WASH Specialist (Infrastructure and Health Facility - Emergency Medical Team (EMT))

Job Description

International Medical Corps is a global humanitarian nonprofit organization dedicated to saving lives and relieving suffering through health care training and relief and development programs.

Established in 1984 by volunteer doctors and nurses, International Medical Corps is a private, voluntary, nonpolitical, nonsectarian organization. Its mission is to improve the quality of life through health interventions and related activities that build local capacity in areas worldwide. By offering training and health care to local populations and medical assistance to people at high risk, and with the flexibility to respond rapidly to emergency situations, International Medical Corps rehabilitates devastated health care systems and helps bring them back to self-reliance.

When catastrophe hits, International Medical Corps is often one of the first humanitarian aid organizations on the scene providing rapid and effective aid that saves lives, reduces suffering, and promotes self-reliance.

International Medical Corps: provides safe, timely, effective, efficient, equitable and patient centered care; offers needs-based response according to the context and type of Sudden Onset Disaster and/or outbreak in the affected nation: adopts a human rights-based approach to their response; ensures they are accessible to all sections of the population affected by the SOD and/or outbreak particularly the vulnerable; and treats patients in a medically ethical manner consistent with the World Medical Association Medical Ethics Manual.

International Medical Corps is accountable to: patients and communities; host government, Ministry of Health; our organization and donors. International Medical Corps commits to a coordinated response under the national health emergency management authorities. International Medical Corps collaborates with the national health system, the cluster and the humanitarian community.

Selected personnel are on standby to deploy to a crisis within 48 hours. Personnel may deploy to new areas of operation or lend support to International Medical Corps teams already on the ground. International Medical Corps maintains a roster of volunteers and staff who have completed pre-deployment paperwork, orientation and training. The roster is updated on a regular basis. Through this expression of interest, applicants maintain professional profiles with International Medical Corps so that information is complete and readily available for an emergency response deployment.

Job Purpose

This position will support International Medical Corps’ emergency response delivering outpatient clinical care to disaster effected populations.

The primary responsibility of the WASH Specialist- Infrastructure and Health Facility –  includes supporting the team in the rapid assessment, planning, design, implementation, supervision, and administration of the WASH technical interventions consistent with ongoing or planned water and sanitation, and other International Medical Corp core sector programs. The WASH Specialist will support the prioritization and coordination of the start-up and implementation of the interventions. S/he will participate as needed in the development of concept papers and proposals for emergency scale up interventions. In addition, the WASH Specialist will support the training of local staff and stakeholders in WASH related topics.

Candidates applying to this position are indicating that they are interested in being considered for the International Medical Corps standby roster for emergency response. Roster members will only be contacted when there is an emergency response need for which the responder is qualified for. This position will not be compensated unless responders are deployed to an emergency response.

Main Responsibilities

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential function with or without reasonable accommodation. The tasks listed are representative of the nature and level of work assigned and are not necessarily all-inclusive.

Assessment

• Conduct the initial joint health and WASH rapid assessment for deployment and ensure the site selection is consistent with the international standards for WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC)
• Provide technical oversight for the adequate setting of the health facility, and the associated staff accommodation
• Implement water and sanitation, and relevant (IPC) expertise in rapid needs assessments and analysis at existing and new health care structures
• Translate the needs into program priorities and identify emergency interventions
• Provide capacity building support for conducting rapid needs assessments and its analysis that is to be linked to activity plan and budgets.
• Support the assessment of the in-country resources and capacities including staffing, material and financial for response with relevant staff and agencies

Program Design

• Select from appropriate technologies and design water systems for the base camp and health facilities including source selection (ground water, surface water), abstraction, storage, treatment and distribution for new systems and/or the rehabilitation of old water systems
• Select and design the most appropriate form of sanitation system including excreta disposal, vector control, solid waste disposal, drainage,  taking full account of local conditions, resources, customs and cultural norms
• Select and design a hygiene promotion programme that is suitable for the local context and would be widely accepted by beneficiaries, in collaboration with other actors
• Design appropriate, phased, technical interventions to ensure timely, safe and high quality health care delivery at existing facilities and staff accommodation, including contingency preparation for potential infectious disease outbreaks as directed
• Ensure that issues of protection, gender, infection control, climatic conditions, environmental protection, security, access, safe operation and maintenance are factored into the response design
• Ensure WHO minimum standards both qualitative and quantitative are considered and any departures documented
• Assist in the development of letters of intent, concept papers, budgets and proposals as directed

Response Management and Implementation

• Manage Emergency WASH interventions in a prioritized manner in co-ordination with International Medical Corps core sectors and other agencies, both governmental and non-governmental and the WASH Cluster
• Work closely with Human Resources team for hiring and building capacity of the WASH team
• Ensure gender and protection is considered throughout the project cycle with women being enabled to influence decision- making around WASH challenges
• Ensure Emergency WASH program implementation is linked to health, gender, child protection and nutrition
• Implement the appropriate supervisory, monitoring and evaluation systems for Emergency WASH interventions
• Work closely with program support functions (logistics and finance departments) for Emergency WASH program supplies and activities planning

Information and Co-ordination

• Provide regular updates and technical guidance to team on progress, priorities and challenges – verbally and in writing
• Represent International Medical Corps to governmental, non-governmental groups and WASH Cluster as needed and assigned
• Support the program team in obtaining the required government permissions and positively engage with institutional and private donors and HQ

Compliance & Ethics

• Promote and encourage a culture of compliance and ethics throughout International Medical Corps. As applicable to the position, maintains a clear understanding of International Medical Corps’ and donor compliance and ethics standards and adheres to those standards.  Conduct work with the highest level of integrity. Communicate these values to staff and to partners and require them to adhere to these values.

Code of Conduct
It is our shared responsibility and obligation to prevent matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse, Trafficking in Persons, Child Safeguarding and any suggested violation to our Code of Conduct, which may involve Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption or Harassment.  If you see, hear or are made aware of any suggested activities then you have an obligation to report.

• Bachelor’s degree in water and sanitation engineering, civil engineering, or relevant technical WASH specialization; appropriate certification and technical training desirable

Experience

• At least five years of work experience with designing and implementing emergency WASH (water and sanitation systems) in IDPs, refugee and migrant contexts, maintaining sanitation systems, and implementing hygiene promotion programs; or equivalent combination of education and experience
• Working knowledge and understanding of WASH sector and its hardware and software components specially in health facilities
• Demonstrated analytical, motivational, communication, project conceptualization and planning skill
• Experience overseeing emergency programme implementation, tracking the progress, reporting against the agreed indicators and managing project budget.
• Experience in emergency and early recovery phases, including assessments and the design and delivery of effective water supply and hygiene promotion interventions in humanitarian and development contexts.
• Experience and understanding of key donors’ policies, guidelines and strategies e.g. WHO, USAID, OFDA, ECHO, DFID and UN.
• Demonstrated experience in WASH proposal development and preparation of internal and donor reports.

Competency
 

• Ability to effectively present information (both written and verbally) and respond appropriately to questions from senior managers in the field, counterparts, senior government in English
• Demonstrated knowledge of linking WASH activities with other humanitarian sectors
• Ability to understand gender related challenges within the beneficiary groups
• Demonstrated experience of working closely with support functions (finance and logistics) on activity and procurement planning
• Fluency in English

• Fluency in another language such as French, Arabic, or Spanish is an advantage

Other

In addition to the responsibilities referenced above, candidates can expect to be living and working in austere conditions. Lifting moderately heavy objects from the ground, carrying a backpack for extended periods of time, and walking or hiking in remote locations may be necessary to perform these functions.

International Medical Corps is a first-responder to natural and man-made disasters and has a mandate of working in remote locations.  The organization has a comprehensive security management policy and plan in place and committed to do everything possible within its remit to ensure safety and security.  Notwithstanding, the mandate and programming choices of International Medical Corps require staff with high degree of resilience, extremely decisive quality and ability to move fast.
 

Equal Opportunities

International Medical Corps is proud to provide equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants without regard to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, age, disability or status as a veteran.