Palestine: WASH Officer, Gaza

Jul 22, 2024 | Project Hope
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Project HOPE is an international NGO with more than 1,000 engaged employees and volunteers who work around the globe, responding to the world’s most pressing global health challenges. Throughout our 65-year legacy, Project HOPE has treated millions of patients, provided more than $3 billion worth of medicines to local health care organizations around the world helped build hundreds of health programs from the ground up, and responded to humanitarian crises worldwide.

Code of Conduct

It is our shared responsibility and obligation to treat each other with respect, take affirmative steps to prevent matters involving Sexual Exploitation & Abuse and Trafficking in Persons, and to disclose all potential and actual violations of our Code of Conduct, which may include Conflicts of Interest, Fraud, Corruption, Discrimination or Harassment.  Together Project HOPE can reinforce a culture of respect, integrity, accountability, and transparency.

Program Summary:

Project HOPE is providing humanitarian assistance to the conflict-affected population in Gaza. The current response portfolio focuses on Health, Mental Health and Psychosocial Support, Protection, and WASH programming through Project HOPE programs and local partnerships.   

POSITION SUMMARY:

Project HOPE is seeking a WASH Officer to join the Gaza Response Team. The primary responsibility of the WASH Officer is to support the implementation of services in an emergency setting delivering primary care to the Gazans. The WASH Officer oversees design of sanitation system including excreta disposal, vector control, solid waste disposal, and drainage at the Project HOPE clinics and health delivery points in Gaza. They coordinate with relevant actors, sub/clusters, working groups, government bodies, other organizations, and partners. They will provide strategic support to the ongoing growth of the response effort for Project HOPE. This position will report directly to the WASH Technical Lead.

This position will be based in Gaza. Local Nationals Only.

PRINCIPAL RESPONSIBILITIES

To perform this job successfully, an individual must be able to perform each essential duty with satisfactory results with or without reasonable accommodation. The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required.

Program Design

  • Enforce the implementation of aims and objectives of WASH activities in line with the WASH strategy at Project HOPE’s clinics and health delivery points.
  • Oversee, design and implementation for water systems for the given context, including source selection (ground water, surface water), abstraction, storage, treatment and distribution for new systems and/or the rehabilitation of old Water systems.
  • Oversee, design and implementation of sanitation system (to include excreta disposal, vector control, solid waste disposal, water trucking, drainage) taking into full account the local conditions, resources, customs and cultural norms.
  • Implement a hygiene promotion program, which suits the local context and is widely accepted by beneficiaries.
  • Ensure and advocate/lobby that WASH program design is considering Health, gender, protection.
  • Ensure Sphere standards (both qualitative and quantitative) are considered through the program cycle and are well documented.
  • Develop concept papers, letters of intent, proposals and budgets in respect of the above.

Response Management and Implementation

  • Manage WASH interventions in Gaza in a prioritized manner with co-ordination with PROJECT Health activities and other agencies, both governmental and non-governmental and the WASH Cluster.
  • 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 Project HOPE to governmental, non-governmental groups and WASH Cluster as needed and assigned with the supervisor.
  • Support the program team in obtaining the required government permissions and positively engage with intuitional and private donors and HQ.
  • Other duties as assigned.

MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS:

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

PHYSICAL DEMANDS AND WORK ENVIRONMENT:

The physical demands and work environment characteristics described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Physical demands: 

  • While performing the duties of this job, the employee must be mobile in an office environment and able to use standard office equipment.
  • Must be able to communicate in verbal and written form and must be able to travel.
  • Project HOPE employees may be required to travel or work in countries where working conditions are classified as “hardship.”

Work environment: 

  • This position is based in Gaza. Given the current conflict conditions, candidate must be able to work in a rapidly changing environment. 
  • Position will be in resource-deprived environment with austere living conditions.
  • Travel for extended periods may be by air and/or other modes of transportation.
  • Project HOPE employees may be required to travel or work in countries where working conditions are classified as “hardship.”

Due to the substantial number of inquiries, Project HOPE receive, only candidates who have met the required experience & qualifications for this position will be considered. No phone calls please.

However, since it is active around the world in the field of public health, it may wish to retain a candidate’s CV in its database for other/future opportunities, unless otherwise directed.

Location: Gaza