WASH IPC Manager

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world’s worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 50 countries and more than 25 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you’re a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

The IRC recognizes that people affected by crisis and the actors closest to them are best placed, have the right, and should have the power and resources to respond and drive lasting change. We commit to increasing the share of funding channeled to local actors in emergencies, ask ‘Why not partner?’ whenever we plan programming, and partner as equals.

The IRC worked in Haiti from 2010 through 2016, initially launching an emergency response to the earthquake and later delivering child protection, water and sanitation, health, women’s protection and empowerment, and economic recovery programs in Port-au-Prince and beyond. Even with the closure of its country office in 2016, the IRC has continued to provide operational, technical, and financial support to a small number of Haitian NGO partners, including in response to the 2021 earthquake. Haiti was identified as one of 20 countries at greatest risk of a major new—or significantly worsened—humanitarian crisis over the year ahead in IRC’s 2023 and 2024 Emergency Watchlist given its political instability, gang violence, rising food insecurity, disease outbreaks, and climate shocks that could drive rapid escalation of the humanitarian crisis. In early 2023, IRC re-opened its Haiti operations and scaled up its emergency response with a fully partner-led response in Port-au-Prince and surrounding communities. The focus has been on neighborhoods highly affected by gang violence as well as limited access to healthcare and services for survivors of violence and/or cholera hotspot issues. IRC is also engaging with partners in the Artibonite and Ouest Departments to service unmet needs in those areas.

The IRC Emergency Humanitarian Access Unit (EHAU) led the initial emergency responses and support establishing a country program that can be fully transitioned under the Latin American (LATAM) region.

Scope of work

Reporting to the Health Coordinator the WASH/IPC Manager will be responsible for the overall implementation, supervision, and monitoring of the EH/WASH and infection prevention and control (IPC) emergency activities implemented directly by IRC and local partners across target Haiti. This position will provide technical oversight to the provision of emergency water supply, sanitation, and hygiene services through IRC, partners, private service providers, and community structures and ensure compliance with Haiti’s national and local standards/guidelines while also adhering to WASH cluster and sphere standards.

The WASH/IPC Manager will also support IRC’s Haiti’s overall WASH and IPC strategy with a focus on integrating WASH activities across other IRC sector activities and sharing knowledge with local partners working with IRC.

Responsibilities

Project Implementation

• Ensure that all IRC WASH-related activities address the urgent needs of the target population and are in line with Haiti’s, WASH Cluster guidelines and sphere standards.

• Ensure high-quality implementation of the WASH by IRC and local partners, in a timely manner, within budget, and in full compliance with partner agreements.

• Ensure that WASH interventions are appropriately planned in consultation with local authorities and WASH cluster, adequately resourced, and implemented in according to the IRC integration strategy for WASH and other sector in line with accountability guidelines.

• Ensure good internal coordination, communication, and spirit within the other IRC staff in Haiti.

• Actively participate in internal and external coordination such as IRC internal coordination meeting and the WASH cluster meeting in Haiti

• Establish and demonstrate good relations and coordination with WASH humanitarian actors in Haiti a Counties where the IRC is addressing the WASH needs.

• In collaboration with IRC Health Co and Partners, ensure that WASH and Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) measures and clinical waste management protocols and infrastructures are established in all IRC-supported health care settings are implemented with quality and timeliness.

• Actively work with partners to set up systems for regular monitoring of IPC standards in health care settings and foster use of data for decision-making

• Lead in any WASH assessments as needed ensuring that proposals and reports are informed by the findings of the assessments. This will also include evaluation of ongoing interventions and making recommendations for project adjustment as needed.

• Lead the internal and external reporting and proposal development for WASH by ensuring that all reports and proposals are submitted to Health Co on time to allow for review before final submission to the grants team.

• Develop appropriate technical engineering drawings/designs, BoQs and scope of works for approvals by EH TA and local authorities as needed. Such emergency structures may include, temporary Clinics, Maternity wings, Nutrition centers, office structures, Stores, walkways, VIP Latrines, Bathing shelters, Security guard shelters, Pump houses, medical waste management facilities, water distribution networks, Water storage tanks and pillow tank bases, drainage works, septic tanks, soak pits among others.

• In collaboration with the Supply Chain department, support the procurement, pre-positioning, and timely distribution of context-relevant emergency supplies.

• Participate in post-response reflections and evaluations in collaboration with the Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) department, including analysis of client feedback.

Equitable Partnerships

• Champion a culture of effective and respectful partnerships. Promote partner-led programming in line with IRC’s “why not partner?” and “partner as equals” approach.

• Ensure that partnership considerations are incorporated into WASH / IPC components of all proposals and that local partners are actively engaged response design and program delivery.

• Participate in the identification of potential partners and stakeholder analysis process.

• Actively contribute to the relevant sections of Partner Capacity Analysis (PCA) and the subsequent development of partner support plans.

• Manage the implementation of action items in the WASH / IPC sections of partner support plans.

• Lead and/or support collaborative project and budget design with partners.

• Work collaboratively with partners to ensure that project budgets reflect fair market value.

• Review and provide feedback on partner technical tools, reports, and data as required. Collaborate with partners on recommended adaptations or process improvements.

• Actively participate in the Partnership Working Group (PWG)

Grants Management and M&E

• With support from the Health Co, ensure appropriate and timely spending of grants to achieve program goals, grant reporting contributions, use and distribution of supplies and resources.

• Actively contribute to proposal writing, donor reports, and IRC’s WASH-IPC strategy development.

• Select and implement, in line with the WASH-IPC Strategy, an appropriate project monitoring and evaluation system, analyzing results to ensure and enhance program effectiveness and quality.

• Provide weekly and monthly technical updates to grants and Health Co.

• Develop and maintain proper project documentation including assessment reports, minutes from meetings with key stakeholders, technical documents, supply chain, donor reports, proposals etc in an organized manner.

• Participate in the due diligence process of identifying service providers and partners to assess their capacity to implement WASH-IPC activities.

• Participate in project cycle meetings by IRC or ones involving Partners and represent WASH projects

Coordination and Representation

• Actively develop and maintain effective working relationships with key actors, including donors, government actors, UN agencies, international and local NGOs, and other relevant actors

• Regularly attend WASH and other relevant coordination and task force meetings, at appropriate levels to feed in IRC priorities from the field.

• Ensure WASH and IPC concerns and challenges are brought to relevant fora to advocate for standards and procedures that systematize how integrated health programming is implemented and coordinated at the field level.

Other

• Other relevant duties as assigned by supervisor to further IRC programs.

Job Requirements:

Education: Bachelor’s degrees in Hydrology, Geology, Civil engineering and water resources engineering, Environmental health, public health, and other related academic

Work Experience: Minimum of four years’ experience practicing WASH and IPC in an emergency context. Experience managing Water supply, sanitation, and hygiene activities in high-risk and complex environments with at least 2 years in both institutional and community-based WASH programming will be an added advantage. Previous experience implementing and managing IPC and WASH in health facilities

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Genuine interest in and commitment to collaborating with local and national NGOs and government partners in emergency programs.

• Strong experience in report and proposal writing skills.

• Non-Governmental Organization (NGO) experience preferred.

• High experience in budget management with different donor funds.

• The ability to work with basic data collection and analysis software such as Kobo, Comcare, PowerBI including Excel among others will be an added advantage.

• Very good command and proficiency in Microsoft Office, Auto CAD or other WASH-related engineering software.

Language Skills: Fluency in French is required. Proficiency in English is an advantage.

Working Environment: IRC’s office in Port-au-Prince with local travel to partner project sites as security and access permit.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

Commitment to Gender, Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion: The IRC is committed to creating a diverse, inclusive, respectful, and safe work environment where all persons are treated fairly, with dignity and respect. The IRC expressly prohibits and will not tolerate discrimination, harassment, retaliation, or bullying of the IRC persons in any work setting. We aim to increase the representation of women, people that are from country and communities we serve, and people who identify as races and ethnicities that are under-represented in global power structures.