WASH Officer

All NRC employees are expected to work in accordance with the organization's core values: dedication, innovation, inclusivity, and accountability. These attitudes and beliefs shall guide our actions and relationships. 

1. Role and responsibilities

The WASH Officer is responsible for implementing the delegated WASH project portfolio within Beirut and Mount Lebanon area and managing the day to day activities to ensure proper delivery, high quality results and compliance to applicable laws, standards, practices, policies and procedures in coordination with the WASH Coordinator.

Generic responsibilities

1. Adhere to NRC policies, guidance and procedures
2. Suggest new methods and approaches to improve the quality of the activities 
3. Provide regular reports to the Project Coordinator on project implementation
4. Prepare and file relevant documents according to procedures
5. Supervise the WatSan technicians, ensure their capacity building and transfer key skills 
6. Investigate and facilitate the introduction of new technologies, methods, and approaches to improve the quality of the WatSan technicians activities and services
7. Liaise and collaborate with relevant local authorities and other key stakeholders
8. Ensure that projects target beneficiaries most in need of protection, explore and asses new and better ways to assist
9. Ensure that NRC’s related activities are implemented within NRC’s Protection mainstreaming guidelines and report any breaches/concerns to the line manager and/or focal point for proper action
10. Ensure that all protection related detected cases are referred to the concerned referral focal point and to the related Protection Coordinator.

Specific responsibilities

1. Design and undertake tailored solutions for the different intervention areas (rehab/upgrade of residential units, schools, implementation of communal projects, rehab and upgrade of water and wastewater systems), taking into account the national WASH strategy standards, SPHERE standards, and people with specific needs.
2. Ensure that procurement, delivery, and distribution of materials and equipment are timely and according to procedures
3. Develop and improve procedures for the implementation of the WASH programme in accordance with NRC principles (drafting MoUs, SoPs and ToRs).
4. Develop detailed and accurate tender documentation including technical designs, drawings, Bill of Quantities, the scope of work, quality assurance, and other technical documentation necessary for project realization, focusing on cost-effective and evidence-based programming with high-quality outputs
5. Assess, design plan and monitor the construction and rehabilitation of water and sanitation facilities and systems on HH and community level, including carrying out plumbing works on water and sanitation facilities as directed by the WASHCoordinator
6. Plan and conduct activities to ensure the engagement of individuals, HHs and communities in decisions affecting them and NRC’s accountability towards them.
7. Support the development of detailed and accurate technical Specifications, scope of Work, and quality assurance before and during implementation.
8. Provide site supervision and quality compliance, in collaboration with partner organizations, for all engineering works. Supervise the contractor work during the implementation phase, ensuring high quality implementation.
9. Deliver WASH technical training to WASH committees, municipal staff and public service providers, and closely involve communitiesand monitor beneficiary satisfaction
10. Supervise, train and develop the WASH team spirit and technical capacity both on the team and individual level
11. Manage the performance of relevant WASH assistants, set objectives, monitor work plans, and provide constructive feedback on a regular basis
12. Develop external relationships with municipalities, beneficiaries, ministries, regional water establishments, consortium members, other WASH NGO’s staff and other relevant stakeholders.

     

Critical interfaces

Other departments/units within NRC:

• Shelter and Settlements team: Coordinate on activities linked to shelter condition (site improvement, drainage, vector control)
• Emergency Response Unit (ERU): ERU and WASH will work in the same areas where possible, provision of the WASH technical support as requested.
• Information, Counselling, and Legal Assistance: ensure that the WatSan team can deal with referral cases and follow up communication
• Education: support the education team with WASH-relatedactivities in education centers and school
• Security and Logistics: Coordinate with Logistics and Security department on the access of new areas of intervention and security incidents faced by the WASH team
• Protection: Ensure safe and inclusive programming in WASH activities, designs, and facilities. Proactively engage with program participants and protection colleagues to formulate and implement measures to reduce vulnerability to site-level protection and safety risks

Outside NRC:

• Landowners: close collaboration for identifying opportunities for sustainable WASH infrastructure in informal settlements
• Local authorities: close collaboration across the whole project phase for information, approval & follow up purposes
• Interagency coordination: international and national NGOs working in WASH or other sectors, UN bodies, Municipalities Water Establishments as requested

2. Competencies

Professional competencies

Academic Qualifications:

• Master/Bachelor degree or equivalent in Hydraulic, Civil, Mechanical, Environmental engineering, or Public Health
• A degree in management or social work is a plus

Generic professional competencies for this position:

• Minimum 2 years of relevant experience working as a Water and Sanitation Project Officer in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Experience working with communal or municipal level water production and distribution systems
• Experience in plumbing, water networks, and sewage network connections
• Experience in WASH projects implemented in informal settlements and urban settlements 
• Proficiency in using computer-aided design, hydraulic modeling softwares and geographic information systems
• Experience with Mobile Data Collection (KoboCollect)
• Proficiency in English & Arabic, both written and spoken

Behavioral competencies

• Planning and delivering results
• Handling insecure environments
• Communicating with ipmpact and respect
• Managing performance and development
• Analysing
• Working with people