Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is one of the largest humanitarian organizations in the world. The IRC assists, provides rehabilitation measures and provides post-conflict reconstruction support to victims of oppression and violent conflict or humanitarian crisis. With a presence in more than 40 countries, IRC’s mission is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are affected by conflict and disaster to survive, recover, and take charge of their futures.
IRC has been present in Niger since 2013 and has a national office in Niamey. IRC’s vision for Niger is that individuals, households, and communities are resilient, empowered, and able to thrive in a changing environment. IRC Niger is present in the regions of Tillabéri, Maradi and Diffa with projects in the following areas: Environmental Health (WASH), Emergency – Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM), Protection and Empowerment of Women, Child Protection, Protection and Rule of Law, Education, Nutrition, and Economic Recovery.
Job overview
Under the direct supervision of the Senior Program Coordinator, the main role of the WASH Coordinator is to provide technical and managerial support to the WASH team for all WASH projects in the country. Specifically, he/she will ensure the implementation, monitoring and evaluation and reporting of current projects in all the bases of IRC in Niger, write quality proposals for new projects, work in close collaboration with all the WASH staffs for the various donor reports and contribute to the definition of the country strategy by offering a clear vision of WASH activities in Niger.
Main responsibilities:
Program quality and Strategy
• Provide advice, technical support and leadership to the WASH team in Niger in line with international best WASH practices and IRC policy and guidelines.
• With the support of the WASH technical unit at headquarters, develop the key technical tools of the program. Revise and adapt technical material for training. Develop / adapt existing IRC technical training material, as needed, to support the introduction of new programming approaches.
• Make frequent field visits to provide technical support to the field teams and propose reinforcement plans resulting from discussions with field staff.
• Work closely with local and international partners of the IRC-led consortium in Tillabéri, to monitor project implementation occurs on time and according to the budget, and with good technical quality.
• Maintain a close relationship and continuous dialogue with the water authorities in Tillabéri and Diffa, as part of the implementation of our projects, including during emergency interventions.
• Identify opportunities for EH program expansion; implement action plans for the extension of services considering the scale of needs and gaps, as well as the internal capacity of the IRC to respond adequately.
• Be creative and innovative in proposing WASH activities that meet the needs of IDP clients and their hosts.
• Participate in the development of the Strategy Action Plan (SAP) for the country program.
• Lead proposals (both narrative and budget) in the event of new projects, in line with the Country strategy (SAP).
Supervision and development of staff
• Maintain open and professional relationships with team members, fostering a strong team spirit and providing supervision and guidance to enable staff to carry out their duties successfully.
• Supervise the WASH team to ensure effective planning, quality implementation and regular monitoring of all activities, as well as their in-depth understanding of the expected results of the program.
• Take overall responsibility for staff timesheets, work plans, vacation schedules and staff training / development activities.
• Lead the recruitment of staff when funding is planned and / or confirmed.
• Take responsibility for discussing work expectations, performance and goals with designated staff on a regular basis.
• Follow the work plans for all current projects with the MEAL Manager, in connection with staff leave and anticipate delays due to leave if necessary.
• Adhere to and act in accordance with IRC’s global HR policies and procedures. Promote the IRC Way.
Grant monitoring and project cycle management:
• Ensure spending is appropriate and on time for grants to meet program objectives by developing and maintaining Work Plans, Spending Plans and Procurement Plans.
• Manage the salary coverage of WASH staff with available grants, and according to the actual use of time for project activities.
• Ensure that the WASH department analyzes and provides monthly feedback to finance upon receipt of the Budget follow-up.
• Work closely and coordinate with logistics, finance, and IRC grant staff to ensure program activities and expenses are on schedule.
• Actively participate in opening / closing and grant review meetings.
• Ensure the contribution to internal and external documents of IRC Niger, for everything concerning the WASH sector.
• Ensure compliance with donor rules including visibility in the implementation of projects (with the support of the Grants unit).
Monitoring, Evaluation and Reporting:
• In collaboration with the MEAL Manager, propose a monitoring and evaluation system for Wash activities facilitating the analysis of data for the indicators.
• In collaboration with the MEAL Manager and partner organizations, propose a review of the disaggregated database on the count of beneficiaries reached during sensitization without double counting.
• Prepare and submit donor reports on time, including success stories.
• Ensure the consolidation of data on the beneficiaries reached and share with the MEAL Manager for IRC annual statistics,
• Ensure that gender, protection, and environmental impact are integrated into all deliverables under its direct responsibility.
Collaboration with other IRC Niger programs.
• Provide technical supervision and support to WASH staff who are integrated into other programs, including RRM and Education.
• Provide technical approval on all WASH activities developed under other programs, including RRM and Education.
• Integrate the protection of women and the protection of children in the design of all WASH activities and targets, seeking the support of the PAF Coordinator and the PE Coordinator as necessary.
• Propose a concrete plan for the EH component with a focus on the integration of other sectors (Emergencies, Health / Nutrition, Education, Protection, ERD).
Coordination & Representation
• Participate in WASH cluster meetings and ensure the participation of IRC Niger in the provincial WASH sub-clusters of Diffa and Tillabéri.
• Propose capitalization notes that can be shared among humanitarian actors on our best approaches and interventions.
Other
• Any other tasks assigned by the supervisor.
Key Working Relationships:
• Supervisor: Senior Program Coordinator
• Supervised: WASH Managers
• Coordination: Other program coordinators, particularly Emergencies, Education and Protection.
Job Requirements:
• Technical degree (Bachelor or Master) in environmental, water or public health sciences; specialization in Water, sanitation and hygiene preferred.
• Excellent understanding of environmental health issues in emergencies and knowledge of emergency standards (Sphere)
• 5 – 10 years of professional experience in conducting / managing water, sanitation and hygiene promotion projects in emergency contexts, including with limited access.
• Previous experience and excellent understanding of working in emergency situations or in precarious environments.
• Prior experience and an excellent understanding of working in partnership with local authorities and technical water services.
• Previous experience of working in consortium with other humanitarian organizations, preferably with local and international partners.
• Previous experience in coordinating the management of programs funded by one or more of the following donors: BHA/USAID, ECHO, AFD or private foundations, with strong skills in program / technical and budget management.
• Strong skills in management, project planning, budget management and reporting, and monitoring and evaluation
• Sensitivity to issues of the protection of women and gender equality.
• Good aptitude in context analysis.
• Strong oral and written communication skills.
• Comfortable in a multicultural environment and effective in representation and liaison.
• Able to plan, prioritize and manage multiple tasks under pressure and deliver tangible benefits to a team.
• Fluency in French and English.
• Excellent computer skills: MS Word, Excel.
• Knowledge of local Nigerien languages would be a plus.
Working environment
The WASH Coordinator will be based in Niamey with frequent visits to field locations of Diffa and Tillabéri. He will benefit from all the safety advice for his trips in the field.
Professional Standards: The IRC and IRC staff must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way – Global Standards for Professional Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Equality 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.
Gender Equality: IRC is committed to narrowing the gender gap in leadership positions. We offer benefits that provide an enabling environment for women to participate in our workforce including parental leave, gender-sensitive security protocols.
IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer. IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status, disability or any other characteristic.
More Information
- Job City Niamey
