District WASH Officers (2 posts)

Job Description
Sustainable, Accountable and Gender-Responsive Sanitation, Hygiene and Menstrual Hygiene Services for a Healthy Learning Environment for Adolescent Girls and Boys in Schools: SHASHA Schools

Background

United Purpose (UP) Malawi is an international non-governmental organisation working to create opportunities for lasting improvement in peoples’ lives. We work in partnership with others to support a range of livelihoods and food security, WASH and health, sustainable energy and gender equality programmes reaching over 1,000,000 people a year across Malawi. Globally, we work in nine countries across Africa, Asia and South America, however our Malawi programme is the largest country programme. UP currently operates in 17 districts in Malawi, supporting over 30 on-going projects, with a total staff of over 180 working across five impact areas: Resilient Lives; WASH and Healthier Lives; Sustainable Energy; Gender Equality and Emergency Response.

With funding from UNICEF, UP in partnership with Participatory Development Initiatives (PDI) and WESNET are planning a WASH in Schools Project focussing on rehabilitating latrines facilities to become gender responsive including MHM targeting 34 pre-selected schools in Kasungu, Lilongwe, Dedza, Salima, Mangochi and Chikwawa for a duration of twelve (12) months, effective 1st October 2021. The UP led consortium will support UNICEF’s work in Malawi to enable school-aged girls and boys, especially early adolescents (aged 10-14) acquire essential learning outcomes and practice skills for life, are safe from exploitation, harmful practices and violence, and benefit from integrated social services through improved health resulting from increasing access to gender responsive sanitation, hygiene and MHM Services in 6 districts. We will take a system’s strengthening approach, working with Districts Councils through Education and Health Sectors to jointly increase access to sanitation and hygiene and MHM services in order to improve health and education outcomes among learners in 6 districts. UP will lead implementation in 4 districts; namely Kasungu, Dedza, Salima and Chikwawa while PDI will lead in Mangochi and Lilongwe.

UP therefore invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced persons to fill the following vacancies:

Position: District WASH Officers (2 positions - based in Kasungu and Salima)

Job Purpose: The District WASH Officers will be responsible for ensuring that all project activities are properly planned and facilitated at district and school level in line with the systems strengthening approach and principles. The role reports to the Project Manager and supports the Monitoring, Knowledge Management and Learning Coordinator and the Engineer to coordinate district activities and implement an effective Monitoring and Evaluation system for the project and construction related activities respectively.

Key duties and responsibilities:

Identification and sensitisation of relevant district, school and community-based authorities and leaders.
Support the roll out of UP Malawi WinS Approach
Support WASH assessments and supervise latrine construction in line with WASH in Schools standards
Support and oversee installation and decommissioning of latrines in Schools, where applicable
Identify and verify, in conjunction with the project team, partners, Schools and community beneficiaries to participate in the programme.
Work with School and communities to prioritise and implement project initiatives and collective actions, through coordinating and liaising with other stakeholders.
Facilitating coordination with government extension staff, decentralized structures and other local leadership.
Supporting establishment and implementation of WASH monitoring and evaluation methodologies
Ensure that all project interventions are carried out with full participation of the community and other stakeholders
Develop partnership with grass root level stakeholders for the sustainability of programmes
Carry out assessments and monitoring activities, as well as data collection
Support the integration of safeguarding, women’s empowerment and leadership; accountability; and UP mainstreaming issues (Environmental Management, Gender and Social Inclusion, Protection, HIV/AIDs, disability, etc) throughout all aspects of the project cycle.
Report regularly and accurately to their line manager.
Ensure the programme is delivered In line with the UN’s protection mainstreaming pillars, UP’s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy and with Core Humanitarian Standard 5.
The successful candidate will have:

Bachelor’s Degree in Public Health or Environmental Health
At least 3 years of practical experience in facilitating rural WASH activities or other development activities facilitation and reporting with a good understanding of participatory tools, gender, HIV and AIDS, environment, capacity building and human rights issues
Proven experience of/and commitment to participatory methodologies to development, especially CLTS, SLTS, PHAST and Sanitation Marketing
Good interpersonal, communication, facilitation and report writing skills.
Computer skills especially word processing, spreadsheets and internet
Proactive and highly motivated individual who requires the minimum of supervision
Strong respect and empathy for rural communities; a deep personal commitment to promoting women’s rights; as well as an affinity to UP’s mission and values of human respect, partnership and integrity
Team player that thrives in a fast-paced, collaborative, and entrepreneurial environment
Ability to work independently and take a lead with new ideas.
Ability to build/maintain good relationships with stakeholders – especially government staff and communities
Terms and conditions

The above positions will attract a generous benefits package including a competitive salary, housing allowance, medical aid, insurance, leave grant, etc

How to apply

Qualified and interested candidates who meet the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form. Please note that CVs and cover letters will not be accepted.

Please visit https://united-purpose.org/s/UP-Job-Application-Form-2wtb.doc  to download the Application Form, and then submit the completed form via email only to:

Email: [email protected]

When submitting, please cite the position you are applying for in the subject title. Any applications that do not include this in the title will not be considered. No hard copies / physical applications will be accepted. Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 12:00 Midnight of Monday, 18th October 2020. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

United Purpose takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, and our staff, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. Our recruitment is safe, meaning that we recruit staff with the highest values and standards of ethical behaviour. United Purpose has a Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy, which reflects our commitment to protecting the people with whom we work. All candidates will be expected to comply with this policy and its procedures.

For more information about UP, please visit our website at www.united-purpose.org/malawi/.

UP is an equal opportunity employer, and women are particularly encouraged to apply.