Senior Technical Officer, Environmental Health at FHI 360

Location:                    Borno State: Maiduguri

Supervisor:                WASH Coordinator

Project Description:

Northeast Nigeria is currently facing a growing humanitarian crisis with a vast number of Internally Displaced Persons in need of emergency assistance. These IDPs are living among host communities, lacking access to livelihoods and resources, ultimately leading to unprecedented levels of malnutrition and food insecurity. FHI 360 has been working in Nigeria for over 30 years and is now expanding activities in Borno state to respond to the IDP crisis.          

FHI 360 is expanding its expertise by responding to this humanitarian crisis through integrated WASH, Health and Protection interventions

Basic Function:

The Senior Technical Officer, Environmental Health will provide technical and programmatic support in Northeastern Nigeria field sites. Under the supervision of the WASH Coordinator, the Senior Environmental Health Officer will support Assistant Environmental Health Technical Officers to  implement  hygiene promotion messaging and environmental health activities including training Community based WASH management structures .Other responsibilities will also include training volunteers and community/camp leaders on safe waste management practices and providing support on activities related to environmental health at the healthcare facilities.  Development of context specific IEC materials and contributing to WASH behavioral change communication strategy.

Duties and responsibilities:

• In collaboration with the WASH Coordinator, he/she shall be responsible to design, plan, implement and follow-up hygiene promotion activities such as training of trainers in hygiene promotion for community volunteers, WASH committee members and other stakeholders in LGAs in line with agreed work plan and WASH sector strategic plan.

• Plan and implement regular hygiene promotion activities in targeted locations/IDP camps.

• Disseminate environmental health, sanitation and hygiene messages using relevant media to beneficiaries in the area of assignment.

• Developing and evaluating the most appropriate IEC tools/materials for hygiene and health promotion activities.

• Participate to the monitoring of all the hygiene and health promotion, and community mobilization activities to ensure behavior change and project ownership by project recipients.

• Ensure active participation of the target beneficiaries and other local stakeholders, in close coordination with WASH sector partners at the field level to avoid duplication of efforts.

• Training of community management structures and hygiene promoters in the target communities as needed.

• Engage in the appropriate knowledge management (documentation and reports, sharing good practice, lessons learned, and knowledge/ information exchange) at all levels to foster learning, promote evidence-based advocacy and dialogue in the camps and communities.

• Sensitize population on good hygiene practices, focusing on hand washing, safe disposal of solid waste and excreta, latrine cleaning, diarrheal diseases prevention, etc. as adapted from time to time depending on the prevailing public health situations.

• This is not an exhaustive list of the duties and responsibilities of this post, and the post-holder may, from time to time, be required to undertake any other reasonable duties and responsibilities as requested.

Knowledge, Skills & Attributes:

• Knowledge of WASH/EH and humanitarian programming in emergency situations.  

• Ability to work well with others and to develop and maintain compatibility among project staff, subcontractors, consultants and recipients of assistance.

• Ability to manage tight deadlines and deliver high volumes of work with minimal supervision.

• High degree of proficiency in written and spoken English & Hausa languages. Understanding of Kanuri language is a plus.

• Expertise in engineering design of Water Supply, sanitation and public health infrastructure.  

• Proficiency in office and designing software skills (AutoCAD, Outlook, Excel, Power Point, Word)

• Ability to work professionally, develop and maintain good working relationships with project staff, subcontractors, consultants and recipients of assistance.

• Ability to manage tight deadlines and deliver high volumes of work with minimal supervision.

• High degree of proficiency in written and spoken English & Hausa communication.

Qualifications and Requirements

• B.Sc/B.Eng. in Civil Engineering with a minimum of 7 years relevant experience working  in the Water Sanitation and Hygiene Sector  in humanitarian relief contexts.

• Demonstrable experience design WASH and Public health infrastructure works

• Highly organized and able to manage multiple, simultaneous demands and able to work in a fluid environment and adhere to deadlines

• Excellent written and verbal English language skills

•  Familiarity with Nigerian public sector health systems and NGOs and CBOs is highly desirable.

Safeguarding:

FHI 360 is committed to provide a safe environment for all employees, beneficiaries and anyone contracted by FHI 360. This Includes taking measures to protecting vulnerable people from Sexual Exploitation and Abuse (SEA) by either FHI 360 employees or associated personnel. FHI 360 abides by child safeguarding principles. FHI 360’s Safeguarding Policies apply and flow out to all FHI 360 staff, board members, volunteers, and partner staff (subcontractors, consultants, vendors, and subrecipients), regardless of the funding mechanism or amount of contract, agreement, or purchase order.

This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.

FHI 360 is an equal opportunity and affirmative action employer whereby we do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.

FHI 360 will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.

FHI 360 fosters the strength and health of its workforce through a competitive benefits package, professional development and policies and programs that support a healthy work/life balance. Join our global workforce to make a positive difference for others — and yourself.