WASH Officer Job Vacancy in Kenya

Peace Winds Japan

Position Title: WASH Officer

Location of activity: Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei integrated settlement

Duration: 10 Months (Mar 2023-December 2023)

Direct supervisor: WASH Coordinator

About Peace Winds Japan

Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) is a Japanese Non-Governmental Organization established in 1996. PWJ has been providing humanitarian and development assistance for people affected by forced displacement and natural disasters in more than 20 countries in the world.

PWJ launched its mission in Kenya in 2012 and has been implementing projects funded by UN agencies and the government of Japan in shelter, WASH, food security, livelihood and logistics support to improve health and living environments of refugees and host populations while promoting peaceful coexistence and self-reliance among the people affected by natural or human made disasters in and adjacent of Dadaab refugee complex, Kakuma refugee camp and Kalobeyei Integrated Settlement.

PWJ is a UNHCR partner responsible for WASH, warehouse management, motor vehicle service unit, centralized fleet and fuel management for Kakuma Refugee Operations.

Purpose of the position

This position is central to the designing, planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of WASH activities in Kakuma refugee operation.The officer will be responsible for building capacities of key community own resource persons to facilitate and implement sanitation and hygiene promotion activities in the community and institutions(schools and reception centers) to improve key sanitation and hygiene practices including safe disposal of human and animal waste, safe handling of drinking water, hand hygiene, solid waste management and menstrual hygiene management.The staff is also expected to be responsible for the entire process of management of the activities

Roles and Responsibilities

Overall

  • Plan, coordinate, facilitate and create reports of WASH training and workshops for community-based WASH staff e.g. hygiene promoters, teachers, WASH committee members among others.
  • Provide technical support and supervision to WASH community-based staff to empower them to fulfil their tasks and improve their performance
  • Coordinate with partners and stakeholders including UNHCR, county government, NGO and community partners to optimize WASH supports and resources in the project site through developing sounds relationship and synergies among the WASH programs in the region.
  • Maintain day to day communication with UNHCR and key WASH partners in order to implement WASH activities in harmonized, efficient and equitable manners.
  • Develop effective community engagement strategies and implement them with community-based WASH staff to promote community ownership in WASH related service delivery
  • Contribute to the development/establishment of WASH approaches, strategies and activities which fit in the context of the project site and in line with the directions of humanitarian assistance and guided by analysis of WASH sector needs and priorities.
  • Monitor and report on the use of sectoral programme resources (financial, administrative and other) ,verify compliance with approved allocation/organization rules, regulations and donor commitments, standards of accountability and integrity.

Sanitation and Hygiene

  • Together with hygiene promoters, WASH committees and community leaders, conduct assessments to understand barriers and motivators for promoting key sanitation and hygiene practices and behaviors.
  • Develop effective social and behavioral change intervention strategies for promoting key sanitation and hygiene practices and behaviors based on identified barriers and motivators. Support hygiene promoters to carry out these strategies through regular hygiene promotion activities and community dialogues to engage communities to foster their initiatives to improve their sanitation and hygiene
  • Provide technical assistance for the community agents and beneficial communities on construction/installment of WASH related facilities e.g. toilet, hand washing facility, refuse-pit and dish rack, etc.
  • Coordinate with education partners and schools to implement School Led Total Sanitation(SLTS), star school awarding and any other activities to promote sanitation and hygiene among school going children
  • Conduct community awareness creation sessions on menstrual hygiene management. This includes dialogues with leaders including religious leaders and any other trusted persons in the community
  • Work together with incentive sanitation cleaners, market committees and any other groups and individual to remove the waste from the residential and communal spaces, dispose the waste and manage existing disposal site properly. Develop a strategy for sustainable solid waste management service for the future implementation
  • Develop sanitation marketing strategies with CBOs and private sectors for sanitation and hygiene and involve hygiene promoters in carrying out sanitation marketing activities.

Project Implementation, Monitoring and Evaluation

  • Work with the health partners on how to interpret and use data/findings to guide targeted interventions and decision making
  • Work closely with the MEAL officer to conduct routine KAP surveys and latrine census.
  • Timely development of monthly, quarterly ,semi-annual and annual performance reports and highlighting success stories arising from the field
  • Represent the organization as required in inter-agency and government coordination meetings and liaise with other organizations working in the operational area where appropriate.
  • Carry out any other task as requested by the supervisor

Required Qualifications

Education and qualification

  • Bachelor's degree in public health/environmental health from a recognized university
  • Knowledge of SPHERE ,WHO and national quality standards
  • Be a registered/licensed member of the relevant body
  • Additional course or personal learning on community development, livelihood, project and business management is an asset

Relevant Experience

  • Minimum 3 years relevant work experience in the area of WASH and at least 1 year in humanitarian setting.
  • Experience in capacity building for community own resource persons or community based staff
  • Experience in intervention projects with strong community involvement
  • Experience in partner and stakeholder coordination
  • Experience in designing and implementing social and behavior change communication

Skills and competencies

  • Ability to observe and understand cultural and social contexts and reflect the understandings in programming
  • Excellent analytical and report writing skills
  • Strong community engagement and facilitation skill
  • Ability to infuse positive energy to the team
  • Attention to detail, keen at following procedures and meeting deadlines
  • Ability to organize tasks simultaneously and prioritize work
  • Strong verbal and written communication skills
  • Strong interpersonal skills working with cross cultural and multi diverse teams
  • Ability to build strong working relationships for partnerships
  • Standards of Professional Conduct especially on integrity, service, and accountability

How to apply

How to apply

This position is based in Turkana West sub-CountyTurkana County, Kenya.

We are looking to recruit national candidates only. Interested and qualified candidates are invited to send a cover letter (1 page) and resume (2 pages) as one PDF document no later than 28th February, 2023, to: recruit@peace-winds.or.ke with the subject ‘WASH Officer-Sanitation and Hygiene Kakuma’.In your cover letter please reflect on your motivation for taking this post.

N/B Shortlisting will be done on a rolling basis.

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.