Syria: WASH Specialist

Jul 6, 2023 | Norwegian Refugee Council
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The Norwegian Refugee Council has been working in Syria since 2015, implementing Shelter, WASH, Capacity Building, Education and most recently Livelihoods and food security interventions to benefit internally displaced, returnee, and host communities. NRC’s WASH Core Competency is currently the largest portfolio in the SCO program implementing projects focused on improving access to water, sanitation and hygiene services for displacement affected people, affected by war and conflict, and natural hazards such as earthquakes, drought and water scarcity.

Job Purpose

The WASH Specialist will provide technical oversight and strategic direction to Country and Area Offices to further the development of the WASH Core Competency (CC). The Specialist will ensure quality implementation for all WASH interventions, collaboratively develop/refresh a WASH country strategy, capacity-build staff through mentoring and training to increase the technical capacity of the staff and develop a donor strategy to further grow the program.

The Role

  • Responsible for technical innovative development, WASH strategy development, Macro Log-Frames and ensuring quality of WASH in the country, holistic programming (with other CCs) and ensuring harmonisation and consistency across WASH projects in line with NRC Programme Policy and aligned with regional and global strategies and priorities.
  • Lead the process of establishing proposals, budgets, modifications, project reviews, and reporting, ensure high technical quality and provide strategic guidance on programme design.
  • Follow up on compliance to contractual commitments within WASH CC, ensure high technical quality and synergies in project implementation.
  • Take the lead on establishing and following quality project deliverables to ensure high technical outputs including but not limited to review of technical and safety assessments, bill of quantities, participation in tender processes and review of output.
  • Provide strategic leadership on the development of programming that includes Self-Reliance and Durable Solutions for people affected by displacement where appropriate.
  • Support programmatic M&E and indicator tracking (especially using the GORS NRC M&E platform), WASH data and means of verification reviews, and follow-up in conjunction with project teams and the M&E (Monitoring and Evaluation) department.
  • Ensure budgets, work plans and spending plans in line with donor budgets are developed and maintained by supporting Project Coordinators, Managers and Area Managers
  • Develop and lead on conducting technical and safety assessments, needs assessments (in collaboration with Area Program teams, Protection team and M&E team), baseline, mid-and end-evaluations.
  • Represent NRC within the WASH sector, to relevant donors, government ministries and in relevant humanitarian coordination meetings in the country.
  • Actively promote and operationalize synergies between WASH and other NRC programmes to move toward integrated programming focussing on Shelter, Livelihood and Food security and ICLA (Information Counselling and Legal Assistance).
  • Provide support and input to the recruitment processes for all WASH staff in the country.
  • Accountable for organisational learning from programme implementation, for sharing of best practices and for capacity building.
  • Keep an overview of the activity implementation and undertake field support visits post initiation of projects to evaluate needs: support areas and teams including raising red flags where needed.
  • Develop and lead quality improvement plans, using technical quality control check list, quality benchmarks and Complaint and Feedback Mechanism (CFM) outcomes, and ensure continuous improvement.
  • Represent NRC in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors.
  • Ensure NRC’s Protection Mainstreaming in WASH as well as promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy.

Professional Competencies and Qualifications Required

These are skills, knowledge and experience that are important for effective performance.

  • Candidates with an advanced degree preferred; significant experience in the field of WASH, Psychosocial Support (PSS), working with displacement and conflict context.
  • Minimum 5 years of experience within a humanitarian/recovery context 2 of which should be in WASH programming as a Specialist/Technical Adviser, Project Manager or an equivalent.
  • Experience working in complex and volatile contexts. Knowledge of the Middle East Region and Syria context is highly preferable.
  • Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile with documented results from previous experience related to the position’s responsibilities.
  • Experience with start-up or expansion of new programmes.
  • Experience in team capacity building.
  • Experience with youth/adolescent programming, particularly vocational training is desired.
  • Experience with alternative WASH in a humanitarian context is an asset.
  • Understanding of SPHERE and Interagency Network for Education in Emergency (INEE) Minimum Standards is required.
  • Advanced computer skills, especially in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook.
  • Fluency in English, both written and verbal.

Behavioural competencies

  • Handling insecure environments
  • Strategic thinking
  • Empowering and building trust
  • Influencing
  • Initiate action and change
  • Analysing

What NRC Offers

  • Damascus, Syria duty station.
  • 12-months contract (renewable contract based on availability of funds and performance)
  • 40% travel, approximately to areas of Operation
  • Grade 9 in NRC’s Salary Scale. NRC offers a competitive compensation and benefits package.
  • NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality, and physical ability.
  • NRC thinks outside the box, encourage ideas, and give responsibility to all employees at all levels. Employees have many opportunities to be heard and take the initiative.

About NRC

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is an independent humanitarian organisation helping people forced to flee. It works in crises across more than 31 countries, providing emergencies and long-term assistance to millions of people every year. NRC stands up for people forced to flee, advocating their rights. NORCAP, its global provider of expertise, helps improve international and local ability to prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from crises. NRC also runs the Internal Displacement Monitoring Centre in Geneva, a global leader in reporting on and advocating for people displaced within their own country.

Employment with NRC may lead to employment in or deployment to Regions, Countries, Areas or Offices that may be host to considerable health, safety and security risks. NRC takes this very seriously and it has procedures in place to reduce known risks, but will never be able to take away all risks.

NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and physical ability.

How to apply

Key Information – Please Take Note When Applying

  • NRC highly encourages applicants to learn more about the role: please review the full Job description here.
  • Learn more about NRC’s operation in Syria here.
  • To apply as an internal candidate, click on the suitcase icon “I am an employee” on the top right of the page to be redirected to NRC’s internal career site.
  • Apply by completing all the system-required fields of employment history, experience, responsibilities, and education in the application.
  • Ensure to attach applicant’s latest CV.
  • Submit application and CV here in English.
  • When creating applicant profile, include full name as per applicant’s passport.
  • Unsolicited applications not related to this specific job advertisement will not be considered.
  • Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. NRC receives many applicants for each vacant position. Unfortunately, it does not have the resources to give detailed feedback to applicants who have not been shortlisted.
  • For any queries, please email at mero.recruitment@nrc.no with “WASH Specialist -Syria Country Office” as the subject line.