WASH and Rehabilitation Coordinator (National & Expat Position)

• Provide strategic leadership to the WASH department with focus on strengthening the quality of the WASH programme Ensure compliance with SPHERE standards, AAH WASH technical policy and good practices.
• Strength and develop AAH WASH component in Syria at managerial, operational and strategical level, including significant participation in identifying new potential interventions.
• Ensure capacity building of the WASH team
• Participate in the design of AAH WASH strategy in the country together with other technical coordinators, Logistic and Finance.
• Represent Action Against Hunger in relevant external coordination meetings (WASH Cluster, Technical Working Groups, Donors Meetings, national and local authorities, and WASH partners)

To learn more about the Syrian Context and our interventions https://www.accioncontraelhambre.org/es/oriente-proximo/siria

Key activities

Objective 1: Provide strategic leadership to the WASH programme design and technically support implementation

• Provide strategic leadership with focus on strengthening the quality of the WASH programme encompassing emergency response, preparedness, resilience and early recovery.
• Embed public health risk communication and community engagement in the WASH programme through effective synergy of both hardware and software components of the WASH portfolio.
• In close coordination with other technical sectors, provide leadership and technical support to the WASH team to reach a solid contextual understanding of community’s needs with special attention to the most vulnerable groups’ needs, as well as power dynamics.
• Responsible for leading the design and drafting technically – sound WASH project proposals for funding including coaching WASH team members on conducting needs assessments and project design.
• Contribute to the development of multi-sectorial programming including the country strategy thorough understanding and contextualising the links between WASH and the other sectors (Health, Nutrition, Food security, Livelihood)
• Work closely with the MEAL team to enhance accountability, ensure that feedbacks and lessons learned feed into programme adaptation, design technical methodologies to effectively monitoring and evaluating the WASH programme
• Provide strategic and technical advice to implementation teams to envisage creative solutions to the delivery and monitoring of WASH services, in both accessible and inaccessible areas.
• Coordinate with Logistics to ensure that WASH -related procurement, tendering and contracts are of adequate technical standards, cost effective, timely and appropriate to the context.
• Identify opportunity for action-based research aiming at improving WASH programming, piloting innovation projects and seeking collaboration with appropriate institutions

Objective 2: Capacity building

• Matrix-manage the WASH team
• Identify capacity building needs for WASH team members and develop learning opportunities using the most appropriate approach
• Support technical capacity building assessment, planning and initiatives of relevant external stakeholders (LNGOs, Ministry of Water Resources, etc.)
• Document lessons learned, best practices and case studies to shape in-country strategies and programmatic approaches, and contribute to broader sector learning.

Objective 3: Contribute to programme quality standards

• Develop guidelines and tools for key intervention identified in AAH-Syria Technical Programmatic Framework, to ensure AAH, CORE Humanitarian Standard, SPHERE standards and any other relevant international standard is followed during the whole project cycle
• Uphold humanitarian principles and AAH principles at all stages of WASH programming, and provide pragmatic guidance to the WASH team on this matter to support their principled decision making
• Effectively collaborate with other technical departments and field-based teams to ensure the integration of the WASH programme within the whole programme as per AAH’s standards
• Provide technical support for the implementation of WASH activities in Syria – including ensuring coherence, standardized approaches, programme quality, and integration with other sectors across the WASH programme.
• Ensure that the programme is inclusive of marginalised and vulnerable individuals and communities, that it promotes the full and equal participation of women and that accountability to affected communities is central to the ways of working.
• Develop cross cutting themes framework within the WASH portfolio
• Coach and support the WASH team in ensuring cross cutting themes are embedded in the implementation: safeguarding, protection and gender mainstreaming including risk analysis, conflict sensitivity mainstreaming and environmental considerations are taken into account.
• Develop and revise in collaboration with the MEAL team the methodologies and tools for monitoring and evaluation
• Provide technical support in the development and implementation of national programme evaluations, learning events and specific WASH programme related research activities.

Objective 4: Representation and Coordination

Actively participate in WASH cluster meetings and relevant technical working groups.

Effective coordination with external humanitarian WASH actors intervening on regular and emergency interventions.

Develop and maintain relationships with key WASH stakeholders at technical level, including donors, government authorities and international agencies.

• Influence key decision makers on sound technical solutions to overcome WASH challenges based on evidence
• Contribute to advocacy efforts in WASH-related matters

Candidate description

• Knowledge in water engineering, civil engineering, public health or international development.
• Solid project cycle management knowledge
• Proved experience in proposal writing and strategic planning
• Technical knowledge in implementing WASH emergency intervention
• Good experience in reporting
• Knowledge of the Middle East context desirable
• Previous experience in the humanitarian field in a similar position preferably with AAH and / or in the Middle East;
• Good experience in working with local/national partners, Ministries, experience in implementing WASH emergency interventions and capacity building for partners.
• English (compulsory working language, fluent spoken, read and written); Arabic (preferred).
• Windows domain, Compulsory expertise in Excel, Sphinx (desirable)
• Mobility (national/ international): Yes, within Syria and outside of Syria

Remuneration package

We offer immediate incorporation to a dynamic international network with the following remuneration package:

formal work contract: 12 months contract

• Base: Damascus
• For Syrian Nationality applicants the Salary/benefits As per Syria Salary Scale.
• Annual Gross Salary: Starting 47.000€
  • This packaged includes:
  • Expatriate insurance (health, live, repatriation, travel, etc.)
  • Break flights/trips to defined area: (break per diem: 215 EUR)
  • Yearly holiday return flight ticket
  • Accommodation and housing expenses (in shared guest house)
  • Travel costs to and from the mission.
  • 25 working days of paid leave per year.
  • Extra per month and per child (Under 18 years old): from 100€ to 225€ monthly (according to standard list of Action Against Hunger -Spain).
  • * Candidates may be contacted for other suitable positions within Action Against Hunger.
  • Due to the high-number of application received, only potential applicants will be contacted.
  • Applications will be assessed and vacancy might be closed before the end of the announcement as per qualifications availability.
  • The organization is committed to the principles of non-discrimination and diversity and is particularly interested in receiving applications from a broad spectrum of qualified people.
  • In the process of recruitment, selection and appointment Action Against Hunger implement a range of procedures and actions including Criminal Background Checks/ International vetting/Certificate of good conduct to ensure children and vulnerable adults are safeguarded and abuse is prevented.