The Capacity Strengthening and Learning Senior Specialist will be responsible for designing and leading WASH capacity strengthening workshops and events for the TOPS WASH Associate Award. A five-year activity funded by USAID’s Office of Food for Peace (FFP), the WASH Award aims to strengthen the effectiveness and sustainability of WASH practices in FFP-funded development and emergency food security activities. The Senior Specialist will disseminate capacity strengthening tools and training and practice materials through multiple channels, including in-person trainings, distance learning, low-resource and low bandwidth A/V, and mentoring methodologies. The Senior Specialist will also support WASH-related research and learning activities and will coordinate closely with FFP, implementing partners, and research institutions.
The Capacity Strengthening and Learning Senior Specialist will work closely with the WASH Director to establish and routinely update a capacity building and learning agenda and set award objectives. Together with the Director and drawing on support from other technical assistance providers, responsible for meeting all award objectives.
Technical Leadership and Support (50%)
- Lead the design and implementation of WASH capacity building activities, including designing and implementing Training of Trainers (ToT) curricula to achieve longer-term, sustainable learning capacities at all levels – HQ, field, management and technical – within implementing organizations;
- Create and disseminate capacity strengthening tools and training and practice materials through multiple channels, including in-person trainings, distance learning, low-resource and low bandwidth A/V, and mentoring methodologies;
- Provide follow-up remote mentoring support; guide organizations to develop sustainable capacity strengthening plans;
- Support the implementation of priority research activities funded through the award;
- Provide technical assistance to implementing partners, as requested.
Management and Coordination (30%)
- Build and maintain partnerships with USAID/FFP, implementing partners, governments, and research institutions;
- Identify and coordinate global, regional, and national opportunities for capacity strengthening workshops, events, or exchanges;
- Link practitioners to capacity strengthening opportunities conducted by other organizations (e.g., academic institutions, research bodies, international agencies, other PVOs);
- Support capacity building efforts of all WASH implementing partners, including development of appropriate WASH resources, materials and capacity building opportunities to share with partner staff at HQ and field level.
Program Learning, Knowledge Management, and Innovation (20%)
- Document all capacity building events;
- Promote results and learning from priority research activities;
- Monitor new developments, approaches and evidence 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;
- Support WASH Award Director in donor reporting per donor requirements;
- Contribute to Save the Children’s quarterly and annual reporting, strategic and operational planning and other management and documentation mechanisms;
- Develop and coordinate strong documentation and data collection and management methods for sharing with the larger community, including via FSN Network.
- Minimum 5-7 years' experience in area of expertise;
- Bachelor’s degree;
- Professional level of technical or managerial WASH knowledge, skills, and experience to manage the operational activities of a unit or team, or provide the technical and management support related to similarly sized programs, grants, or projects;
- Demonstrated capacity strengthening skills and experience with focus on institutionalizing capacity strengthening systems within partner organizations;
- Experience designing WASH technical training curricula, guides, reports;
- Familiar with USAID-funded activities, particularly within FFP;
- Experience working in a variety of development and emergency contexts; and,
- Ability to travel 20% of the time - mostly internationally.
Preferred Qualifications
- Additional technical expertise in any of following sectors: nutrition; social and/or commercial marketing, sustainability of WASH infrastructure, public-private partnerships, agriculture, emergency programs;
- Experience in qualitative and quantitative research, including market research, analysis, and planning;
- Excellent interpersonal skills and the ability to work both independently and as a team member with diverse headquarters, field office, and partner agency staff;
- Strong written and verbal communications skills;
- French or other language skills are desirable; and,
- 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 leave
- 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 as well as language learning opportunities.