WASH Assistant

Save the Children is an international non-governmental organization dedicated to promoting children's rights, providing relief, and supporting children in developing countries worldwide.

The WASH Assistant will provide essential support to the WASH Officer in delivering effective Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) programs within communities targeted by Save the Children in the Garissa, Wajir, Mandera, and Tana River regions. This position is crucial for the WASH emergency response, particularly in the context of El Niño preparedness, and emphasizes integrating WASH activities with other key Save the Children sectors such as nutrition, food security, health, education, and child protection. The role involves contributing to water supply, storage, sanitation, hygiene promotion, construction, capacity building, and the distribution of non-food items and water treatment chemicals.

1. Assist the WASH Officer in monitoring and evaluating activities related to WASH infrastructure construction in communities.
2. Supervise the construction or rehabilitation of WASH facilities, including animal troughs, tank platforms, elevated tower tanks, reticulation systems, and borehole equipping and solarization.
3. Conduct project site meetings with contractors and community representatives to gather feedback on ongoing projects.
4. Plan, organize, and follow up on hygiene promotion initiatives for communities, including leading the distribution of WASH non-food items such as jerricans, buckets, soap, PUR, and Aquatabs.
5. Support the WASH Officer in maintaining WASH documentation and compiling success stories from served communities.
6. Assist in the general supervision of contractors, ensuring construction site safety and community participation.
7. Help the WASH Officer validate the progress and quality of contractor work and liaise with administration and logistics for timely payments.
8. Assist in planning field logistics for project monitoring and supervision.
9. Verify that WASH infrastructure construction and rehabilitation works by contractors adhere to Save the Children's established quality standards using checklists.
10. Plan and manage weekly data reporting to track standard project and strategic indicators, such as beneficiary numbers and activity types.
11. Prepare daily reports for the WASH Officer and provide verbal updates as needed.
12. Support the WASH Officer in integrating construction works with hygiene promotion and community participation to ensure infrastructure sustainability.
13. Coordinate WASH construction activities with other Save the Children sectors to integrate efforts in the same geographical areas and for the same beneficiaries.
14. Ensure that gender, child protection, HIV, environment, and other cross-cutting issues are integrated into the design, implementation, and development of WASH construction activities, considering the needs of specific groups like children, the elderly, and disabled individuals.

1. A degree or diploma in Civil Engineering, Water Engineering, Public Health, or Sanitation.
2. A minimum of 2 years of professional experience in WASH infrastructure construction within humanitarian or development contexts.
3. Proven experience in project management, including implementing integrated Health and WASH projects within agreed timescales and budget limitations.
4. Experience with and commitment to working through systems of community participation and accountability in emergency integrated Health and WASH contexts.
5. Knowledge of monitoring and evaluation principles.
6. Some experience in external representation and the ability to effectively represent Save the Children in various forums.
7. Commitment to the aims and principles of Save the Children, with a strong understanding of its mandate and child focus.
8. Ability to write clear and well-structured assessment and project reports.
9. Excellent communication skills.
10. Strong influencing skills.
11. Politically and culturally sensitive, demonstrating patience, tact, and diplomacy.
12. High proficiency in written and spoken English.
13. The capacity and willingness to be highly flexible and adaptable in challenging and sometimes insecure working environments.
14. Ability to speak and communicate effectively in English, Kiswahili, and Somali.