Haiti: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Coordinator

Feb 1, 2016 | United Methodist Committee on Relief
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The purpose of UMCOR’s Haiti mission is to provide emergency response, early recovery and transitional development assistance in the affected regions of Haiti. The Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator oversees the program and technical aspects of all water, sanitation and hygiene programming in Haiti, builds capacity of national staff and ensures all related program objectives are achieved in collaboration with senior management and the project team.

ESSENTIAL FUNCTIONS: The WASH Coordinator, based in Port-au-Prince, will be responsible to lead and manage all related emergency, transitional and development program assessments, program design, grant management, implementation, and staffing in Haiti. This position will be the lead technical and coordination staff person on relations with related key collaborators in the sector, including donors, international and local NGOs, UN clusters/offices, government offices, local partners (including the Eglise Méthodiste d'Haïti (EMH)), service providers, and other stakeholders.

Primary Responsibilities:

  • Establish and lead all aspects of UMCOR Haiti’s WASH department, staffing and programming.
  • Provide technical guidance to the WASH programs of the EMH, particularly in equipping EMH-related health facilities with water and sanitation infrastructure.
  • Participate with the Mission leadership in the development and implementation of the mission strategy for UMCOR’s work under guidance of Head of Mission in Haiti.
  • Lead the transitional, emergency and development programs for UMCOR in Haiti in the area of water, sanitation, and hygiene.
  • Assess WASH needs and specific vulnerabilities and lead integrated neighborhood programs to improve access to water, sanitation, hygiene, and waste management.    
  • Review and develop billing of quantities and create specifications by following policies and procedures of UMCOR.
  • Draft terms of reference, select, and manage service providers and vendors for related services in compliance with established UMCOR procurement procedures.
  • Liaison with UMCOR HQ WASH Technical Officer  in coordination with Head of Mission to inform UMCOR’s worldwide WASH strategy and, once developed, ensure UMCOR Haiti’s WASH programming is in alignment.
  • Coordinate with relevant agencies and government officials for sector initiatives/activities.
  • Participate in and contribute to cluster and NGO WASH working groups including key groups such as the CCO, Act Alliance and others.
  • Manage service providers to ensure community involvement at all levels and adherence to specifications for humanitarian and Government of Haiti standards for sanitation and WASH access.
  • Coordinate with local groups to identify priorities and opportunities for community-level waste management solutions.
  • Develop a long-term hygiene promotion curriculum and training program, integrated into a PHAST program with partner organizations on need basis, including the EMH.
  • Develop work plans, in conjunction with related program staff, for implementation of all related programs; oversee implementation of all program activities and ensure work plans are followed or adjusted as needed.  This includes coordinating with the strategic health and WASH planning of the EMH.
  • Design, prepare and negotiate related project proposals and budgets, while maintaining oversight of unit programs, budgets and expenditures to ensure timely use of funds.
  • Ensure department staff compliance with UMCOR and donor policies and procedures as they relate to personnel, security, financial, and procurement/contractual standard operating procedures
  • Ensure consistent high quality outputs and comprehensive monitoring, documenting and evaluation of all activities and their impacts.
  • Coordinate with Mission Operations staff on supply/donation distributions.
  • Actively coordinate related program assessments and activities with other humanitarian and government agencies working in the area.
  • Prepare and provide regular reports to Head of Mission according to donor and internal UMCOR requirements.
  • Monitor developments throughout Haiti and assess local contextual needs with the view of new program development and expanding programming.
  • Provide technical support to field offices.
  • Must be willing to travel (40-50%) extensively to conduct regular site visits for related assessments and programs.
  • Recruit, lead, and mentor national staff to fulfill the requirements of the program and assist professional development.
  • Manage the duties of a national team.
  • Ability and willingness to work with a range of partners including faith-based partners.
  • Provide regular Program monthly reports and communicate on all major aspects of programming to Head of Mission.
  • Other tasks as assigned by the Head of Mission.                                                                                                                                            

QUALIFICATIONS: Advanced degree in civil or environmental engineering or related field and five or more years of related international experience. Previous experience within Haiti or the Caribbean is strongly preferred. Excellent technical construction, leadership and personnel and contract management skills; five years’ experience in construction, contracting and cost estimates are required. Must be flexible and willing to work under difficult work and living conditions and able to work independently and carry out duties with oversight from afar. Requires pro-active leadership and managing multi-faceted emergency response and early recovery, integrated programming, with strong program development and multi-donor networking and acquisition skills. The ideal applicant should be comfortable collaborating with faith-based local partners. Incumbent must be able to multi-task, detail oriented and have good judgment.

SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE, ABILITIES:  Strong organizational ability; experience in post-disaster and emergency project management, and the ability to work independently as part of a team; ability to understand the cultural and political environment and to work well with the local authorities in a diplomatic manner; and sound understanding and knowledge of US donor grant procurement procedures are required.  Excellent written and oral communication skills in English, French required.  Creole is a plus.. Excellent interpersonal skills and proven ability to lead, influence and motivate others. Strong human resource management skills, including the ability to delegate is required. Experience in working in insecure environments is essential.  Experience in working with faith-based organizations is a plus.