EH Infrastructure Assistant at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian agencies, provides relief, rehabilitation and post-conflict reconstruction support to victims of natural disaster, oppression and violent conflict in 42 countries. The IRC is committed to bold leadership, innovation and creative partnerships. Active in public health, education, livelihoods, women's empowerment, youth development, and protection and promotion of rights, IRC assists people from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: EH Infrastructure Assistant - Gwoza

Requisition ID: req6485
Location: Gwoza, Borno
Sector: Environmental Health
Employment Category: Fixed Term
Employment Type: Full-Time

Background/IRC Summary

• IRC entered Nigeria in October 2012 response to a widespread flood disaster. IRC’s emergency response team, with local partner CISCOPE (civil society coalition for poverty eradication), implemented a project to support livelihoods and improve WASH in Kogi State from February to May 2013. This was followed by a 3-month nutrition and food security program in the same location from October 2013 to January 2014. IRC has been supporting programming in Adamawa state since early 2014. Since then, the IRC has expanded its operations to Borno and Yobe states courtesy of funding from ECHO, OFDA, DFID, LDS, SIDA, Europe Aid and SDC with projects on emergency WASH, nutrition, FSL and protection mainstreaming for IDPs and host communities in the two states.

Job Overview/Summary

• The EH Assistant-Hygiene Promotion will be based in Gwoza and report to the EH Officer - Hygiene Promotion. S/he will be primarily responsible for supervising the implementation of hygiene promotion activities at village level as directed by the EH Officer-Hygiene Promotion.
• The main objective of this position is to support the EH Officer-Hygiene promotion in implementing hygiene promotion activities in the communities. This includes training of Community Hygiene promoters, establishing and training WASH committees, community hygiene clubs and directly carrying out hygiene awareness in the communities.

Major Responsibilities

• Ensure that the water and sanitation activities are implemented in a timely and professional manner while considering beneficiary needs.
• Maintain close links and collaboration with other EH teams and sectors and in particular Health, Nutrition, Protection, CYPD (Child and Youth Protection and Development), Women’s Protection and Empowerment (WPE).

Technical Quality:

• Directly implement hygiene promotion activities in the communities; this includes household visits, hygiene awareness sessions and distribution of hygiene promotion materials.
• Coordinate closely with the EH Officer-Water and Sanitation and Hygiene Promoters over water quality and beneficiary needs and preferences regarding water collection points
• If requested, participate in any inter sectorial assessment process, including analysis and planning.
• Directly manage the day to day hygiene promotion activities in the field locations.
• Ensure that hygiene promotion activities meet agreed objectives within the timeframe.
• Ensure program activities foster accountability to beneficiaries, gender and protection sensitivity and inclusion are adequately addressed in programming.
• Distribute Information, Communication and Education (IEC) materials to Community hygiene Promoters and train hygiene promoters on their appropriate use.
• Provide technical support and training for hygiene promoters, community volunteers, community leaders, community hygiene clubs and WASH committees.
• Provide regular reports, document results and maintain detailed records
• Provide weekly reports of progress on hygiene promotion activities.
• Maintain comprehensive control systems on materials and tools used including notes on quality of materials and detailed NFI distribution records.

Staff Supervision & Development:

• Assist the EH Officer - Hygiene promotion to identify, train and support Community hygiene promoters, WASH committee members and community health club members.
• Supervise and manage community Hygiene promoters.
• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable work teams to successfully complete their tasks on time and within budget.
• Responsible for community hygiene promoter’s weekly reports, timesheets and weekly work plans.

Monitoring:

• Participate in daily monitoring and recording of Hygiene promotion activities including house hold visits, Group Hygiene sessions, Mass Hygiene awareness campaigns, NFI distributions, Menstrual Hygiene Management and other Hygiene related activities.
• Participate in Monthly HH surveys and KAP surveys depending on need.

Other duties:

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to the EH Officer - Hygiene promotion, and liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs
• Any other duties as assigned by the supervisor for the development IRC programs

Key Working Relationships

• Position Reports to: EH Hygiene Promotion Officer
• Position directly supervises: Nil
• Indirect Reporting: EH Manager.

Qualifications

• Minimum Diploma or certificate in Social Sciences, Public Health, Environmental Health or other related courses.
• Experience in implementation of hygiene promotion activities.
• Experience in establishment and training of Hygiene Promoters, WASH committees and School hygiene Clubs.
• Competent communication skills, effective in representation and liaison
• Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Sound knowledge of English language
• Competent user of MS Applications: Word and Excel
• Knowledge of the Local language-Hausa.

Working Environment:

• Security level orange. The situation in Gwoza is calm at the moment but remains tense and unpredictable; concerns include criminality. There is active conflict in many parts of the country and a possibility for further expansion of the conflict and violence into other areas and other states.

Application Closing Date
Not Specified.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note: IRC is an Equal Opportunity Employer, IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, sex, color, national origin, religion, sexual orientation, age, marital status, veteran status or disability, However, Gwoza female Indigenes are strongly encouraged to apply.