The WASH Advisor leads Save the Children’s (SC) strategic approach and technical support for WASH, including incorporation of WASH into the Department of Global Health, Department of Hunger and Livelihoods and the USAID-funded Maternal and Child Survival Program’s (MCSP) strategic and operational plans. This position provides technical assistance to country programs, builds partnerships and pursues WASH related business opportunities across the agency’s development portfolio.
The WASH Advisor will be a member of the Department of Global Health (DGH), will help mobilize new resources for WASH programs and will work with country offices to deliver results on existing programs. Actions taken in this position will affect not only DGH, but Save the Children’s reputation as a leader in WASH technical approaches and programming.
Technical Leadership and Support (40%)
- Provide strategic leadership for SC’s WASH to support SC’s strategic priorities in WASH and assure high quality programs
- Provide direct technical assistance to specific countries and projects for program design, monitoring and evaluation and report documentation. Work with SC country staff to strengthen capacity for WASH programming
- Provide leadership for WASH work in urban settings. Lead Save the Children’s WASH in Health Care Facilities work stream across country programs and in global fora.
- Identify opportunities for and lead WASH activities within SC-supported MNCH, nutrition, food security programs
- Actively engage with Humanitarian WASH colleagues, providing technical support and contributing to programs and strategies across the humanitarian-development spectrum.
Resource Mobilization (30%)
- Lead SC’s resource mobilization for WASH work and coordinate WASH inputs as needed for health and nutrition opportunities. Foster and maintain relationships with international program colleagues, especially within DGH, Nutrition and Child Health, Emergency Health & Nutrition, and the Dept. of Hunger and Livelihoods with respect to resource mobilization
- Build partnerships with external agencies and organizations including multilaterals, NGOs and contractors to share and promote WASH learning and innovation and pursue potential WASH opportunities
- Identify WASH funding opportunities from USG and other donors and lead preparation of technical proposals for WASH including integrated WASH work with other DGH and DHL programs.
- Coordinate with SCI regional and country offices for prepositioning on strategic opportunities.
Program Learning, Knowledge Management and Innovation (15%)
- Monitor new developments in Save the Children’s areas of specialization within the WASH sector
- Identify evidence gaps and priorities for research and documentation related to WASH and pursue opportunities for research and program learning to fill these gaps
- Contribute to Save the Children’s quarterly and annual reporting, strategic and operational planning and other management and documentation mechanisms
- Support and participate Save the Children’s Health, Nutrition, HIV and WASH Global Theme
- Support capacity building efforts with Save the Children US and Save the Children International, including development of appropriate WASH resources, materials and capacity building opportunities to share with country offices
- Develop and coordinate strong WASH data management systems at Save the Children/US.
Management Support (10%)
- Oversee development of the SCUS WASH team,
- Work in close collaboration with DGH senior management to respond to requests from other departments or teams
- Develop and oversee systems for optimal functioning and performance of the WASH Team
- Support better systems, tracking tools and implementation of other mechanisms to ensure effective communications internally and externally
Representation (5%)
- Serve as an internal and external expert on WASH and represent Save the Children at global fora including workshops, conferences and meetings
- Represent the Save the Children/US WASH Team in the Department of Global Health
- Represent the Save the Children/US WASH Team on the SCI global WASH working group and urban health working group.
Required Qualifications
- Minimum 7-10 years' experience implementing WASH programming in the context of health programs in a developing world context, with at least 3 years of on-the-ground experience
- Ability to work in a complex environment involving a variety of country and institutional contexts
- Experience providing technical assistance in WASH in a variety of country contexts
- Demonstrated experience integrating WASH into nutrition programs and integrated maternal, newborn and child health programs
- Experience working on WASH in health care settings
- Business development experience (USAID and private sector) and ability to work with SCI and members to position and pursue opportunities and in proposal development.
- Experience designing and implementing qualitative and quantitative monitoring and evaluation systems for WASH projects
- Experience in technical writing/documentation of WASH program/research
- Demonstrated management, planning, supervisory, and leadership skills. Ability to think critically, strategically, and operationally.
- Experience with USAID and other key international organizations working in WASH and urban health and nutrition (e.g., UN agencies, donors, academic institutions, and USAID-funded Cooperating Agencies).
- Builds and maintains effective relationships and collaborates with multiple stakeholders
- Ability to travel 30% of the time on short notice and to work independently if needed. Travel includes both international and domestic trips.
Preferred Qualifications
- Master’s or PhD Degree in WASH or Public Health with WASH focus
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently and as a team member with diverse headquarters, field office, and partner agency staff.
- Capacity building skills
- Strong written and verbal communications skills
- French language skills are desirable.
- Computer literacy in word processing, graphics, and spreadsheet software packages and particularly use of PowerPoint.
- Meaningful work, with a knowledge that you are changing the lives of children all around the world
- A family friendly work environment
- Highly collaborative and innovative teams
- Generous paid vacation days, holidays, family leave days, and sick time
- Healthcare plans including medical, dental, and life insurance
- Retirement savings account with matching company contributions
- Structured and formalized management development and coaching programs for mid and senior level managers
- Extensive e-learning opportunities on a variety of topics offered through our affiliation with several prestigious universities and with the American Management Association, as well as language learning opportunities