Cameroon: Environmental Health Coordinator

BACKGROUND

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, we restore safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted and struggling to endure. The mission of the IRC is to help people whose lives and livelihoods are shattered by conflict and disaster to survive, recover and gain control of their future.

In response to a growing humanitarian crisis, the IRC is launching emergency response activities in the Far North region of Cameroon. Planned programs include environmental health and economic wellbeing.

SCOPE OF WORK

The Environmental Health (EH) Coordinator is responsible for all water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion WASH) projects within IRC Cameroon's Environmental Health program. In addition, in accordance with IRC's focus on integrated programming, the EH coordinator will work together with coordinators from the other sectors to ensure timely, effective and high quality implementation of EH activities within IRC's integrated programs.

This post is based in Maroua, in the Far North of Cameroon.

POSITION OBJECTIVES

• Designing, development and management of IRC's environmental health program
• Developing EH Country strategy
• Direct supervision and management of the IRC Cameroon Environmental Health team
• Oversight of all contractors and partners engaged in the implementation of EH projects and representation of IRC in Cameroon in all WASH and EH forums
• Maintain close links and collaboration with other sectors and in particular WPE and ERD.
• Ensure that the emergency WASH activities are implemented in a timely and professional manner (as per SPHERE and IRC Standards) and in line with beneficiary needs.

RESPONSIBILITIES:

Technical Quality

• Provide technical and management leadership to the Cameroon EH program in accordance with best practice and IRC policy.
• Represents IRC in external WASH forums and is the key WASH focal point in the WASH Sector/cluster for IRC Cameroon.
• Review and evaluation of programs to assist in enhancing program delivery and quality. Continuously monitor and supervise WASH activities, overseeing the technical design, execution and evaluation of progress through outputs and impacts using both quantitative and qualitative data.
• Based on assessments and strategy; draft technical proposals and budgets to enable programs meet the immediate needs of the affected community. Hence he/she will support EH proposal development and lead program development.
• Leads, or contributes to, development of country sector strategic direction and plans in responding to the IDPs and refugee movements in the Far North region of Cameron
• Contribute to integrated multi-sectorial programming along with IRC teams including Economic Recovery and Development and Women's Protection and Empowerment.
• Participate in any inter sectorial assessment process, including analysis and planning. Support write-up of assessment findings and draw plans based on this findings
• Ensure that WASH activities meet stated objectives within the timeframe;
• Liaise, as necessary, with the WASH, logistics and finance staff to ensure items are procured, transported, stored, managed and accounted for correctly.
• Ensure IRC EH programs demonstrate adherence to international and national standards, including Sphere and others;
• Ensure program activities foster accountability to beneficiaries, gender and protection sensitivity and inclusion are adequately addressed in programming;

• Provide regular reports, document results and maintain detailed records

• Develop technical designs and approaches for all WASH activities

Staff Supervision & Development

• Maintain open and professional relations with team members, promoting a strong team spirit and providing oversight and guidance to enable staff to successfully perform in their positions.
• Overall responsibility for staff timesheets, work plans, vacation schedules, and staff training/development activities

• Participate in recruitment of staff in the approved EH organogram

• Take responsibility for discussing job expectations, performance, and objectives on an informal, quarterly basis with designated staff.

• Adhere to and act in accordance with the IRC Global HR Policies and Procedures

Grant Planning & Implementation

• Prepare technical proposals and budgets to enable programs required to meet the immediate needs of the affected community.
• Responsible for EH budget development and management.
• In collaboration with program managers, review Budget vs. Actual expenditure for EH programs on a monthly basis
• Ensure appropriate and timely spending of grants to achieve program goals, grant reporting contributions, use and distribution of supplies and Bring any over/under expenditure issues to the attention of the countery director and the Program Managers in a timely manner

Monitoring & Reporting

• Select and implement appropriate monitoring and evaluations systems; analyzing results to ensure and enhance program effectiveness and quality
• Ensure regular performance monitoring of partners to achieve the set project's objectives; provide technical support and guidance;
• Organize and facilitate field visits for monitoring the implementation of EH programming in the Far North region of Cameroon .
• Prepare and submit quality donor reports timely as per the donor requirements.
• Responsible for ensuring that monitoring and data collection/analysis of all WASH indicators are in line with the approved monitoring framework, using all the correct monitoring tools and at the frequency prescribed

Coordination & Representation

• Maintains effective coordination and networking with internal as well as external stakeholders,
• Work closely and coordinates with other sectors and program support to ensure that EH projects are supported and implemented timely
• Represent the EH department in internal and external Coordination meetings.

Other duties

• Consistently and proactively monitor/assess the safety and security of the team; promptly reporting concerns or incidents to the EH Coordinator, and when liaising with community leaders and other external parties as required to maintain/enhance the security environment for IRC programs
• Other duties as assigned by the supervisor to enable and develop IRC programs

PROFESSIONAL STANDARDS

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

REQUIREMENTS:

• Minimum of Bachelor's Degree in Civil Engineering, hydrology, public health or related subject; Masters level education preferred.
• 5-10 years professional experience in design and implementation of water, sanitation and hygiene projects in emergency and development contexts
• Groundwater hydrology and/or water resource management experience an asset

• Prior experience working in emergency settings or insecure environments

• Experience in Africa is preferred

• Strong program/technical and budget management skills, planning, reporting, monitoring and evaluation skills

• Excellent understanding of EH issues in emergency situations and knowledge of emergency standards (Sphere)

• Strong written and oral communication skills, effective in representation and liaison

• Works well in and promotes teamwork, comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well

• Knowledge and/or experience in conflict management, protection, or other related field;

• Excellent professional approach and strong team building skills.

• Strong management, planning, analytical and interpersonal

• Fluency in French and English required

• Excellent Computer skills: MS Word, Excel; AutoCAD and GIS preferred

• Knowledge of the Local language Fufulde a plus

WORK ENVIRONMENT

Security: The EH Coordinator will be based in Maroua in the Far North Region of Cameroon. The security phase is 3 (ORANGE) so the EH Coordinator will be expected to respect the various security protocols in place in country.

Accommodation: The EH Coordinator will be provided with comfortable shared housing in Maroua Town. This position is non-accompanied.

Please follow this link to apply: http://www.aplitrak.com/?adid=a2F0cmluYW1pbGxlci4yNzIyMi4zODMwQGlyYy5hcGxpdHJhay5jb20