Background:

The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian international NGOs, provides relief, rehabilitation and development support to vulnerable people and communities over 30 countries. We began work in Ethiopia in 2000 in response to severe drought in Ethiopia’s Somali region and are currently providing assistance to Ethiopians and refugees in six regions in Ethiopia, implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

Job Overview

The Senior Environmental Health Manager is a management position that involves planning, management and monitoring of the new water system and sanitation infrastructures construction and good hygiene promotion for the communities in SNNPR and Sidama region. The position requires proper management of the financial, material, and other resources under the program and reporting periodically to supervisors. The Senior EH Manager will be under the direct supervision of Field Coordinator and with technical supervision of Assistant EH Coordinator.

Job Responsibilities

• Produce detail implementation plan for the EH program in SNNPR and Sidama region. Periodically, update and ensure that progress in accordance with the plan.
• Prepare tenders and contract documents as the need arises for supply of goods, drilling and construction activities, handle contract administration.
• Supervise (and where vital) revise designs and bill of quantities prepared by EH Teams. Give the required support for the EH team for any design related issues in consultation with Addis EH Coordinator and Assistant EH Coordinator.
• Supervise and ensure timely settlements of payments for contractors, consultants, skilled laborers, daily laborers and professionals from partners’ offices. Follow-up timely submission of field visit reports, confirmation letters and so on.
• Ensure continual and adequate supervision of contracted activities and collaborate closely with contractors and consultant as vital for the successful and timely achievement of activities.
• Ensure continual and adequate supervision of own-force activities and closely supervise the works of skilled and unskilled laborers as vital for quality construction as well as for the successful and timely achievement of activities.
• Ensure that all water supply and sanitation infrastructures meet the required design, specification and quality of construction.
• Supervise & ensure the procurement of tools required towards construction of the water supply systems and sanitation facilities including electro mechanicals for motorized schemes, etc
• Lead all aspects of stores management and collaborate closely with the Logistics to ensure that weekly checks are made on site stores and stock records.
• Prepare appropriate procurement plan in collaboration with logistics; Ensure that PRs are initiated as per the plan, based on the budget available and following up Purchase Request status with logistics. Ensure regular revision of the procurement plan in a quarterly base.
• Ensure provision of the required support to the Senior Hygiene and Sanitation promotion Manager in conducting the appropriate Environmental Health (EH) Knowledge, Demeanor and Practice (KAP) surveys during survey design, data collection, data entry, analysis and reporting in order to supervise and evaluate the impact of sanitation and hygiene promotion activities;
• Ensure the establishment of community level overall management and operation and maintenance systems for water and sanitation facilities.
• Ensure accurate delivery of local materials (with exact quality and quantity) by EH team at field level. Prepare material monitoring formats and share it for EH team for accurate utilization of materials at site and ensure the strict follow-up with subordinates on this.
• Ensure timely handover of water projects for concerned government partners and communities and detail the process.
• Ensure that accurate PLA process are carried out and give vital support for the EH team in AletaWondo satellite office and any other new satellite office that may open.
• Coordinate with Senior Hygiene and Sanitation promotion Manager and ensure development of context specific hygiene and sanitation promotion strategies, including behavior change communication strategies, as well as tools and methodologies to ensure effective project/program implementation.
• Coordinate with Hygiene Promotion Specialist in design of quantitative and qualitative assessment including formative research to identify and prioritize current barriers to behavior change and advise hygiene and sanitation promotion BCC development for active project;
• Participate on meetings regarding EH activities in the region as advised by the Field Coordinator or Addis EH and ERR.

Assessment, Planning and Reporting

• Facilitate and coordinate assessment and surveys.
• Ensure the preparation of detail activities and spending plans by programs.
• Assist in drafting of concept papers/ proposals and budgets for future interventions.
• Ensure the timely preparation and submission of field reports to Addis.
• Prepare monthly, quarter and terminal donor and Government reports for concerned bodies in collaboration with direct reports.

Staff Management and Technical Support

• Supervise, mentor and capacitate a team of EH Manager, Senior EH officer, Senior HP/PLA Officer, EH Officers, HP/PLA Officers, EH Assistants, H&S Assistant and Capacity building Assistants in coordination with Senior Hygiene and Sanitation promotion Manager.
• Participate in Staff identification, hiring and training process.
• Ensure timely performance review of staffs.
• Provide ongoing technical and managerial support for each unit (logistics, finance and HR).
• Identify and supervise the provision of relevant and appropriate trainings for staff, partners and beneficiaries to enable to operate and maintain the water supply facilities

Grants Management

• Conduct monthly BVA reviews of grants and make vital recommendations to the finance and logistics units.
• Ensure that budgets are spent according to program plan. Prepare budget tracking format and closely follow each grant budget for timely completion by avoid underspent and overspent of grants.
• Work closely with the Finance Staff to ensure proper financial management of the grants.

Monitoring, Evaluation and Documentation

• Ensure effective process of EH projects at SNNPR and Sidama region.
• Facilitate Project Evaluation (government mid-term and final evaluations as well as external evaluations).
• Facilitate and organize in documenting water, sanitation and hygiene related data, and keep records on activities of water, sanitation and hygiene promotion with soft and hard copies.
• Regularly supervise and ensure proper construction material utilization and report it in a monthly report.
• Organize and facilitate internal and external evaluations, surveys, visits, etc.
• Conduct regular project review meetings with staff to assess the level of achievement of project targets for the various EH grants.
• Ensure design and establishment of data collection, supervising tools and management systems to promote improved and effective data management, storage and analysis for EH projects at SNNPR and Sidama region.
• Visit all active EH project sites regularly and provide on-site mentoring and coaching to EH staff in the field.
• Any additional assignment given by the field office and Addis technical team.

• Minimum university degree in Hydraulic, Water Resource Engineering, civil, or other related field.
• Five years related work experience in EH (WASH) for first Degree, or Four years for post graduate preferably in a humanitarian setting (refugee camps, rural development, or emergency response)
• One year management experience and supervising contractors and interaction with international staff and partners and donors.
• Proven management, project planning, organizational, proposal and report writing, excellent representational, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• Competent in Windows, MS office programs, email and database experience.
• Fluency in English (spoken and written)
• Ability to work under pressure in a potentially unstable security environment.
• Flexible, willing to travel and live temporarily in harsh environment