Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through
agriculture and agri-enterprise development to end hunger and extreme poverty. The organisation has programmes in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and also implements projects in Brazil and Bangladesh.

In early 2023 we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources. Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services, TruTrade, an innovative trading platform in East Africa, and CUMO, Malawi’s largest micro-finance provider.

Our three core values are:

Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.
Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing world.
Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.

About the Project:

As a result of the increasing frequency and severity of emergencies in Ethiopia and around the world, the organisation is increasing its capacity to support programmes in both sudden onset and chronic emergency situations. SHA is securing funding under the EHF which will cover primarily Amhara region, in Gojam cluster areas and beyond. The SHA development programmes have been also impacted by climate events, conflict, and intercommunal violence, compounded by outbreaks. In order to address such humanitarian situation through a humanitarian-development nexus approach, the organization is aiming to build its humanitarian staffing capacity. SHA-Ethiopia is currently seeking to recruit Senior WASH Officer, who will be primarily responsible for the organisation and implementation of the multi-sector humanitarian operation in Amhara region as well as country wide. Our approach integrates emergency and development work, through the Humanitarian Development Nexus approach. Self Help Africa implemented a dozen development and humanitarian projects with local and international partners across Ethiopia. At the core of our work is increasing farm production, supporting new enterprise and developing market opportunities for farmers.

Job Purpose:

The Senior WASH Officer will be based in Bahir Dar and frequently deployed to the field for the successful implementation of WASH project activities including WASH infrastructure constructions and maintenance works in the project sites. The SWO will be responsible to make sure that the overall water supply, hygiene and sanitation work and humanitarian work within SHA is implemented in a timely and quality manner in line with the humanitarian standard operating procedures and mandate. He/She is primarily responsible to ensure SHA’s Development and Emergency WASH projects are implemented in line with the project design, Sphere and cluster standards and use the existing or develop systems to monitor the performance of these activities for hosting community, disaster affected communities, health institutions, schools, enterprises and Internally Displaced Peoples.

The post holder will be responsible to prepare engineering estimates, drawings, BoQ and tender documents in line with the standards. He/she will oversee the sub-contract work with the local consultants as well as follow up delivery of WASH services in collaboration with woreda/zone water bureaus technical experts. The SWO must ensure that the SHA development and humanitarian programmes delivered are to the appropriate scale, scope, quality and accountability expected of Self-Help Africa. The SWO, will be reporting to the Humanitarian Programme Manager and work closely with the Addis and Field/Cluster offices staff to ensure successful implementation of the Water, Sanitation and Hygiene activities throughout the region and beyond. He/She will ensure effective integration and harmonization exercised with the livelihood, nutrition and health programming. She/he will be standing committee of Procurement in the tendering of construction works and WASH NFI procurement process and strongly work with the procurement unit and follow up all the procurement process.

Key Responsibilities:

Specific duties include, but are not limited to:

• Identifies formal and informal sources of information and collects and report all available data on the evolving situation in the sector.
• Supporting the assessment, planning, designing, implementation, supervision, expansion, and administration of technical interventions.
• Create a strong link to ongoing or planned water, sanitation and hygiene promotion activities and nexus between Development and Emergency projects.
• Participate in humanitarian and joint assessments of internally displaced and disaster affected communities including seasonal assessments to ensure consistent collection of WASH/NFI needs.
• Ensure that WASH activities including well drilling, construction of water schemes and hygiene and sanitation Campaigns and targets are achieved through regular monitoring and supervision.
• Support the implementation of SHA- WASH NFI and Dignity Kit interventions in coordination with head office and field/cluster office staff.
• Coordinate and monitor joint beneficiary registration and verification procedures, as well as a beneficiary feedback mechanism, to ensure vulnerable beneficiaries receive support and resolve any protection concerns during interventions.
• Representation and engagement of implementation partner and government agencies and coordination with WASH NFI Cluster and regional authorities
• Organize awareness raising sessions to build capacities of relevant government staff in WASH/NFI assessment, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Support with designing and contextualizing specific WASH IEC materials.
• Regularly monitor WASH activities like construction hygiene and sanitation activities and coordinate with other sector interventions.
• Assist the project teams for the implementation of cash assistant through different modalities where appropriate, including mobile money transfer activities.
• Collaborate with community groups, government, UN agencies and other partners who are active in WASH intervention in the area like Zonal and Woreda administrations and water sector and Disaster Risk Management officials so as to establish conducive working environment, promote transparency, ensure support of sector offices, increase stakeholder participation
• Represent SHA in relevant forums including the Shelter/WASH NFI Cluster, Cash Working Group (CWG), Disaster Risk Management Technical Working Group (DRMTWG), and other relevant humanitarian forums whenever relevant.
• Assisting the HPM and Cluster Coordinators with the day-to-day support programmatic and coordination duties, including reviewing and signing of key documents as deemed necessary.
• Ensure the availability of accurate, complete, and up-to-date information required for effective WASH programme design, implementation, management, monitoring, and evaluation with a particular focus on sanitation and hygiene promotion.
• Contribute to the selection, design, and upgrade the most appropriate forms of hygiene and sanitation system and facilities in accordance with SPHERE standards and taking full account of local conditions, cultural norms and do no harm practises.
• Provide technical support on Hygiene and Sanitation activities such as reviewing the TORs, develop Hygiene/Sanitation training manuals/topics, provide advice to field team, and supervise the capacity building activity.
• Prepare engineering estimates, drawings as well as tender documents for WASH construction works.
• Initiate procurement requests for rehabilitation, maintenance, and construction of HDW and Water supply system and WASH NFIs
• Assist trainings for WASHCos and ensure that the WASHCos are well functioning.
• Closely work with other programme team across the emergency operation and
• Development Programme for integrated implementation of the programme’s objective specifically with the Livelihood, Health and Nutrition Programming
• Ensure optimal safety and security management procedures and practices are in place for the emergency response programme and continually monitor the safety and security situation, adapting staff safety and security procedures accordingly in collaboration and cooperation with the Security Focal Person and Country Director.
• Perform any other tasks and duties assigned as necessary.

Monitoring and Reporting:

• Ensure strong accountability to beneficiaries.
• Ensure quality programmes and the monitoring of this through regular site visits within the response.
• Ensure that the minimum SPHERE standards are maintained in accordance with the Humanitarian Charter Principle and Sphere standards.
• Carry out regular monitoring visits to implementation sites to identify gaps and document lessons learned and make recommendations for adjustments to ensure
• WASH NFI and Dignity Kit assistance is delivered according to the cluster standards and donor requirements.
• Monitoring progress by following up the project workplan, procurement plan and spending plan through coordination with relevant field project teams.
• Prepare monthly, interim, final and mission reports for WASH NFI programming.
• Provide update on the WASH NFI projects matrix (5Ws and reporting hubs) to the cluster under the supervision of HPM.

General:

• Comply with SHA policies and practice with respect to safeguarding, code of conduct, health and safety, equal opportunities and other relevant policies and procedures.
• Take the lead on other SHA humanitarian requirements such as preparedness planning, disaster risk reduction, etc.
• Contribute to transparent ways of working ensuring key information from projects, coordination meetings and other information-sharing and lessons-learnt fora is shared in an open and transparent way to build capacity and strengthen the overall SHA.
• Ensure gender, nutrition and environmental aspects are mainstreamed in all project activities.
• Establish and maintain good working relations with government partners at zone and district level as well as other collaborators in this project.
• Perform any other duties assigned by the line manager and CMT within the area of technical competence.

Key Relationships:

Internal

• Country Director
• Head of Programmes
• Finance and Admin and HR
• Addis office Programme team
• Field Office Cluster Co, Programme Managers and Support functions

External

• Local Government Authorities,
• Other International and Local NGOs,

Department: Programmes

Contract Type: Six-month contract, renewable based on performance review and availability of fund

Reports to: Humanitarian Programme Manager

Job Requirements

Qualifications/Knowledge and Experience Essential:

• Bachelor’s degree in Hydrology and Water resources management, hydraulic engineering, Civil engineering, or any other related discipline with hands on WASH experience and trainings
• At least 2 and more year’s relevant work experience in the humanitarian set ups; preferably in the International NGOs
• Proficiency in verbal and written English,
• Proven skills in project planning, design, implementation, M&E.
• Strong interpersonal skills to establish and maintain effective working relations with multicultural and multiethnic teams, including working with partner organizations.
• Experience of training and capacity building and ability to carry out training needs analysis and develop capacity building, Mentoring and coaching skills
• Ability to work in hardship and longer hours and good skill of data collection.
• Proven experience in networking, influencing and negotiation skills.
• Knowledge of the government current systems and policy environment specifically at Woreda level.
• Firm believe in teamwork, gender equality, and conceptual approach in sustainable development programming.
• Demonstrated skills working in computer software and design application, CAD knowledge, Spreadsheet etc.