Description

International Lifeline Fund (ILF) is hiring a WASH Technical Officer responsible for maintaining the The WASH Technical Officer is responsible for supervision, support procurement of contractors, and operational efficiency of WASH infrastructures and partly supporting social behavior change activities in rural communities within Otuke District. This involves technical supervision of WASH infrastructures, conducting needs assessment, support training of the communities, empowering and supervising community leaders, and monitoring and evaluation of activity progress. The ideal candidate must be proactive and eager to learn, an organized and effective communicator, and embrace a participatory approach to promoting behavior change that respects rural communities’ dignity and challenges in adopting new healthy behaviors.

Reports to: Principal Engineer

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

General Program Development and Implementation Activities

• Technical Supervision of any Lifeline WASH hardware activities, such as drilling, rehabilitation of handpump-equipped (U2) deep boreholes, drainable VIP latrines, and other rural water infrastructure as needed in accordance with the technical specifications.
• Participating in program engineering design, planning and carrying out baseline assessments of WASH conditions in selected communities and new program locations following established professional protocols.
• Keep abreast of relevant technical design guidelines, project implementation guidelines, design standards and national policies in the WASH and construction sector.
• Undertaking needs assessment and data collection in selected communities/institutions (e.g., population, latrine coverage, number of water sources) including existing boreholes for rehabilitations.
• Facilitating community mobilization (e.g., working with local leaders to ensure community participation and engaging local beneficiaries in the mobilization/training process).
• Participating in monitoring and documenting technical data and training activities for new communities utilizing participatory methods in a timely manner and provide feedback to the Principal Engineer.
• Oversee the implementation of new technological innovations in WASH, collect and document all snags on the works and ensure their rectification as per the contract terms and update the water points database
• Assisting in the design of training methodologies/approaches such as CLTS+, CHAST, WSC, Market Based Sanitation Implementation Approach (MBSIA) etc.
• Undertaking research into new methodologies/approaches relating to the WASH sector.
• Undertaking field monitoring of the water quality of all works implemented within the project scope and participating in implementing the project impact survey and evaluation.
• Collecting and keeping records and documenting the deliverables in liaison with the M&E department.
• Advocating for and supporting the mainstreaming of EverFlow, Lifeline’s rural waterpoint Operation and Maintenance service to the selected communities for reliable clean water access.
• Undertaking any other tasks that may be delegated by the Principal Engineer that is in keeping with the scope of the role.

Specific Program Activities

• Carry out needs assessment in communities and schools to benefit from new drills, borehole rehabilitation and institutional sanitation facilities (Drainable VIP latrines) projects.
• Supervise contractors for new drills and institutional sanitation facilities.
• Preparation of material schedules for complete rehabilitation of boreholes under DIY (Do It Yourself)
• Check quality of materials and workmanships.
• Collect and document all snags on the works and ensure their rectification during the defects period
• Actively participate in the training of masons and sanitation promoters to support the implementation of Market Based Sanitation Implementation Approach (MBSIA)
• Ensure that institutions/communities are involved in the monitoring of the construction of WASH Infrastructure.
• Work in close co-operation with District water and health authorities, beneficiary institutions/communities to help improve hygiene, water provision, water testing and mapping of water.
• Take part in training and monitoring hard and soft components of WASH activities. Providing support to WASH Officers, Health Assistants(H/As), Community Development Officers (CDOs), VHTs, etc., when required.
• Support to the Principal Engineer in compilation of monthly and quarterly WASH report
• Participate and represent Lifeline in District WASH Coordination Meetings and other Stakeholders Engagement Meetings.
• Actively participates in Weekly WASH catch-up meetings.
• Present detailed reports on field progress, trainings & other activities, assessments, and evaluations to the Principal Engineer.
• Any other duties that may be assigned to by the Principal Engineer.

Qualifications, Skills and Experience:

• A relevant Higher Diploma in Engineering (Water, Civil, Environmental, etc.) or any discipline related to Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation (WASH) from a recognized Institution/University. Experience may substitute qualifications but not the other way round.
• Conversant with Microsoft Office and smartphone-based apps such as mWater.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and supervision of construction works especially WASH project and Experience in software such as EPANET, AutoCAD ArcMap, Google Earth, and GIS, is an added advantage.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability and flexibility to work with minimum supervision.
• At least two years of humanitarian work, preferably with an international NGO or any other national organism related to health, community work, and sanitation.
• Sound understanding and experiences of community development approaches to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene promotion project work such as CLTS, CLTS+, PHAST, CHAST, MBSIA etc. is an added advantage.

Professional Attributes

• Sound report writing skills.
• Strong verbal communication skills in English, Luo, and Kiswahili as an added advantage.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel and other digital remote meeting technologies like Zoom, Microsoft teams, etc.

Personal Attributes

• Flexibility, adaptability, and willingness to take on several tasks and learn to apply new WASH Technologies/ methodologies/approaches in community settings.
• Ability to quickly understand local cultural and customary norms.
• Comfortable and capable of adapting to new work priorities and changing situations to advance Lifeline’s goals and objectives.
• Humble: appreciates the dignity and constraints of rural communities in changing behaviors and communicates with humility and respect while listening and speaking to community members during training.
• A commitment to Lifeline’s values.

• Technical Supervision of any Lifeline WASH hardware activities, such as drilling, rehabilitation of handpump-equipped (U2) deep boreholes, drainable VIP latrines, and other rural water infrastructure as needed in accordance with the technical specifications.
• Participating in program engineering design, planning and carrying out baseline assessments of WASH conditions in selected communities and new program locations following established professional protocols.
• Keep abreast of relevant technical design guidelines, project implementation guidelines, design standards and national policies in the WASH and construction sector.
• Undertaking needs assessment and data collection in selected communities/institutions (e.g., population, latrine coverage, number of water sources) including existing boreholes for rehabilitations.
• Facilitating community mobilization (e.g., working with local leaders to ensure community participation and engaging local beneficiaries in the mobilization/training process).
• Participating in monitoring and documenting technical data and training activities for new communities utilizing participatory methods in a timely manner and provide feedback to the Principal Engineer.
• Oversee the implementation of new technological innovations in WASH, collect and document all snags on the works and ensure their rectification as per the contract terms and update the water points database
• Assisting in the design of training methodologies/approaches such as CLTS+, CHAST, WSC, Market Based Sanitation Implementation Approach (MBSIA) etc.
• Undertaking research into new methodologies/approaches relating to the WASH sector.
• Undertaking field monitoring of the water quality of all works implemented within the project scope and participating in implementing the project impact survey and evaluation.
• Collecting and keeping records and documenting the deliverables in liaison with the M&E department.
• Advocating for and supporting the mainstreaming of EverFlow, Lifeline’s rural waterpoint Operation and Maintenance service to the selected communities for reliable clean water access.
• Undertaking any other tasks that may be delegated by the Principal Engineer that is in keeping with the scope of the role.
• Carry out needs assessment in communities and schools to benefit from new drills, borehole rehabilitation and institutional sanitation facilities (Drainable VIP latrines) projects.
• Supervise contractors for new drills and institutional sanitation facilities.
• Preparation of material schedules for complete rehabilitation of boreholes under DIY (Do It Yourself)
• Check quality of materials and workmanships.
• Collect and document all snags on the works and ensure their rectification during the defects period
• Actively participate in the training of masons and sanitation promoters to support the implementation of Market Based Sanitation Implementation Approach (MBSIA)
• Ensure that institutions/communities are involved in the monitoring of the construction of WASH Infrastructure.
• Work in close co-operation with District water and health authorities, beneficiary institutions/communities to help improve hygiene, water provision, water testing and mapping of water.
• Take part in training and monitoring hard and soft components of WASH activities. Providing support to WASH Officers, Health Assistants(H/As), Community Development Officers (CDOs), VHTs, etc., when required.
• Support to the Principal Engineer in compilation of monthly and quarterly WASH report
• Participate and represent Lifeline in District WASH Coordination Meetings and other Stakeholders Engagement Meetings.
• Actively participates in Weekly WASH catch-up meetings.
• Present detailed reports on field progress, trainings & other activities, assessments, and evaluations to the Principal Engineer.
• Any other duties that may be assigned to by the Principal Engineer.

• Conversant with Microsoft Office and smartphone-based apps such as mWater.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and supervision of construction works especially WASH project and Experience in software such as EPANET, AutoCAD ArcMap, Google Earth, and GIS, is an added advantage.
• Ability to establish and maintain effective working relationships in a multi-cultural environment.
• Ability and flexibility to work with minimum supervision.
• Sound understanding and experiences of community development approaches to water supply, sanitation, and hygiene promotion project work such as CLTS, CLTS+, PHAST, CHAST, MBSIA etc. is an added advantage.
• Sound report writing skills.
• Strong verbal communication skills in English, Luo, and Kiswahili as an added advantage.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Word and Excel and other digital remote meeting technologies like Zoom, Microsoft teams, etc.
• Flexibility, adaptability, and willingness to take on several tasks and learn to apply new WASH Technologies/ methodologies/approaches in community settings.
• Ability to quickly understand local cultural and customary norms.
• Comfortable and capable of adapting to new work priorities and changing situations to advance Lifeline’s goals and objectives.
• Humble: appreciates the dignity and constraints of rural communities in changing behaviors and communicates with humility and respect while listening and speaking to community members during training.

• A relevant Higher Diploma in Engineering (Water, Civil, Environmental, etc.) or any discipline related to Water, Hygiene, and Sanitation (WASH) from a recognized Institution/University. Experience may substitute qualifications but not the other way round.
• At least two years of humanitarian work, preferably with an international NGO or any other national organism related to health, community work, and sanitation.