WASH Program Assistant at Mercy Corps

Location: Dikwa, Borno State

Reports Directly To: WASH Program Officer

Works Directly With:Program, Operations, MEL, and support team

Program / Department Summary

• Mercy Corps Nigeria’s humanitarian program aims to provide assistance to populations affected by the crisis in Northeast Nigeria. With funding from humanitarian donors including OFDA, FFP, and ECHO the humanitarian programs engage in several interventions including but not limited to food assistance, logistics and relief commodities, protection, livelihoods, WASH and capacity building of humanitarian response actors. Mercy Corps plans to scale up and expand its humanitarian response in Northeast Nigeria to reach more beneficiaries with additional and varied assistance in a wider geographic area.
• Mercy Corps plans to implement a program in 3 states “ISING” or Investing in the safety and integrity of Nigerian girls targeting adolescent girls and boys affected by the conflict in the Northeast.

General Position Summary

• The project assistant will assist the program teams in the day to day implementation of all program activities in the areas of intervention.

Essential Job Functions

• Assist program officers to track program progress according to the developed schedule and work plan, including community mobilization, beneficiary registration, community sensitization and coordination in the target geographical locations.
• Assist in promoting community participation including organizing for community meetings and inclusion so as to encourage community ownership over activities implemented and ensure equal representation of various community groups during implementation.
• Conduct nutritional and hygiene promotion messaging to ensure the messages developed address the current knowledge and practices gaps, messages channels are in line with those most commonly used by the communities.
• Support the Programme Officers in conducting trainings to Mercy Corps community volunteers and WASH committees and Sanitation Brigades on community sensitization and messages delivery.
• Whenever delegated, support in supervision of processes like borehole drilling, well constructions, latrine constructions, distribution of WASH related NFIs at the program site level.
• Organize  for water quality monitoring including ensuring proper  water treatment activities in general, at the program site level and makes sure that the consumables are timely replenished
• Together with the WASH Officer, ensure inclusion of protection principles like gender segregation, adaptation to meet the gender-specific and disablement needs, in the design and implementation of the program.
• Organize and conduct focus group discussion on WASH related topics, including the importance of WASH in Nutrition programming.
• Security savvy, s/he Complies to -and sets the good example for the respect of- security measures and regulations in place.
• Adherence to all MC policies and procedures as outlined in MC policies and procedure manuals;
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and to not jeopardize its humanitarian mission in country of operation;
• Other duties as assigned.

Accountability to Beneficiaries:

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• 1-2 years of working experience. Previous experience in community work is highly preferred.
• Proven ability to develop and maintain good relation with the local communities and project beneficiaries.
• Demonstrated skills in planning, organizing and reporting
• Bachelor degree in relevant field (Engineering, Nutrition, Community Public Health) or equivalent experience is highly recommended
• Ability to work under pressure
• Strong interpersonal, intercultural and communication skills
• Excellent oral and written skills and computer skills
• Fluency in English; fluency in Hausa is required.

Success Factors

• The successful candidate will be an effective communicator, with dedication towards community work, commitment to work long hours in the field conditions with limited access to resources.
• S/He will be highly motivated, with initiative and capable to work without direct supervision.
• S/he will be willing to conduct field travels and work in ethnically and culturally diversified and fast growing team.