EH Infrastructure Assistant at International Rescue Committee (IRC)

Sector: Environmental Health

Employment Category: Regular

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Monguno, Nigeria

Job Overview/Summary:

The EH Infrastructure Assistant will report to the EH Infrastructure Officer and will be primarily responsible for supervising all water and sanitation infrastructure works as directed by the EH Infrastructure Officer.

The main objective of this position is to support the EH Infrastructure Officer in supervision and direct management of safe water and sanitation provision activities.  This will include field supervision of all construction and maintenance of water and sanitation infrastructure. 

Major Responsibilities:

• Ensure that the water and sanitation activities are implemented in a timely and professional manner while considering beneficiary needs.
• Maintain close links and collaboration with other EH teams and sectors and in particular Health, Nutrition, Protection, Reproductive Health (RH), Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE).

Technical Quality

• Directly implements the construction of water supply infrastructures including but not limited to drilling of shallow and deep boreholes, installation of hand pumps, installation of solar submersible pumps, construction of elevated water storage tanks, trenching and piping for water supply reticulation systems, construction of well aprons and communal tap stands with appropriate drainage.
• Directly implements the construction and installation of sanitation facilities including but not limited to Communal latrines, house hold latrines, Solid waste pits/bins, Hand washing stations, Drainage, Menstrual Hygiene Management facilities and bathing shelters.
• Identify and train Water Point attendants and Pump Technicians and motorized/solar systems Operators within WASH committees.
• Train and supervise skilled and unskilled daily workers during the installation and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities.
• Coordinate closely with the EH Infrastructure Officer and EH Hygiene Promotion Officer on water quantity, location of water sources/communal taps while considering beneficiary proposals and needs.
• If required, supervise water trucking deliveries, water chlorination and water quality monitoring.
• Provide weekly reports of progress on the construction of water and sanitation facilities to EH Infrastructure Officer.
• Provide regular water quality monitoring reports to EH Infrastructure Officer.
• Seek guidance and approval from EH Infrastructure Officer on any changes to approved designs for water supply including water trucking concerns.
• Maintain comprehensive control systems on materials and tools used including notes on quality of materials.

Staff Supervision & Development

• Assist the EH Infrastructure Officer to identify, train and provide daily support to skilled and unskilled workers working in Water and Sanitation initial installations, operation and maintenance activities.
• Supervise skilled and unskilled daily workers
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable work teams to successfully complete their tasks on time and within budget
• Responsible for skilled and unskilled daily workers’ reports, timesheets and work plans.

Monitoring

• Daily volume of water supplied/delivered to location(s) including volumes and times of availability.
• Maintain records of number and location of all water collection points
• Maintain records of water quality monitoring at tap stand and household levels.
• Routine O&M of water distribution system (s) and sanitation facilities including drainage around all water points and sanitation facilities.

Other duties

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to the EH Manager and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs
• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor for the development of IRC programs.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: EH Infrastructure Officer 
Position directly supervises: Nil

Indirect Reporting: EH Hygiene Promotion Officer

Qualifications

• B. Sc. /High National Diploma in Civil, Water Resources, Building or Mechanical Engineering, Hydrogeology with hand on experience in developing and adopting emergency WASH technologies and designs experience in implementation of water and sanitation projects.
• Competent communication skills, effective in representation and liaison
• Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Sound knowledge of English language
• Competent user of MS Applications: Word, Excel; Auto CAD or similar
• Knowledge of the Local language-Hausa 

Working Environment:  

Security level orange. The situation in Monguno is calm at the moment but remains tense and unpredictable; concerns include criminality. There is active conflict in many parts of the country and a possibility for further expansion of the conflict and violence into other areas and other states.