging information with the Consortium Coordinator WASH HOD
• Participating in donor visits whenever requested by the Consortium Coordinator and or Field Coordinator
• Identification of potential areas within the WASH sector integration with the other sectors specialists and HODs (health and nutrition, food security and livelihoods, MHPSS-P etc)
• Producing the WASH sections of project reports in accordance with donor formats and deadlines
• Meeting with sector MDAs and relevant Local authorities alone or in company with the Consortium Coordinator/WASH HOD etc.
• Accompanying donors on field visits at the request of the Consortium Coordinator/ Field Coordinator
• Contribute to the partnership agreement development, training of the partners staff on the technical areas in WASH.

         Mission 3: Support the implementation and ensure reporting of programs

• Supervise the implementation of identified WASH activities in coordination with other departments and in accordance with project proposals and ACF’s standards.
• Providing technical support (direct and at a distance) to the program team, whilst alerting or sharing information with the Consortium Coordinator, Field Coordinator and or WASH HOD.
• Contribute to the validation of the key stages and methodologies of the WASH component of projects (timetable, program implementation tools, systematic KAP survey (baseline/final), technical studies, calls for tender, specifications, community approach, external evaluations…)
• Ensuring that monitoring and evaluation systems are in place and that their results are integrated to guarantee improvement of the projects.
• Coordinate and facilitate the development and monthly follow-up of key Project Management tools, including APR quantitative, APR narrative, work plan, MEAL plan, budget follow-up (BFU) and PPP (procurement plan).
• Visit projects intervention areas regularly, ensuring the writing of visit reports with recommendations and interacting functionally on a weekly basis with the PM.
• Ensure that the programs activities meet appropriate quality standards, through the implementation of monitoring and accountability mechanisms (including but not limited to self-evaluation tools, facilitating internal controls and external evaluations)
• Monitor projects and support the improvement of projects, particularly in conjunction with the MEAL team.
• Regular visits to projects and functional interaction with PMs, project team.
• Supporting the Consortium Coordinator an Field Coordinator in APR monitoring (quantitative and narrative), provide feedback on technical matters and flag deficiencies
• Seeking the technical support of the WASH HOD, Technical Advisors at headquarters on key issues.

         Mission 4: Ensure the quality and accountability of the projects

• Ensure technical compliance of programs with technical guidelines and standards, ACF framework documents
• Encourage the overall quality of project implementation in collaboration with PM, Consortium Coordinator, WASH HOD and or WASH Technical Advisor.
• Provide technical recommendations and follow up on corrective actions.
• Alerting the other Consortium Coordinator WASH HOD and or Technical Advisor of any major difficulties encountered in the application of recommendations and/or any necessary adaptation measures.
• Alerting the other sector specialist, Consortium Coordinator/HOD and or WASH Technical Advisor and requesting the application of the precautionary principle in the event of a major public health risk.
• Promoting a complaint mechanisms aimed at transparency and ethics in projects, particularly among the populations assisted.
• Promoting safety measures for staff and populations in the implementation of WASH projects (worksites) in collaboration with the Program Manager and the Logistics Department.
• Alert the Consortium coordinator, WASH HOD and or WASH Technical Advisor of any delays or deviations from contractual and technical expectations.
• Ensure that communities are adequately engaged in program implementation and have access to  appropriate feedback mechanisms
• Checking the technical adequacy of the projects with reference to internal framework documents and sectoral technical literature.
• Checking conformity with standards (SPHERE, WHO, national.
• Arranging field visits and producing reports containing technical and operational recommendations
• Seeking technical support from the WASH HOD/Technical Advisors  on an ad hoc basis (tools, methodology, innovation, sharing of experience, or flagging up missing competences in technical areas
• Producing terms of reference for visits by WASH HOD/ WASH T As and internal evaluators

Mission 5: Ensure ACF’s representation and active participation in District –level sectoral c     coordination and technical forums and develop sectoral partnership.

• Representing ACF in sectoral coordination at sub-national levels (sectoral coordination meeting) and with the technical authorities MDAs – WASHNET, WASH Coordination platform, DHMT, District Council, NPHA, NAMED, Civil Society etc.
• ACF contribution to the various action plans in the WASH sector (Consolidated Inter-Agency Contingency Plan, national WASH policy, development plans etc)
• Internal and external technical communications concerning WASH projects (in liaison with the consortium coordinator//WASH HOD and or WASH Technical Advisor etc.
• Promotion of sectoral partnerships (civil society, NGOs, authorities, private sector…) and capacity building.
• Familiarizing him/herself with the District WASH Coordination platform procedures
• If relevant, involving ACF as joint leader of the WASH technical working group at local levels
• Getting to know and meeting with key actors in WASH sectors at national level (authorities, ministries, UN organizations etc) in order to secure ACF’s place as a recognized and influential actor in the field

         Mission 6: Management and Capacity Building of WASH team and implementing Partner

The The functional  management of WASH Team

• Evaluation of the technical performance of WASH staffs ( Partner staff, consultants)
• developing WASH competencies and capacity building plan throughout the as and when needed
• Ensure capacity building of the program team to enable them implement the program with high quality standards.
• Ensure that the team objectives are adapted to the program response needs and that resources are provided to help team members meet their goals
• Promotion of ACF values, cross-cutting commitments, international standards…
• Support in the recruitment of partner staff (defining profiles, interviews and/or complementary tests, technical competence for the project)
• Contributing to the technical aspects of HR requests for program/Partner staff (job description, technical criteria of recruitment, action plan) on need basis.
• Ensuring that a WASH action plan is produced and followed through
• Identifying possible technical training resources at local levels in collaboration with the Consortium Coordinator/ WASH HoD and or WASH TA.
• Providing technical support to the teams (creating training programs, spreading good practice….)

        Mission 7: Promote capitalization, technical development, research and innovation within the WASH and Emergency Department

• Supervision of the capitalization work of the WASH activities
• Experience sharing with actors in the WASH sector at sub-national and in the intervention districts
• Ensures the compilation of essential documents related to WASH responses and transmit them to the Consortium Coordinator, WASH HOD and or WASH Technical Advisor for review and endorsement, ensuring that technically validated documents are further disseminated.
• Documentation and recording of WASH knowledge and objective history.
• Implementation of new WASH approaches in line with ACF WASH strategy.
• Work with grant coordinator to map WASH partners in intervention provinces/districts
• Developing his/her technical skills in line with the evolution of the sector
• Compiling the hardware work implemented by ACF into a national/central database, shared with the relevant authorities.
• Encouraging the program teams to write up their experiences
• Approving capitalization documents, finalizing them and submitting them to Consortium Coordinator/WASH HOD and or WASH Technical Advisor
• Identifying needs and opportunities for technical research and development
• Supervising and documenting innovations introduced in projects
• Organizing sectoral meetings on the technical constraints affecting the projects, discussing them with Consortium Coordinator, WASH HOD/ WASH Advisor and formulating recommendations
• Writing up and submitting a handover report together with a database of photographs at the end of the project.

QUALIFICATIONS

• University Degree (qualification desirably in subjects/areas of WASH (e.g. Water management, Water Engineering, Hydrology, Hydrogeology, Civil Engineering) OR a related social science such as public health with experience in Water, Sanitation and Hygiene project.

REQUIRED SKILLS

• Interested candidate must have 5 or more years’ experience working in the humanitarian development or emergency context, with NGOs.
• Previous experience in WASH project cycle management;
• Experience formulating strategies, testing and adapting them based on practitioner needs
• Strong communication and coordination capacity – ability to convene a diversity of partners and engage them in meaningful planning exercises
• Strong networking capacity, across agencies, NGOs, local actors and government
• Strong analytical capacity – ability to identify common themes, narrative arcs and “theses” drawing on primary and secondary data
• Nuanced understanding of how to problem solve ensuring technical rigor but practical application given operational barriers
• You are committed to gender equity and equality

Commitment to the principles of Action against Hunger.

WORK CONDITIONS

STARTING DATE: May  2025

DURATION OF CONTRACT: Twelve (12) Months, with possible  extension

LOCATION: Mattru Jong – Bonthe, with possible travels to Moyamba, Falaba and other field areas

HOW TO APPLY:

Send Motivation Letter, CV saved in your name – for example (Joe Blue CV) for your CV, and (Joe Blue Motivation Letter) for your motivation letter, with names of three (3) referees by EMAIL, under the Subject  “Wash Specialist”  to

recruitment@sl-actionagainsthunger.org

Deadline for the receipt of applications is Monday 14th April 2025. 

Due to the urgency of this position, applications may be sorted on a rolling basis.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for a written test and oral interview.

Please state the position applied for on the subject line of your email.

Action Against Hunger is committed to Safeguarding Policy and safer recruitment.

Women are strongly encouraged to apply