Temporary Technical WASH Assistant

THE ORGANIZATION

The Water Trust empowers rural communities in Uganda to reduce preventable death and debilitating diseases by enabling access to safe water and a healthy, clean environment. Since 2008, The Water Trust has partnered with more than 900 communities in Masindi and Kiryandongo, benefitting more than 300,000 people. The Water Trust aims to increase the scale of its operations and pioneer new approaches to increasing the impact and sustainability of water, sanitation, and hygiene programs. With recent grants from USAID, The World Bank, charity: water, and other leading funders, The Water Trust is scaling its operations and looking for a Technical WASH Assistant to support the organization’s efforts to increase access to safe, sustainable water for rural communities.

POSITION SUMMARY

The Water Trust Technical WASH Officers and Assistants are responsible for effectively supervising construction and rehabilitation projects of rural water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) infrastructure, and monitoring the functionality and water quality of historical investments. The Water Trust is considering candidates for both the junior level (Assistant) and senior level (Officer) at this time. The ideal Assistant candidate will have strong engineering expertise, at least two years experience in WASH Projects with an international NGO, and a track record of effective supervision of borehole construction. The ideal Officer candidate will have five to eight years of experience in borehole and pipe scheme construction management, as well as supervisory experience of junior staff.

This is an excellent opportunity for an early-mid career professional with strong engineering skills, a passion for WASH, and with an interest in learning and contributing to a growing organization. Women are strongly encouraged to apply as we work toward a world of greater gender equality in engineering and water, sanitation, and hygiene.

MAJOR FUNCTIONS AND RESPONSIBILITIES

• Support the Technical WASH Manager to design and implement technical and operating standard procedures and best practices of WASH infrastructure.
• To conduct technical supervision of borehole construction, solar-powered piped water systems, and sanitation infrastructure.
• The Officer-level position will hold additional responsibilities related to staff supervision, pipe scheme design and management, and other responsibilities assigned by Technical WASH Program Manager and Program Director.
• To assist in the identification of community water and sanitation needs.
• To develop technical specifications and bills of quantities (BoQ) for work.
• Conduct water quality testing and sanitary inspections at water points.
• Effectively plan, manage, implement, monitor, evaluate, and report the technical program activities focusing on WASH infrastructure and water quality within budget and set standards through the coordination, supervision, and training of external contractors.
• Develop, facilitate, and support the existing structures (e.g. Water and Sanitation Committees, Self-Help Groups, and Hand Pump Mechanics) to ensure the sustainable management of WASH infrastructure.
• Establish and ensure productive relationships with local and district authorities and community members at all levels toward strong coordination and solutions for sustainable community-managed WASH infrastructure.
• Effectively reporting on construction supervision, such as the timely filing of reports with supporting documentation (e.g., photos, GPS coordinates).
• Assists in the compilation of monthly technical reports and donor reports.
• Assist in updating the organizational database in relation to water point issues, functionality, and other indicators.

QUALIFICATIONS AND CHARACTERISTICS

• Bachelor’s degree in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, or Geology or a minimum of Higher Diploma.
• Minimum two years experience (Assistant level) or five to eight years experience (Officer level) working with WASH technical projects in a humanitarian or development context.
• Prefer candidates with 2-3 years of work experience in community-based water and sanitation programs; work experience with an NGO is desirable.
• Must have knowledge of water supply, hygiene, sanitation requirements, and protocols.
• Demonstrated supervisory experience and expertise in pipe scheme design and quality assurance (Officer level.)
• Familiarity with international minimum standards of water supply, hygiene, and sanitation service delivery (i.e., SPHERE) is an advantage.
• Excellent communication skills – written and spoken – in English required.
• Fluency and ability to speak in one or more of the national/regional languages (Runyokitara (Runyoro), Kiswahili, Luo preferred).
• Must be willing to work as a team member, take direction, and share technical skills with colleagues and counterparts.
• Able and willing to spend 75% of time supervising construction in rural villages with limited amenities.
• Computer literacy in word processing and spreadsheets is required,
• Must be able to work under pressure.
• Documented past work results related to the position’s responsibilities.
• Strong planning skills and ownership of results.
• Strong relationship- and trust-building skills with colleagues and community members.
• Communicates effectively and with respect.
• Comfortable traveling across rural communities by motorbike for four to five days each week with work in communities for the majority of those days.

Desirable

• Knowledge of motorbikes operation and maintenance with Valid Permit Class “A”.
• Advanced Information Technology knowledge such as familiarity with mWater, AutoCAD, GPS, ArcGIS, EPANET and, Google Earth are strongly desirable.
• Willingness to travel to all locations for regular oversight and review.