Environmental Health / WASH Hygiene Promotion Officer at International Rescue Committee

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Environmental Health / WASH Hygiene Promotion Officer

Requisition ID: req41293
Location: Zamfara
Employment Type: Full-Time
Employment Category: Regular
Sector: Environmental Health
Open to Expatriates: No
Ability to Travel: % of time if applicable  

Project Overview

• The BHA (Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance) project, "Integrated "Emergency Response to the Displaced Population in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, Northwest Nigeria" Depending on fund availability will be carried out by a consortium led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in collaboration with the Alliance for International Medical Action (Alima), Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), and Life Helpers Initiative (LHI), aims to leverage each partner's expertise to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people populations through area-based approach.
• The Consortium partners will provide an integrated multisectoral intervention in Health, Nutrition, WASH, Protection, and Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) activities in Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto states in collaboration with state governments, UN organizations and other key actors in Northwest Nigeria.
• The project will be implemented by a dedicated support, quality assurance, and coordination team, who will work closely with all partners through a management unit of well-structured consortium governance for the activity.

Job Overview / Summary

• The EH Officer-Hygiene Promotion will be responsible for day-to-day management of EH Hygiene Promotion activities and staff involved in direct implementation of IRC’s EH Emergency Response Project Strategy.
• S/he is overall responsible for ensuring that approved technical approaches to hygiene promotion are adhered to, maintaining program quality and that all hygiene objectives are met on time and within the budget.
• When requested, s/he will undertake capacity building of team members.

Major Responsibilities

• Ensure that all hygiene promotion activities are in line with project strategy and design. 
• Maintain close working relationship and integration and collaboration with other sectors Health, Nutrition, Protection, Gender, Child protection, Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) and Economic Recovery and Development (ERD).
• Ensure that the hygiene promotion activities are implemented in a timely and professional manner (as per SPHERE and IRC standards) and in line with beneficiary needs.

Technical Quality:

• If requested, participate in any inter sectorial assessment process, including analysis and planning.
• Propose technical designs and methodologies for all hygiene promotion hygiene activities.
• Provide technical support and training for hygiene promoters and community volunteers.
• Provide regular reports, document results, and maintain detailed records.
• Directly manage the day-to-day hygiene promotion activities in the field
• Ensure that hygiene promotion activities meet stated objectives within the timeframe.
• Ensure program activities foster accountability to beneficiaries, gender and protection sensitivity and inclusion are adequately addressed in programming.

Staff Supervision & Development:

• The post holder will directly manage the EH Hygiene Promoters and community mobilizers/volunteers.
• Support the EH Manager with assessing staffing requirements against the size and scale of the emergency.
• Responsible for EH Assistant-Hygiene promotion and community hygiene promoters’ timesheets, work plans, vacation schedules, and staff training/development activities.
• Ensure that the EH Assistant-Hygiene promotion collects community hygiene promoters’ timesheets, vacations, and progress with work plans.
• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures.
• Participate in recruitment of staff in the approved EH organogram.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Take responsibility for discussing job expectations, performance, and objectives on an informal, quarterly basis with designated staff.

Monitoring:

• Responsible for ensuring that monitoring and data collection of all hygiene promotion indicators are in line with the approved monitoring framework, using all the correct monitoring tools and at the frequency prescribed.
• If requested, participate in monitoring data analysis.

Other Duties:

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

Logistics, Finance, and Reporting:

• Ensure water sanitation and hygiene promotional activities are facilitated in accordance with IRC logistics policy and in a timely manner to ensure the successful implementation of programs.
• Ensure all relevant financial documentation is completed accurately as required by IRC finance policy.
• Prepare and submit required reports in a timely manner and incorporate manager feedback.

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: EH/WASH Manager
• Position directly supervises: EH/WASH Hygiene Promotion Assistant
• Indirect/Technical Reporting: Consortium management team, Senior EH/WASH Manager, EH coordinator

Job Requirements

• Diploma / Degree in Environmental Sciences, Social Work, Nursing, Public Health etc; - relevant experience will supersede the formal qualification.
• Up to 3 years’ experience in hygiene promotion programs with INGOs;
• Excellent understanding of EH issues in emergency situations and knowledge of emergency standards (Sphere)
• Able to work under pressure and good at timely decision making.
• Fluency in English and Hausa language preferred.
• Knowledge of the local languages-Hausa
• Excellent professional approach and strong team building skills.
• Competent user of MS Applications: Word, Excel
• Strong management and communication skills.
• Ability to live and work in stressful and insecure environment.
• Able to manage multiple tasks.
• Knowledge and/or experience in conflict management, protection, or other related field;

Standards for Professional Conduct:

• The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.
• These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability. In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Working Environment: 

• Security level orange. The situation in Zamfara 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.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply