Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Advisor, US Agency for International Development, Washington DC [deadline 13 January]

Global Health Fellows Program II

Technical Advisor II: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Advisor

Maternal and Child Health Division, Office of Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition, Bureau for Global Health, United States Agency for International Development

Location: Washington, DC

Assignment: Two year fellowship

GHFP II-P1-002

The Global Health Fellows Program (GHFP-II) is a five year cooperative agreement implemented and managed by the Public Health Institute in partnership with CDC Development Solutions and Management Systems International. GHFP-II is supported by the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

GHFP-II’s goal is to improve the effectiveness of USAID health programs by developing and increasing the capacity of health professionals with tailored development opportunities.  This is accomplished through the recruitment, placement and support of diverse health professionals at the junior, mid and senior levels, and professional development activities aimed to enhance the technical and leadership skills of global health professionals.  

INTRODUCTION

The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Advisor serves on the Environmental Health (EH) Team within the Maternal and Child Health (MCH) Division of the Office of Health, Infectious Disease and Nutrition (HIDN) in the Bureau for Global Health (GH). The MCH Division supports strategic planning, innovative program design, and monitoring and evaluation in maternal, newborn, child and environmental health programs globally and with USAID Missions. Additionally, the MCH Division manages centrally-funded projects for global leadership and country support. The environmental health work of the Division primarily focuses on water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), but is coordinated with nutrition, education, energy, family planning, infectious disease, health system strengthening and research activities within the MCH Division, in other HIDN Divisions, GH Offices, and USAID Bureaus.

In partnership with host countries, donors, international organizations, nongovernmental organizations, and the private sector, USAID supports developing countries in design, implementation and evaluation of environmental health programs with a special emphasis on WASH. GH/HIDN as supported technical assistance and capacity building efforts in the WASH sector for nearly three decades. Focusing on behavioral outcomes related to use of infrastructure has become an increasingly important component of USAID’s health-focused activities in environmental health.

Consistent with these efforts, and to support not only GH/HIDN’s objectives but those of USAID’s other Bureaus and overseas field Missions, the Advisor provides programmatic and technical expertise in environmental health, particularly as it relates to primary prevention of diarrheal diseases and acute respiratory infections in children associated with poor sanitation and high levels of indoor air pollution, respectively. The WASH Advisor serves as GH/HIDN’s lead resource on sanitation and indoor air quality.

ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES

The WASH Advisor (the Advisor) provides technical leadership to the Agency in WASH, with a special focus on sanitation and indoor air quality. The Advisor also provides technical assistance to USAID missions, regional bureaus and other GH offices and divisions, and technical oversight of GH projects. The Senior Environmental Health Advisor provides technical guidance and oversight to the WASH Advisor, who is a member of the EH team.

Environmental Health Program Development

• At the programmatic level, the Advisor works with colleagues in USAID field missions to survey the WASH situation in-country, explores area(s) of competitive advantage for potential USAID engagement, and identifies opportunities to implement and evaluate gender-sensitive WASH activities and programs
• The Advisor works with mission staff to develop options for strategic mission engagement in WASH and indoor air quality , identifies potential mechanisms for implementation, and develops detailed program descriptions and amendments for procurement
• Because of the crosscutting nature of WASH, the Advisor explores and encourages integration of WASH activities into other existing or planned health activities, and into other development sectors like governance and education. Additional programmatic opportunities could include joint planning with the Bureau for Democracy, Conflict, and Humanitarian Assistance for humanitarian response, or collaboration with other US government units outside of USAID. The Advisor also develops and participates in WASH training for Mission staff and participates in broader capacity building activities for the Agency for programming under the Paul Simon Water for the Poor Act
• The Advisor also plays a key role in developing USAID’s health activities that relate to indoor air quality improvement, a nascent field with many programmatic parallels to sanitation – including a strong behavioral component as a critical success factor for impact and sustainability

Project oversight

• The Advisor provides technical support on WASH within the GH portfolio, with special technical oversight responsibilities for activities related to sanitation and indoor air pollution. The Advisor coordinates activities with other GH and Bureau programs to identify opportunities for integration, improved efficiency, and the potential to leverage other resources

Advancing USAID’s environmental health objectives in national and international forums

• The Advisor actively participates in meetings at the national, international and policy levels to advance USAID’s environmental health objectives, particularly in indoor air pollution and sanitation. This could include meetings with World Bank’s Water and Sanitation Program and various UN Agencies, as well as conferences and meetings of health and water organizations like the International Water Association

Agency Technical Resource on WASH

• The Advisor provides assistance to USAID staff and cooperating agencies on WASH, in particular on sanitation and indoor air pollution. The Advisor provides leadership in the development, evaluation, and dissemination of innovative program approaches in health-focused WASH activities, and liaises with the Water Team to link with other water sector activities, including integrated water resources management. S/he engages in technical discussions, research and analysis activities as necessary to make substantive technical contributions

Other tasks or responsibilities may be assigned based on (a) organizational and programming need and/or (b) the Technical Advisor’s own interests.

REQUIRED SKILLS, KNOWLEDGE & EXPERIENCE

• Master’s degree in public health, engineering or related field
• Five to twelve years of experience in research, design, implementation and evaluation of WASH programs with at least two years of experience in an international/resource challenged setting
• Demonstrated skill in conducting critical analysis and evaluation of technical and programmatic aspects of proposals and programs
• Excellent understanding of current issues in international environmental health/WASH programs. Demonstrated flexibility and openness in responding to changing work priorities and environment

• Good understanding of programs and organizational aspects of major international donors, multilateral agencies, and NGOs/PVOs supporting the WASH sector
• Strong written and oral communications skills including ability to write technical documents and give state-of-the-art presentations to colleagues in and outside of USAID
• Strong interpersonal skills and experience in working effectively in an independent capacity and as a member of a team
• Excellent team and networking skills
• Good computer skills
• US Citizenship or US Permanent Residency required

SALARY AND BENEFITS

Salary based on commensurate experience and earnings history. The Public Health Institute offers a comprehensive benefits package including professional development programs http://www.ghfp.net/docs/2010_Benefits_for_GHFP_Fellows.pdf

TO APPLY

All applicants are required to apply for this position through GHFP-II’s online recruitment system at https://www.ghfp.net/recruitment/, which allows you to store your CV, profile and bio data form in our database. A separate cover letter describing your qualifications and experience, interest and familiarity with issues relating to this position, and how this position relates to your career goals is required for each application. All online applications must be submitted by 5:00 pm Eastern Time January 13, 2012.

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