Save the Children is currently pursuing a Scaling-Up Nutrition Technical Assistance Project in Zambia funded by USAID over a six-year period. This upcoming contract will focus on an integrated approach to nutrition activity intended to bring to scale a core package of evidence-based interventions that will reduce stunting in a minimum of 30 districts in Zambia. The quality and quantity of dietary intake, access to appropriate health conditions, access to clean water as well as behavior change for improved livelihoods, nutrition and WASH practices will have a major impact on the sustainability for this project.
Save the Children seeks a Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Expert for an anticipated USAID-funded Scaling Up Nutrition (SUN) Technical Assistance Activity in Zambia. The goal of the five-year activity is to reduce stunting by 15% in target provinces and will focus on ensuring: 1) adequate quantity and quality of dietary intake among targeted groups, and 2) adequate health conditions for biological utilization of nutrients.
The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Expert will work closely and collaboratively with the Chief of Party (and other senior technical leads) and will be primarily responsible for ensuring that strategies increase adoption of household hygiene practices, improve access to safe drinking water, facilitate access to safe sanitation in communities and schools, and reduce exposure to causes of disease and environmental enteropathy. The WASH Expert will:
- Ensure the smooth, efficient and effective start-up and implementation of the WASH marketing and hygiene behavior change components of the project.
- Coordinate with all project staff on the design, implementation, and monitoring of an integrated platform that synergistically and holistically addresses nutrition-sensitive needs at the household level.
- Ensure development of detailed implementation plans, collection of appropriate baseline and monitoring data, including clear process and impact indicators, and effective project monitoring and evaluation procedures to ensure accountability,
- Guarantee timely and accurate donor reporting.
- Seek to continuously improve programs, initiate new project implementation strategies as needed, and plan for expansion of project impact, as appropriate.
- Hire, train, supervise and evaluate key staff for the WASH component – and oversee this process for less senior staff – and ensure that personnel policies are followed.
- In partnership with the other senior technical staff, establish and maintain good relationships with project co-implementers; government ministries and departments; NGOs working in the area and other key stakeholders. Attend coordination meetings as appropriate. Ensure that activities are coordinated with relevant stakeholders, including communities.
Please note that this position will only be filled if the funding is awarded by the donor.
- Extensive experience managing water, sanitation, and hygiene programs in developing county contexts and preferably, in Africa;
- Experience in the field of WASH marketing, including franchising, demand and supply side dynamics, behavior change communication, and social marketing.
- Experience integrating WASH and Nutrition programs is highly desirable.
- Minimum of MSc/Master’s in Civil Engineering, Water Supply and Sanitation Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Water Resources Management, Public Health or qualifications that demonstrate relevance to WASH project management;
- A history of productive involvement with governmental health systems, processes and service delivery models in developing countries;
- Demonstrated knowledge and background in community mobilization and engagement;
- Demonstrated problem solving skills, collaboration experience, creativity and willingness to innovate;
- Excellent interpersonal skills and demonstrated ability to lead and work effectively in team situations;
- Familiarity and understanding of USAID policies and procedures, or those of other donors, or those of donor-funded projects or community-based projects;
- Fluent oral and strong analytical, written English communications skills is required;
- Demonstrated ability to address behavior change issues in improving household WASH; and
- Extensive work experience in Zambia (local candidates strongly encouraged to apply).
The contractor will not discharge or in any other manner discriminate against employees or applicants because they have inquired about, discussed, or disclosed their own pay or the pay of another employee or applicant. However, employees who have access to the compensation information of other employees or applicants as a part of their essential job functions cannot disclose the pay of other employees or applicants to individuals who do not otherwise have access to compensation information, unless the disclosure is (a) in response to a formal complaint or charge, (b) in furtherance of an investigation, proceeding, hearing, or action, including an investigation conducted by the employer, or (c) consistent with the contractor’s legal duty to furnish information.