Environmental Health / WASH Hygiene Promotion Assistant at the International Rescue Committee (IRC)

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, the IRC offers lifesaving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in over 40 countries and 22 U.S. cities, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The IRC leads the way from harm to home.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Environmental Health / WASH Hygiene Promotion Assistant

Requisition ID: req41297
Location: Zamfara
Employment Type: Full-Time
Employment Category: Regular
Sector: Environmental Health
Open to Expatriates: No

Project Overview

• The BHA (Bureau of Humanitarian Assistance) project, "Integrated Emergency Response to the Displaced Population in Zamfara, Sokoto, and Katsina States, Northwest Nigeria” depending on fund availability will be carried out by a consortium led by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) in collaboration with the Alliance for International Medical Action (Alima), Cooperazione Internazionale (COOPI), and Life Helpers Initiative (LHI), aims to leverage each partner's expertise to provide immediate humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people populations through area-based approach.
• The Consortium partners will provide an integrated multisectoral intervention in Health, Nutrition, WASH, Protection, and Multi-purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) activities in Zamfara, Katsina, and Sokoto states in collaboration with state governments, UN organizations and other key actors in Northwest Nigeria.
• The project will be implemented by a dedicated support, quality assurance, and coordination team, who will work closely with all partners through a management unit of well-structured consortium governance for the activity.
• Now, IRC is starting interventions in Katsina and Batagarawa Local government Areas (LGAs) of Katsina State and Gusau and Anka Local government Areas (LGAs) of Zamfara State.

Scope of Work

• The EH Assistant-Hygiene Promotion will be based in Gusau LGA, Zamfara and report to the EH Officer - Hygiene Promotion. S/he will be primarily responsible for supervising implementation of hygiene promotion activities at the community and IDP Camps  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, Kids hygiene clubs and directly carrying out hygiene awareness in the communities.

Objectives

• Ensure that the hygiene promotion activities in the communities are implemented in a timely and professional manner and in line with beneficiary needs.
• Maintain close links and collaboration with other EH teams and sectors including Health, Nutrition, Protection, Gender, CYPD (Child and Youth Protection and Development), Women Protection and Empowerment (WPE) and Economic Recovery and Development (ERD).

Responsibilities
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, kid’s 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 Kids hygiene 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 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 to enable and develop IRC programs

Key Working Relationships:

• Position Reports to: EH/WASH Hygiene Promotion Officer
• Position directly supervises:
• Indirect Reporting: EH/WASH Manager

Qualifications

• Minimum of Diploma or Certificate in Social Sciences or Public Health - relevant experience will supersede the formal qualification.
• 1 - 3 years professional experience with NGOs (INGO experience preferred) in implementation of hygiene promotion activities.
• Experience in establishment and training of Hygiene Promoters, WASH committees and School hygiene Clubs.
• Good communication skills, effective in representation and liaison community members and leaders.
• Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well.
• Competent user of MS Applications: Word and Excel
• Knowledge of English
• Knowledge of the Local languages - Hausa.

Professional Standards:

• All IRC staff are required to adhere to THE IRC Way Standards for Professional Conduct and the IRC country employment policies.

Working Environment: 

• Security level orange. The situation in Zamfara 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.