Head of Water and Sanitation Hygiene (WASH) – Re-advertised (INT8567)

Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

Please note this recruitment is urgent, so shortlisting might be done before closing date.

Do you have a qualification in any discipline relating to Public Health Engineering?

Do you have 10 years of WASH experience and minimum 5 years’ international experience in emergency WASH in leadership positions with reputed WASH agencies/UN in large scale humanitarian response?

Do you have ability to lead technical working groups and facilitating training/workshop and technical presentations?

If the answer is yes, then we would like to hear from you.

The Role

Provide strategic vision, guidance and technical leadership to Oxfam’s country WASH programme and sector in Yemen. The incumbent will be responsible for strengthening lifesaving rapid response in areas of WASH through strong preparedness & contingency plan for conflict / epidemics while scaling up urban and rural WASH services, including promoting resilience and sustainability in relatively stable context. S/he will lead on the process of regular assessment, program design and fund-raising efforts. The job holder will take the prime responsibility of the technical quality of donor reports and accountability. S/he will work with the WASH Lead in the field to strengthen the capacity of national staff. S/he will ensure that WASH programme mainstreams gender, protection, and promotes safe programming and safeguarding.

Key Responsibilities:

Strategic and technical leadership

• Provide strategic and operational management of WASH programs, technical people and funds
• Influences the development/update of Country WASH strategy including contingency planning and ensures and supports operational implementation. Ensure that the strategy is informed by sound analysis, with consultations with teams and concerned stakeholders and are devised in promotion of Oxfam’s values, culture and beliefs.
• Contribute to knowledge building and sharing within Yemen and other Oxfam offices, sectors.
• Ensure that “lessons learned” from the emergency interventions in Yemen is conveyed to the departments to influence future policies and planning.
• Explore and develop strategic partnership with ministries, technical departments and local govt/councils including development of MoUs contributing to quality and scaling up of program
• Advocate on programmatic options and link in with policy/advocacy team as required.
• Represent Oxfam at national Coordination and relevant sub-cluster meetings

Project design and implementation:

• To continuously assess the context, and design/adapt the program and team composition as required by the context, ensuring that operational plans take into consideration risks
• Provide guidance on technical assessment of large water supply schemes, design and implementation in collaboration with water authorities at capital(s) and governorate level.
• Develop guidelines and tools with teams for implementation, ensure compliance with established country policies, guidelines and agreed standards.
• Ensure a high quality, multi-sectoral approach, aiming at reaching minimum SPHERE, CHS, AAP and internal technical standards, with a focus on quality and accountability.
• Promote active participation of Local Partners in the development and implementation of new projects in a process of transferring of responsibilities. Build their capacity in WASH.
• Support the preparation/ inception of projects, including recruitment of key WASH staff and activity planning as required.

Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning:

• Guide and support field staff in effective on-going monitoring on project outcomes/impacts, and render technical advice for fine-tuning plans/modalities where required.
• Guide the team in planning and analysis in the baseline, mid-term review and final evaluations.
• Ensure project learning is captured, consolidated and disseminated.
• Incorporate best practices in projects, and guide program staff on sharing strategies, procedures, successes and lessons learnt at national level and if appropriate regional level with appropriate partners and within Oxfam.

Leadership

• Responsible for WASH contribution to Oxfam’s work, representing and developing good relationships with clusters, UN and other agencies, authorities, be proactive in ensuring that Oxfam develops and maintains a positive profile.
• Keep informed of relevant program issues and context and to contribute to wider program learning.
• Work together with the Technical Leads advocating on issues raised by program team
• As and when requested lead on reporting writing and provide updates to WASH cluster
• Actively contribute to disseminate Yemen experience and best practices with the regional office and other MENA countries.

Management

• Be an example of Oxfam style of management and values. Empowering and developing WASH staff, being inclusive while taking decisions and accountable to the team, partners and beneficiaries.
• Update and advice on WASH staffing architecture with transition and succession plan according to program needs and scenario context
• In line with Oxfam performance management procedures, matrix line management of PHE TLs and PHP TLs ensuring that overall performance management is in place and used effectively by the team in Yemen scale program.
• Build a strong team spirit and vision, ensuring that discussions on Oxfam country strategy, project implementation strategies and detailed implementation planning are shared with the team, understood and implemented
• Ensure internal coordination mechanism is in place (regular staff meeting and reporting) and feedback is provided to program managers, HPC and DCD in a timely way.

Risk Management

• Support the team in detailed activity planning, procurement and distribution planning.
• Provide regular, consistently high-quality reports on program and projects by ensuring that proper monitoring is included in all work. This includes donor as well as internal narrative and financial reports
• Maintain contact with authorities, UN and other agencies and ensure that Oxfam complies with relevant legislation and that its activity is understood and publicized.
• Proactively participate in WASH cluster meeting, ensuring issues of concern are advocated for

Please see more details in the attached Job Profile

What we are looking for

Our next Head of WASH should meet the following criteria:

• A suitable qualification in any discipline relating to Public Health Engineering is the necessary educational background. Experience could substitute for a formal qualification, but not vice versa.
• Over 10 years of WASH experience and minimum 5 years’ international experience in emergency WASH in leadership positions with reputed WASH agencies/UN in large scale humanitarian response.
• Ability to lead technical working groups and facilitating training/workshop and technical presentations.
• Solid experience in working in conflict setting/remote operations and working in fragile contexts
• Excellent understanding and ability of applying SPHERE, CHS. AAP and Oxfam’s internal min standards/tools.
• Able to influence/negotiate and advocate technical options and strategy to govt, UN, donors and team
• Strategic development skills, with the ability to translate concepts easily into practical actions
• Able to work remotely with team

We offer

This role will give you an opportunity to make a difference in Oxfam WASH Program in Yemen, to act as key contributor to the Humanitarian Response in Yemen, to work with a group of passionate people that are specialists in their fields etc, training and development, offers fair pay and competitive benefits package.

Flexfam

We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you. We think this role would work particularly well as a partially home-based role or job share.

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.