Water and Sanitation Team Leader at Oxfam

Location: Gwoza, Borno
Department: Humanitarian
Job Family: Programme Technical
Reports To: International PHE TL
Staff reporting to this Post: PHE Officers and Assistants
Duration: Five (5) Months with possibility of extension.

Job Purpose

• To co-lead with an International PHE team leader a PHE water and sanitation team and to develop the implementation of planned activities and contribute to Oxfam PH strategies for the Lake Chad Basin emergency response in North East Nigeria.

Dimensions

• Work pattern requires significant planning input but requires a high degree of flexibility.
• Required to make sound judgments regularly within agreed processes using management and technical knowledge, a good understanding of the team and the facilities of the team.
• Communication with internal staff and coordination with external contacts / target audiences to support and plan operational work.
• Analysis and internal communication of the locally relevant context to inform appropriate planning
• Analysis and communication of the wider context
• Problem solving activities using professional or technical knowledge
• Makes complex technical information accessible and useable by non-specialists
• Develop a shared analysis of local issues, contacts and key players
• Impact and influence within the team and Oxfam allocated camps/host communities, but also monitor trends in returnee settlements and foster strong external relations with other agencies responding in target areas
• Supervising resources within defined boundaries or a specialist area, which may include people, assets and/or budgets.

Key Responsibilities

• To lead and carry out assessments and surveys for water, sanitation, solid waste disposal, drainage situation in the planned camps / host communities. This includes preparing ToR, assembling team and arranging tools, checklist, etc as necessary.
• To provide assessment reports with key recommendations and designs of what needs to be done in coordination with PHP national and international team leader and logistics manager.
• To line manage and supervise PHEs for water and sanitation under a workable and accountable management structure.
• To prepare in close harmonisation with the International PHE TL the work plan/chart for water and sanitation activities within the parameters of the approved proposal and budget and recommend any changes based on the assessment or actual situation on the ground that affects achieving objectives.
• As necessary support the international PHE TL in recruitment, training and supervising public health engineering staff. This may involve the writing of job descriptions, work schedules, training plans and appraisals.
• Design, estimate and B&Q of the water and sanitation activities to be undertaken in coordination with the officers, report immediately any changes required in design and cost beyond the scope of approved budget.
• Prepare contracts for contractors , respecting tendering procedures , bid analysis and guarantee supervision and monitoring of delivered works to meet Oxfam standards (in close cooperation with Logisitics)
• Collate, prepare and submit bulk supply and purchase order and follow up with logistics and finance with the help of the International PHE TL and officers.
• To ensure that PHE team has adequate programme support (logistics, financial and institutional) to deliver planned activities and monitoring quality and impact.
• To undertake innovation works relevant to the programme and report on the development and progress (especially on type of material/design on water, sanitation and hand washing facilities).
• Participate in PHE team briefing/debriefing, weekly PHE/PHP joint meeting and represent in monthly programme meetings. Ensures that all meeting and briefings are productive & action oriented.
• Prepare together with the officers and assistants the bi-weekly sitreps
• To ensure that all work is carried out in a way that is sensitive to community needs and gender issues.
• Ensure that PHE staff are aware of Oxfam’s performance management systems, that objectives are set and monitored.
• Represent Oxfam at the various coordination meetings at inter NGO, camp and community levels ensuring compatibility with overall commitments and policy/programme priorities in public health.
• Prepare regular reports; contribute to donor reporting and evaluations

Skills and Competence
Essential:

• Relevant qualification in Public Health Engineering.
• At least 3 years practical experience in appropriate community health and environmental programmes.
• Some of this time should have been in refugee emergency relief programmes, drilling boreholes and designing pipe network.
• Demonstrated experience of programme integration and commitment to humanitarian principles and action to crosscutting issues including gender and diversity into public health promotion programme,
• Assessment, analytical, planning, negotiation, oral and written reporting skills.
• Good training and supervisory skills
• Willingness to travel at short notice within North Eastern Nigeria, ability to work under pressure and in response to the changing needs
• Good written and spoken English essential.

Desirable:

• Borehole construction, camp and host community WASH experience