Senior WASH & ES/NFI Officer (SWENO) Full Time

About Self Help Africa

Self Help Africa is an international development organisation that works through agriculture and agri-enterprise development to end hunger and extreme poverty. The organisation has programmes in 15 countries in sub-Saharan Africa and also implements projects in Brazil and Bangladesh.

In early 2023, we launched a new five-year organisation strategy, which defines shared mission as the alleviation of hunger, poverty, social inequality and the impact of climate change through community-led, market-based and enterprise-focused approaches, so that people can have access to nutritious food, clean water, decent employment and incomes, while sustaining natural resources. Our wider organisation also includes social enterprise subsidiaries: Partner Africa, which provides ethical auditing and consultancy services; TruTrade, an innovative trading platform in East Africa; and CUMO, Malawi’s largest microfinance provider.

Our three core values are:

▪ Impact: We are accountable, ambitious and committed to systemic change.

▪ Innovation: We are agile, creative and enterprising in an ever-changing

world.

▪ Community: We are inclusive, honest and have integrity in our relationships.

About the Project:

As the frequency and severity of emergencies in Ethiopia and around the world increase, the organisation is expanding its capacity to support programmes in both sudden-onset and chronic emergencies. SHA is securing funding under the EHF, which will cover primarily the Amhara region, in the Wollo cluster areas and beyond. The SHA development programmes have also been impacted by climate events, conflict, and intercommunal violence, compounded by outbreaks. In order to address such a humanitarian situation through a humanitarian-development nexus approach, the organisation is aiming to build its humanitarian staffing capacity. SHA-Ethiopia is currently seeking to recruit a Senior WASH & ES/NFI Officer, who will be primarily responsible for the organisation and implementation of the multi-sector humanitarian operation in the Amhara region, as well as country-wide. Our approach integrates emergency and development work through the Humanitarian Development Nexus approach. Self Help Africa implemented a dozen development and humanitarian projects with local and international partners across Ethiopia. At the core of our work is increasing farm production, supporting new enterprises and developing market opportunities for farmers.

Key Relationships

The Senior WASH & ES/NFI Officer provides strategic leadership and hands-on management for the successful planning, coordination, and implementation of SHA’s integrated WASH and Emergency Shelter/Non-Food Items (ES/NFI) projects. This senior role is directly responsible for ensuring that crisis-affected populations have access to safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services, as well as timely and appropriate shelter solutions and essential household items.

The post-holder will lead all technical and operational aspects of the program component, from developing strategic work plans and technical designs to managing supply chains, overseeing distributions, and leading field teams. Reporting to the Humanitarian Programme Coordinator, this position ensures all interventions are delivered to the highest standards of quality, accountability, and timeliness in line with SHA’s mandate, cluster guidelines, and Sphere standards.

The Senior WASH & Emergency Shelter/NFI Officer will be based in Dessie/Haik with daily travel to Thehulederie Jari Kutir 1&2 IDP site (as they are the actual project implementation locations) for the successful implementation of WASH and ESNFI project activities, including WASH infrastructure constructions and maintenance works in the project sites and distribution of ESNFI. The SW & ESNFI O will be responsible for making sure that the overall water supply, hygiene and sanitation work, Emergency Shelter and Non-Food Items humanitarian work within SHA are implemented in a timely and quality manner in line with the humanitarian standard operating procedures and mandate. He/She is primarily responsible for ensuring SHA’s Development and Emergency WASH projects are implemented in line with the project design, Sphere and cluster standards and use the existing or develop systems to monitor the performance of these activities for hosting community, disaster-affected communities, health institutions, schools, enterprises and Internally Displaced Peoples.

The post holder will be responsible for preparing engineering estimates, drawings, BoQ and tender documents in line with the standards. He/she will oversee the sub-contract work with the local consultants as well as follow up delivery of WASH services in collaboration with woreda/zone water bureaus’ technical experts. The SW&ESNFI O must ensure that the SHA development and humanitarian programmes delivered are to the appropriate scale, scope, quality and accountability expected of Self-Help Africa. The SWO will be reporting to the Humanitarian Programme Coordinator and work closely with the Addis and Field/Cluster offices staff to ensure the successful implementation of the Water, Sanitation & Hygiene and Emergency Shelter Non-Food Items activities throughout the region and beyond. He/She will ensure effective integration and harmonisation with other sectors. She/he will be a standing committee member of the procurements in the tendering of construction works, WASH NFI and ES/NFI procurement process and work strongly with the procurement unit and follow up on all the procurement processes.

1. Strategic Planning & Program Design

• Lead the development of comprehensive district-level work plans for WASH and ES/NFI activities, aligning them with regional and national cluster strategies.
• Drive integrated, multi-sectoral needs assessments to inform technically sound and context-appropriate program design.
• WASH Design: Prepare and validate detailed technical designs, engineering estimates, drawings, Bills of Quantities (BoQs), and tender documents for all water and sanitation infrastructure.
• ES/NFI Strategy: Develop and manage plans for the prepositioning of ES/NFI stocks, ensuring they are based on thorough needs analysis and contingency planning for rapid response.

2. Technical & Operational Management (WASH)

• Provide technical oversight and management for all WASH construction and rehabilitation activities, including water systems and sanitation facilities, ensuring quality control and adherence to timelines.
• Lead the design and implementation of effective, community-based hygiene promotion campaigns, ensuring methodologies are participatory and impactful.
• Supervise and build the capacity of the Hygiene & ES/NFI Officer and community-based volunteers (e.g., WASH Committees).

3. Supply Chain & Distribution Management (ES/NFI)

• Manage the entire ES/NFI supply chain at the field level: identify and establish appropriate warehousing, and oversee the receipt, storage, dispatch, and tracking of all commodities in compliance with organisational procedures.
• Ensure accurate stock records and inventory reports are maintained and updated regularly, managing stock rotation to adhere to quality and shelf-life standards.
• Lead the field-level organization of all ES/NFI distributions, developing clear distribution schedules and ensuring processes are transparent, accountable, and dignified.
• Ensure all distribution documentation (waybills, beneficiary lists, distribution reports) is accurately completed and archived for reporting.

4. Team Leadership & Capacity Building

• Directly supervise, mentor, and build the capacity of the Hygiene & ES/NFI Officer, field teams, and casual workers involved in WASH and ES/NFI activities.
• Facilitate technical training for staff and partners on key topics, including warehouse management, distribution standards, hygiene promotion techniques, and accountability.
• Promote a safe, inclusive, and positive working environment, ensuring adherence to safeguarding and code of conduct policies.

5. Coordination, Representation & Accountability

• Lead SHA’s representation in relevant technical forums, including the WASH Cluster and the ES/NFI Cluster, and other coordination meetings at the field level.
• Maintain strategic working relationships with community leaders, government partners (zonal/woreda bureaus), UN agencies, and other NGOs.
• Uphold accountability standards by ensuring robust community feedback and complaint mechanisms are functional across all project sites and that distributions adhere to protection guidelines.
• Lead post-distribution monitoring (PDM) exercises, analyse data, and ensure lessons learned are used to improve future programming.

6. Internal Support & Reporting

• Act as a standing member of the Procurement Committee, providing technical evaluation for all WASH and ES/NFI-related procurements.
• Prepare and submit regular, high-quality reports, including stock reports, distribution reports, and consolidated progress reports for both WASH and ES/NFI components.

Key Relationships

Internal: Humanitarian Programme Coordinator, Head of Programmes, Field/Cluster Coordinators, Supply Chain, Finance, Admin, HR, and Procurement teams.

External: Local Government Authorities, WASH & ES/NFI Clusters, UN Agencies, other INGOs and Local NGOs.

Essential:

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in a relevant technical field such as Hydraulic/Civil Engineering, Environmental Health, Water Resource Management, or in a related field like Disaster Risk Management or Humanitarian Logistics with extensive, proven WASH experience.

Experience:

• Minimum of 5 years of relevant professional experience in humanitarian response.
• At least 2 years of experience in a supervisory or team leadership capacity, directly managing staff and/or volunteers.
• Crucially, must have demonstrated in-depth experience in both technical WASH programming (hardware & software) and ES/NFI supply chain management (warehousing, logistics, and distribution).

Technical Skills:

• WASH: Proven ability to prepare technical designs (BoQs, drawings) and manage construction projects.
• ES/NFI: Deep familiarity with humanitarian supply chain processes, cluster standards, and best practices for warehouse management and large-scale distributions. Proficiency in inventory management systems is a strong asset.
• Management: Strong analytical, problem-solving, and strategic planning abilities.

General Skills:

• Demonstrated team leadership, mentorship, and capacity-building skills.
• Excellent organizational, coordination, and report-writing skills.
• Ability to work effectively under pressure and coordinate with multiple stakeholders in complex field environments.
• Proficiency in verbal and written English. Fluency in the local language is a significant advantage.
• Computer literacy in MS Office Suite.