Coordinator, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene

Job purpose

The Regional WASH Coordinator is expected to contribute to the management and supervision of both multilateral and where appropriate bilateral programmes and operations namely (1) delivery of all global activities covered by the WASH programmes (water, sanitation, hygiene) with equal emphasis on both emergency and development efforts inclusive both rural and urban with a public health focus. Ensure sound and consistent coordination between Geneva Secretariat, the region and country offices, the National Societies membership and the wider international and humanitarian network and to ensure linkages and integration in a resilience based program approach (2) contribute to and backstop coordination of WASH support during emergencies and ensure quality assurance to developmental WASH efforts (3) as member provides additional support to the Global WASH Team.

Job duties and responsibilities

Enable RCRC to be a global leading player in the WASH sector

• Contribute to and support the coordination of the work of RCRC at relevant regional and on occasion international fora, in publications, conferences and meetings and ensure that relevant advocacy themes are well presented to position RCRC as a global leader in all WASH aspects.
• Contribute to national societies input in the development of global policies, strategies, guidelines and tools as well as the integration of these standards into the work of RCRC 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 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
• Work closely, with other members of the WASH Team, with the Communications and Partnerships Teams at Regional level contributing to ensuring appropriate visibility, resource mobilization and public awareness of the work of IFRC/RCRC.
• The Regional WASH Coordinator will be the technical manager for WASH Delegates in Cluster or Country Offices

Support National Societies in order to improve its WASH performance

• Support the mapping of global WASH programming in their respective regions, progress and best practices and priority needs of National Societies especially in the context of developmental and emergency WASH and contribute to the provision of strategy and policy advice to National Societies.
• Contribute to the provision of leadership in the scaling up of WASH programmes, especially in developmental and urban WASH, by National Societies in their region.
• Contribute to providing specific technical support to ensure National Societies are able to effectively incorporate WASH within each stage of the 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 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 and backstop coordination of WASH during emergencies

• With other Global WASH team members actively engage with and provide support to the Global WASH cluster
• Contribute to and when required backstop the RCRC global 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.
• Work closely with emergency health team when backstopping any emergency so as to ensure WASH activities (including hygiene promotion) are directed at areas of highest needs and, particularly during infectious disease emergencies, WASH programs are supporting disease control and prevention of transmission in all relevant settings (clinical, home, environment etc.)

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 operational questions and challenges are addressed by operational research in partnership with different research institutions and other partners in their region.
• 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 Regional Health, Disasters, Climate and Crisis Unit and work closely with Regional Thematic Lead- Health and Care, Senior Officer for WASH in Emergencies and the Global WASH Team Leader by providing regular progress reports on results against objectives and risk analysis.
• Be flexible in your 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 Region and with National Societies including actors in the relevant external environment.
• Manage the Regional WASH Budget while strengthening financial standards. Ensure regular reports on use of funds are provided, budget needs are met and reported upon in a timely and efficient manner.

Duties applicable to all staff

1. Work actively towards the achievement of the Federation Secretariat’s goals.
2. Abide by and work in accordance with the Red Cross and Red Crescent principles.
3. Perform any other work-related duties and responsibilities that may be assigned by the line manager.

Education:

Required:

• University degree or diploma in engineering, WASH, Public Health or equivalent professional experience

Preferred:

• Relevant post graduate degree in public health

Experience

Required:

• At least 7 years working experience in the humanitarian or development sector, with a focus on WASH
• Demonstrated professional credibility in the sector and experience working in an international or cross-cultural environment.
• 5 years management and supervisory experience in a multicultural environment, with developing countries and/or with an international organisation at management level

Preferred:

• Experience working in a RC/RC National Society and/or Federation/ICRC

Knowledge and Skills

Required:

• Knowledge of WASH and public health and experience in practically applying this knowledge into policy, programmes and positioning
• Programme and project management
• Results oriented and demand driven individual, entrepreneurial, ability to lead in unprecedented and/or ambiguous situations.
• Demonstrated leadership and management skills, including the ability to lead within a matrix management structure and utilise talent and experience of team members in a productive way.
• Outstanding networking, representational, communication and negotiation skills. An ability to be proactive and persuasive.
• High degree of discretion, tact and sensitivity in dealing with internal and external clients and stakeholders at all levels.
• Ability to work within a multi-cultural, multilingual, multidisciplinary environment.

Preferred:

• Demonstrated track record in innovating, contributing to a learning culture, sharing knowledge and new approaches to engaging partners.
• Professional credibility, able to work effectively at all levels across the organisation
• Proven good judgment and ability to work with complete integrity and confidentiality

Languages

Required:

Fluent spoken and written English

Preferred:

Good command of another IFRC official language (French, Spanish or Arabic)

Competencies:

1. Values: Respect for diversity; Integrity; Professionalism; Accountability.
2. Core competencies: Communication; Collaboration and teamwork; Judgement and decision making; National society and customer relations; Creativity and innovation; Building trust.
3. Functional competencies: Strategic orientation; Building alliances; Leadership; Empowering others.
4. Managerial competencies: Managing staff performance; Managing staff development.