WASH Officer at The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)

Vacancy No: IFRC02637
Location: Delta State  Application Link

Location: Kogi   Application Link
Duration: 5 Months
Category of Staff: National Staff

Organizational Context

• The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC or “the Federation”) is the world’s largest volunteer-based humanitarian network.
• The Federation is a membership organisation established by and comprised of its member National Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies. Along with National Societies and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), the Federation is part of the International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement.
• The overall aim of the IFRC is “to inspire, encourage, facilitate, and promote at all times all forms of humanitarian activities by National Societies with a view to preventing and alleviating human suffering and thereby contributing to the maintenance and promotion of human dignity and peace in the world.” It works to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people before, during and after disasters, health emergencies and other crises.
• The Federation is served by a Secretariat based in Geneva, with regional and country offices throughout the world. The Secretariat is led by the IFRC Secretary General and provides the central capacity of the International Federation to serve, connect, and represent National Societies.
• The Secretariat’s headquarters is organized in three main business groups:
  • Partnerships, including Movement and Membership;
  • Programmes and Operations; and
  • Management Services.
• The Programme Services Division is in turn organised in three Departments, each of them led by a Director. The department of Health & Care consists of 3 teams, of which Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) is one.
• The Nigeria WASH Officer, reporting to the Nigeria Health delegate, is a part of the West Coast Cluster Office, the Africa Regional and Global WASH/Health Teams and supports the IFRC's programmatic vision for WASH/Health and its translation into programmatic interventions, in close collaboration with Nigeria Red Cross Society by providing technical advice, support and coordination to the Federation's programmes in the areas of water, sanitation and hygiene promotion and Health promotion throughout the resilience continuum (in emergency, recovery and development contexts of the flood response appeal).

Job Purpose

• Based in Delta state in the office of the Delta Branch of the Nigerian Red Cross, supporting Delta and Anambra states, the WASH officer will work under the direct supervision of the Health delegate in Nigeria. He/she will work in close coordination with the Nigerian Red Cross Health and Care Unit for ensuring effective implementation of the WASH/Health programs in Nigeria.
• As a key member of the West Coast Cluster Team, the Nigeria WASH Officer is expected to contribute to the management and supervision of both Emergency Plan of Action and the ECHO funded programmes and operations namely (1) delivery of all activities covered by the WASH and Health programmes (water, sanitation, hygiene and health) with equal emphasis on both emergency and development efforts inclusive both rural and urban through an integrated approach.
• Ensure sound and consistent coordination with Nigeria Red Cross, WASH and Health stakeholders in Nigeria and the wider international and humanitarian network and to ensure linkages and integration in a resilience based program approach (2) ensure consistent and timely reporting of WASH and Health activities according to ECHO reporting requirements (3) as a WASH and Health member provides additional support to Country Cluster, Regional and Global Teams.
• The Nigeria WASH Officer is expected to actively support the Nigeria WASH and Health country Strategic Direction and contribute to the roll out and implementation

Job Duties and Responsibilities

• Contribute to national societies input in the development of country specific policies, strategies, guidelines and tools as well as the integration of these standards into the work of Red Cross to ensure sound and sustainable WASH programmes and effective public health outcomes.
• Contribute to and support community led WASH, both rural and urban health related to Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Work closely, with other members of the WASH Team, with other departments and units in the Cluster and Africa Region contributing to ensuring appropriate visibility, resource mobilization and public awareness of the work of IFRC/RCRC.
• Contribute to the four-cross organizational WASH related work streams: WASH for development through expansion of GWSI; WASH in disasters; WASH during public health emergencies and WASH in Urban Settings.
• Contribute to providing specific technical support to ensure Nigeria Red Cross is able to effectively incorporate WASH and Health within each stage of development and emergency cycle and along the resilience continuum: strengthening of WASH as part of prevention; WASH disaster preparedness; water quality monitoring as part of community disease detection and early warning; emergency WASH response including full spectrum of public health related WASH capacities and WASH during recovery aimed at ‘building back better’.
• Contribute to the provision of leadership in the scaling up of WASH and Health programmes.
• Contribute to and when required backstop the RCRC regional WASH surge mechanisms and ensure that the right people with the right skills and equipment are able to be deployed to the right places at the right time to support National Societies WASH needs in their region.

Contribute to Delivering quality in operations:

• Ensure that tools, guidelines and projects are based on evidence, applicable international standards and follow a resilience based health approach.
• Ensure that behavioural change components and training are following good standards and are aligned to department wide approaches.
• As part of quality enhancement programme, contribute to supporting National Societies to develop systems that allow a ‘seamless’ transition from health development to emergency response to recovery, build back better and accelerated development.

Contribute to an effective, high quality IFRC team:

• Be accountable to the Health delegate by providing regular progress reports on results against objectives and risk analysis as set out by established procedures in Nigeria.
• Be flexible in their work definition according to needs and targets and improve efficiencies and effectiveness within available resources.
• Be a pro-active team member fostering a customer service-oriented culture that values proactivity, continuous improvement, innovation, high performance and cost effectiveness.
• Foster a co-creative environment with colleagues in the National Society and the Cluster including actors in the relevant external environment

Education

• Relevant post graduates Civil Engineering/ WASH/ Public Health university degree or any other relevant qualifications
• Relevant training in Program management and coordination
• Relevant Red Cross trainings curricula

Experience:

• 3 years of experience on WASH/ Public Health project management
• Proven abilities on coaching, and supporting staff
• Experience on health project planning & budgeting, supervision and management to include monitoring and evaluation
• Experience in working in both emergency health issues and engaging effectively with beneficiaries especially women and children and other vulnerable groups
• Experience of producing narrative & financial reports, ECHO funding experience preferred
• Experience with working with National Society structures
• Proven knowledge on the Nigeria WASH and Health National context

Knowledge, skills and languages:

• Strong skills in general administration, oral and written communication
• Representation and negotiation skills
• Self-supporting in computers (Windows, spreadsheets, word-processing)

Competencies and values:

• Results focus and accountability
• Professional standards
• Teamwork