Environmental Health / WATSAN Team Leader at Medecins Sans Frontieres

Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) is an international, independent, medical humanitarian organization that delivers emergency aid to people affected by armed conflict, epidemics, natural disasters, and exclusion from healthcare. Médecins Sans Frontières provides assistance to populations in distress, to victims of natural or man-made disasters and to victims of armed conflict. They do so irrespective of race, religion, creed, or political convictions. www.msf.org

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Environmental Health / WATSAN Team Leader

Location: Abuja (FCT) 
Employment Type: Full Time

Main Purpose

• Overall responsible for the correct planning, implementation and monitoring of the environmental health including Water, Hygiene and Sanitation (Watsan) content of the projects in collaboration with the EH Managers, maintaining the oversight of all teams involved in the application of major Watsan activities at the projects level, according to MSF protocols, standards and procedures in order to improve health and living conditions of the targeted population.

Accountabilities

• Being responsible for leading the design, technical implementation, acceptance and management of all assigned Watsan interventions (water supply, excreta disposal, waste management, vector control and dead bodies management) and teams in the project. In collaboration with the Medical Coordinator, leads the development of project proposals and/or work plans, when Watsan activities are integrated in medical interventions. For some interventions, in the absence of the Watsan Manager, will be involved directly in the implementation of project activities
• Adapting and implementing both minimum Watsan standards and monitoring indicators (including reporting procedures) to the context to ensure that MSF's Watsan standards are reached and protocols are maintained
• Conducting Watsan assessments in collaboration with project medical teams to identify Watsan needs at the project level, and summarizing findings to the direct line manager and recommending appropriate responses. In emergency response situations at the project level, leading the development and planning of Watsan emergency strategies and resources planning, in collaboration with the medical and logistical teams
• Guiding processes of Watsan technical support to the project's medical team in identifying possible “risk factors” (e.g. behavioural practices, environmental sources of infection, and transmission routes) and controlling measures to address modes of transmission of infection and corresponding ways of controlling spread.
• Monitoring the strict application of safety measures in all Watsan activities in the project
• Ensuring proper Watsan staffing, coaching and supervision at the project level, in close coordination with the project's HR department and Watsan Managers, all the associated processes (recruitment, briefing, training, performance evaluation, development and internal/external communication) to ensure both that the number and the skill levels of the team is appropriate.
• Serving as mentor and providing guidance to first time mission Watsan Managers in the application of Watsan activities and tools
• Compiling and analysing statistical and monitoring data of Watsan activities at the project level and ensuring regular and detailed reporting of results (e.g. SitRep; quarterly, donor or local authority reports), proceedings and problematic situations.
• Ensuring multidisciplinary data availability, collection and analysis of any activity impacting health status of the affected population.

MSF Section / Context Specific Accountabilities:

• Since the projects of OCB are spread in different states the WATSAN technical referent will be flying between the projects (currently Maiduguri, Kebbi and Awka) in order to give first line support. He/she will base 60 to 70% in the field (shared between the projects) and 30% in Abuja.
• Ensuring the implementation of EH strategy at the projects level and supporting the monitoring of the related indicators through appropriate tools.
• Covering the gap of the projects’ EH managers
• Leading regular project meetings with the project’s Watsan Managers to facilitate the discussion about technical challenges, promoting regular exchange of information and experiences.
• Monthly and specific reporting to the EH coordinator
• Supporting the EH coordinator in analysing the EH context in the country
• Participating in the briefing of the newcomers (projects and coordination)
• Providing the technical advice to the logistics base regarding the water and sanitation issues in the coordination office and guesthouses in a collaborative way
• Participating in the annual review of the operations of the projects and the programme
• Representing the EH coordinator when requested.

Minimum Required Skills and Qualifications
Education:

• B.S.c / B.Eng. Degree in Civil Engineering, Hydraulics, Geology, Sanitation, Health Engineering or Public Health. Watsan in Emergencies Training within or outside MSF is strongly recommended.

Experience:

• Previous experience in technical aspects of water and sanitation works;
• Minimum of 3-years of hands-on field emergency WHS professional experience in a humanitarian or international development setting
• Mandatory: Previous experience in cholera outbreak and wastewater management is mandatory;
• Desirable: experience in or familiar with implementing and promoting the use of two or more of the following activities (water supply, excreta disposal, waste and wastewater management, vector control, and dead bodies management) in two or more different contexts (disease outbreak, conflicts, natural disasters, refugee/IDP camps, etc.)
• Languages: English.

Knowledge:

• Computer literacy;
• Knowledge of drawing with civil engineering software or GIS are assets.

Application Closing Date
9th June, 2026. Time :11.59PM.

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

Note

• Only shortlisted candidates will be notified and invited for interview; MSF Belgium takes this opportunity to thank all potential candidates for their application.
• Dual Employment is considered gross misconduct as contained in MSF Belgium Internal Regulations (IR) guideline and hence not acceptable.
• Applications should be sent through the indicated channel else application will not be entertained.
• Only short-listed candidates will be contacted for the next steps.
• MSF reserves the right to cancel any step or whole of the recruitment process at any stage.
• MSF is an equal opportunity employer, both men and women are encouraged to apply.