Iraq: WASH Program Manager

Oct 21, 2019 | Relief International
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Relief International specializes in relief and development programs that benefit people in acute distress. A registered non-profit in the US, UK, France and Belgium, our work targets those fragile countries or communities that suffer from recurrent man-made or natural crises that impede human development. The people that we serve live in seventeen countries across the Middle East, Africa, and Asia where the debilitating effects of political instability, forced displacement, and natural disasters are pervasive. Often, RI is the only organization providing healthcare, education, logistics, energy, capacity building, economic development, sanitation, and many other forms of assistance to these highly vulnerable communities. 

Summary:                

The WASH Program Manager (PrMgr) is responsible for overall program technical design, development, administration and implementation of the RI WASH portfolio in Iraq. S/he will supervise RI’s Iraq WASH team and have oversight of RI’s multiple WASH projects.  In addition, the WASH PrMgr will be specifically focused to address water and sanitation needs in the communities in Iraq and to assist in developing WASH programming in Iraq. The WASH PrMgr will play a key role in representing RI at all WASH-related cluster meetings and with donors, and will liaise with various donors, local governments, the Department of Water and the Department of Sanitation, all Iraqi water and natural resource authorities, including liaison with the Ministry of Agriculture, the Ministry of Energy, the Ministry of Municipalities and Public Works, the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Environment (or its equivalent), academics and UN agencies, as well as various NGO partners.

Main responsibilities include national staff supervision, technical and policy leadership, and program guidance and senior-level liaison with the Ministry of Water Resources (MWR), the Departments of Water and Sanitation, and other Government of Iraq (GOI) officials.

Essential Position Responsibilities and Duties:

  • Manage the WASH portfolio funded by multiple donors. Overall responsibility for WASH in Iraq
  • Provide technical advice to the Country Director on all WASH and Environmental Health issues
  • Provide project-level and field-level capacity in the sector for staff, communities and local government
  • Build the capacity of RI and RI’s partner(s) staff in WASH program implementation. 
  • Develop concept notes and liaise with donors on technical aspects in consultation with the Program Director
  • Manage and implement RI WASH projects in Iraq
  • Provide quality assurance and quality control of WASH interventions.
  • Oversee and ensure quality implementation of teaming partners and other actors involved in the program, including needs assessment and technical support for water treatment plants’ operations.
  • Contribute to monitoring, evaluating and documenting progress of program implementation against indicators to ensure SOPs are being followed.
  • Inform Country Director regarding activity progress and make recommendations for course corrections if necessary.
  • Undertake and assist with assessment of local conditions resulting from emergency situations affecting Communities and vulnerable groups, including determination of priorities for interventions, preparation of project proposals for emergency assistance, and other related documentation as necessary
  • Ensure Sphere and National standards are considered through the program cycle and are well documented.
  • Generate and review WASH-related tendering documents, including creation of designs, BoQs, specifications and contracts as needed; and oversight of consultants and contractors to ensure performance and delivery according to Scope of Work
  • Provide overall direction focusing on program team to achieve agreed targets and long-term strategic objectives.
  • Maintain effective communication with donors and other organizations operating in Iraq, for coordination and partnership opportunities.
  • Participate in NGO sector coordination groups and identify areas for coordination and collaboration.
  • Technical Writing contributions and WASH reporting are required, Proposal Writing support will be needed occasionally.

Liaison

  • Foster, develop and maintain strong partnership relationships and regular contact with national and international NGOs, UN agencies, government officials, and other stakeholders working to serve as a network for obtaining and coordinating information and services to support services
  • Represent RI externally in the project areas as required, including but not limited to UN/NGO/donor meetings, working groups, joint agency assessments and task force meetings in the sector
  • Foster, develop and maintain partnership relationships with national partners and communities to assess the effectiveness of current projects and to identify possibilities for new projects
  • Assist Country Director as needed
  • Ensure that RI policies and procedures are adhered

Human Resources

  • Promote positive team environment between various ethnicities and local and expatriate staff.
  • Facilitate dialog and group decision making to support an inclusive work environment, where appropriate.
  • Ensure mentoring and coaching for performance is undertaken for direct reports. Develop training goals and Career Path strategies with direct reports.
  • Ensure staff are employing/applying appropriate international standards
  • Supervise consultants and volunteers as required

Qualifications and Requirements:

This position demands a dynamic individual with a demonstrated ability to achieve results in a demanding and fast paced environment.

  • Master’s degree in a relevant field or Bachelor’s degree with minimum of 5 years’ work experience.
  • Minimum of 5 years’ experience in lead management/emergency response in fragile/conflict setting.
  • Minimum of five years’ experience in the WASH sector; prior work experience with International NGO or another international agency required.
  • Experience managing programs, including fiscal management required.
  • Excellent interpersonal, communication, public speaking, and strategic planning skills required.
  • English is required, with strong writing ability; Arabic and Kurdish abilities are preferred.
  • Demonstrated ability to manage multiple priorities, deadlines, tasks efficiently.
  • Excellent time management skills and resourcefulness with strong attention to detail.
  • Ability to live and work from time-to-time in challenging conditions