United States of America: Technical Advisor, Environmental Health

Requisition ID: req738

Job Title: Technical Advisor, Environmental Health

Sector: Environmental Health

Employment Category: Regular

Location: USA-New York, NY - HQ

Job Description

Background/IRC Summary:

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.

The IRC's vision is to lead the humanitarian field by implementing high-impact, cost-effective programs for people affected by crisis and by using our learning and experience to shape policy and practice. To achieve that vision, the IRC's Program Quality Unit (PQU) provides technical assistance to IRC's country program staff and shares what we learn to influence policy and practice.

PQU has three central objectives that we work towards:

1) Guide program design to achieve outcomes by incorporating the best available evidence

2) Build technical capacity of country program staff to implement, measure and continuously improve programs

3) Influence the IRC, peer agencies and donors to use proven interventions and generate new evidence to achieve change in peoples' lives

PQU is comprised of seven Technical Units, all of which have deep expertise in their respective sectors: Education, Economic Wellbeing, Gender Equality, Governance, Health, Violence Prevention and Response, and Research Evaluation and Learning (REL).

This position provides technical support in the design, development and implementation of Environmental Health (EH) programs in countries in conflict, crisis, post-conflict and post-crisis settings. The Technical Advisor will support country EH programs to improve the availability, quality and use of water and sanitation facilities and effectively promote improved hygiene practices. The Technical Advisor will develop tools and resources to support IRC programming based on current evidence demonstrating impact in the sector. Environmental Health field programs are supported by a headquarters team of four Technical Advisors supervised by the Senior Technical Advisor Environmental Health, ensuring quality programming related to water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion and vector control. The EH team is situated institutionally within the Health Unit of IRC alongside reproductive health, child survival, primary health care and nutrition.

Specific Responsibilities:

The Environmental Health Technical Advisor (TA) will spend at least 80% of their time delivering technical assistance in-person and remotely to country program colleagues in francophone countries in Africa. This is a primarily field facing position with the central responsibility focused on program quality. The remaining 0-20% of their time is spent on influence, advocacy, research and internal initiatives at the discretion of their supervisors. Technical Advisors' specific responsibilities are as follows:

Guiding program design:

• Support country program staff to design programs and projects, ensuring that they are:

• Aligned with the IRC's 2020 strategy, which includes supporting country program staff with contextualizing outcomes and the theories of change, and selecting interventions based on the best available evidence and the local context;

• Responsive to client needs and preferences

• Based on sound context and gender analysis

• Help define approach to teaming / partnering with other organizations

· Support selection of indicators for country programs

Engaging in business development:

• Review technical quality of proposals, including review of technical activities and ensuring alignment to IRC's outcomes
• Input into go / no go decisions on proposals
• When necessary, write technical narratives of proposals
• Provide input on budgets required for project delivery
• Engage with donors and do outreach in support of country programs

Building technical capacity of country program staff to ensure ongoing program quality and innovation:

• Work with country program colleagues to help analyze data that inform periodic review and course correction as-needed
• Share cross-context learning with country program staff across the region
• Conduct technical training and ongoing technical coaching for country program staff, including on IRC outcomes, theories of change, evidence and indicators
• Review and share program-specific tools / resources / curricula and work with Technical Unit specialists to contextualize and adapt global and country-specific materials
• Support senior country program staff recruitment and onboarding

Influence the IRC, peer agencies and donors to use proven interventions and generate new evidence:

• Present IRC research findings across contexts and relevant conferences

Job Qualifications:

Education: Master's/post-graduate degree in engineering and/or public health or relevant field or equivalent combination of education and experience is required. Participate in ongoing training courses and share knowledge and skill sets within the unit.

Work Experience: A minimum of 5 to 8 in implementing and/or managing Environmental Health or WASH programs is required, preferably also within a humanitarian, international development setting. Experience in technical tools and materials development, monitoring and evaluation, and research in relation to environmental health is highly desired. Experience in strategy development and working across sectors or disciplines is highly desired.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies: Demonstrated expertise in program design, monitoring and evaluation, with the ability to turn concepts and strategy into measurable action. Strong verbal and written communication skills. Demonstrated commitment to renewing and maintaining currency with best practices.

Language Skills: Fluency in English and French required.

Working Environment: Up to 40% travel may be required. This position will be based in New York, London, Geneva or Brussels.

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

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=YXN0cmlkLm1hdGhldy4zMDk5OS4zODMwQGlyY2NkLmFwbGl0cmFrLmNvbQ