Background/IRC Summary:

Founded in 1933, the International Rescue Committee (www.theIRC.org) is a world leader in relief, rehabilitation and post-conflict development services for those uprooted or affected by violent conflict and oppression. The IRC is currently working in over 40 countries around the world, addressing both the immediate and lifesaving needs of conflict affected people in emergencies and the reconstruction needs of post-conflict societies. The IRC has been working in Uganda since 1998 supporting IDPs, refugees and various institutions in the country notably the government, community-based organizations, the civil society and the private sector. The current program portfolio in Uganda includes health and nutrition, support to persons with specific needs (PSNs) including case management, legal assistance to refugees, prevention and response to gender-based violence, and economic recovery and development. IRC Uganda has a head office in Kampala, field offices in Kyegegwa, Lamwo, Kiryandongo, Karamoja and West Nile regions, as well as urban Kampala.

The IRC Uganda has been implementing ECHO-funded, Health consortium project in Emergency Preparedness and Response to epidemic disease outbreak since 2019 in response to Ebola Virus disease in South West Region and currently with focus on COVID -19 response to refugee hosting districts in West Nile and Acholi Region.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Technical Coordinator, Environmental Health, will be responsible for leadership and direction in strengthening infection prevention and control interventions and improve quality of care during the COVID -19 response and mitigation across Yumbe, Lamwo, Aura and Kiryandongo. S/he has the overall responsibility for the design of IRC’s EH portfolio; technical design of programs; team leadership, development and capacity building; program quality assurance; ensuring objectives are met on time and within the budget; and representation of the IRC program in coordination fora. The Coordinator will also maintain close links and collaboration with other IRC program sectors and in particular Health, Protection, and Economic Recovery and Development.

Major Responsibilities:

Technical and program Quality

• Under the supervision and guidance of Deputy Director Programs, the EH technical coordinator is responsible to lead the IRC’s overall Environmental Health program with oversight of all water, sanitation and hygiene project and activities, ensuring that activities are relevant, successfully implemented and sustainable.
• Provide close mentorship to the IRC’s EH team, driving a cycle of continuous improvement of the EH program, through training and active leadership.
•  Develop the work-plan for the sector and monitor compliance and spending against budget to ensure objectives and targets are met and achieved
•   Prepare guidelines and technical briefs as necessary to improve the technical capacity of the EH section.

• Ensure that programs meet stated objectives within the timeframe and on budget.
• Ensure IRC EH programs demonstrate adherence to organizational, international and national standards.
• With support from the programs team, ensure accountability to beneficiaries, gender sensitivity and inclusion are adequately addressed in programming.
• Review all technical narrative/feasibility reports of EH project with project engineer/s and Senior EH staff.
• Ensure technical quality and accuracy of EH program reports.
•  Ensure the development of detailed and technical program work plans and support their implementation in coordination with EH managers, implementing partners and line departments.
• Lead needs assessments, including planning and reporting, in response to rapid onset or protracted emergencies, and design and develop programs and proposals in collaboration with the Grants Unit.
•  In collaboration with the M&E unit organise surveys and ensure effective monitoring mechanisms for project quality and sustainability in line with Client Responsiveness standards of IRC during design, start-up, implementation and close-out stages of projects.
•  Enhance program efficiency and effectiveness through evidence-based approaches and implementation follow-up, including monitoring inputs, local conditions and resources.

Program Development

• In collaboration with TU, TC and EH managers, act as the EH-technical lead on project proposals.
• In collaboration with Operations and Finance, ensure the development of sound accompanying budgets.
• Seek adequate technical input and review from the EH technical unit.
•  In collaboration with EH managers, provide technical assistance and leadership to MEAL unit for all EH programs.

Coordination

• Represent the IRC to relevant clusters, agencies and ministries on EH issues, as and when required
•  Develop and maintain relationships with UN, NGOs, donors, partners and other stakeholders. Ensure that effective communication, collaboration and networking is developed and maintained with UN, donors and other partner
• Work closely with government partners, ensuring that programming is consistent with Pakistan National Sanitation, Water, Climate Change and BCC policies, and remains closely aligned with and relevant to regional development strategies and aspirations.
•  Any other task assigned by his/her supervisor and/or senior IRC management.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: Deputy Director Programs
Position Coordinates with:  Project Staff, Coordinators from other sectors, Implementing Partners, Operations, Finance, concerned clusters/ working/ thematic groups/fora and Government line departments, EH Technical Advisor

Professional Standards:
The IRC and IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in IRC Way - Standards for Professional Conduct.  These are Integrity, Service, and Accountability.  In accordance with these values, the IRC operates and enforces policies on Beneficiary Protection from Exploitation and Abuse, Child Safeguarding, Anti Workplace Harassment, Fiscal Integrity, and Anti-Retaliation.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree in environmental sciences/Environmental Health or Public Health or related qualification from recognized university. Civil Engineering would be added advantage.

a)      Work Experience:

•  Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in designing, leading and managing Environmental Health and/or WASH projects including water, sanitation and hygiene promotion/education programs with NGOs/INGOs/UN agencies.

b)      Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Strong technical design skills.

• A strong track record of delivering strong gender outcomes within EH programs
• Excellent understanding of Environmental Health issues in both development and emergency situations.
• Strong leadership, management, interpersonal, and communication skills.
• A demonstrated track record of successfully delivering projects on time and budget.
• Ability to live and work in stressful and insecure environment.
• Excellent initiator, able to manage multiple tasks.
• Able to work under pressure and good at timely decision making.
• Excellent Computer skills: MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint; use of statistical packages is preferable
• Excellent professional approach and strong team building skills.
• Strong coordination and representation skills and well versed in convincing and clarification of views and points.
• Previous experience in writing EH proposals
• Highly effective written and verbal communications and report-writing skills
• Strong project and budget management, planning, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills

Language Skills:

• Excellent written and spoken English skills.

The IRC Core Values and Commitments.      

•  IRC is committed to ensuring that IRC staff is suitable to work with children and have         the knowledge s/he needs to uphold and abide by the IRC’s Child Safeguarding                  Policy.

• Level of interaction with children: More frequent direct contact with children
• IRC ensures that its staff must actively practice the roles and responsibilities related to client responsiveness, accountability to people in affected communities and must have competencies to solicits and listens to feedback and other’s perspectives, responds to feedback with maturity and sensitivity and takes appropriate decisions and makes changes to behavior or actions in response to feedback.
• IRC recognizes that gender equality is fundamental to the achievement of our organizational mission. As such, IRC is committed to the promotion of gender equality in all aspects of our operations and programs. Our organizational policies, procedures and actions demonstrate this commitment.

Women, minorities, persons with disability (PWD) and transgender candidates are highly encouraged to apply.