Regional WASH Adviser - Asia, Europe & Latin America (AELA) & Middle East Regional Office (MERO)

Contract

This is a Professional contract, Grade 9 (NRC) contract. More about Professional contract, Grade 9 (NRC) contracts.

Background

This role is newly established as a result of an internal programme prioritisation process (PPP) conducted in Q3 2021. The PPP demonstrated that NRC Country Offices (COs) require dedicated technical support on WASH. This role is expected to operate as a technical ‘helpdesk’ for COs in AELA and MERO, the two regions who are sharing this position.

This role has been established within the scope of the Country Office Technical Support Fund (CTSF). The CTSF is a financial resource managed by the Field Operations Director and designed to reinforce NRC Regional Offices (ROs) role to provide support to country programmes. CTSF positions aim to ensure that capacity is available in a tier system prioritizing COs with higher needs of technical support, yet, it will have a global scope / geographic coverage with an overlap across regions, facilitating the exchange of resources and lessons learned.

This role is expected to work closely with the Asia, Europe and Latin America and the Middle East Regional Offices, in particular the Regional Programme Department, managed by the Regional Programme Director, responsible for the strategic development of NRC programming in the region by maximizing the support to and the development of COs as well as by exploring and creating synergies among COs.

The role is expected to work closely with the NRC WASH Global Lead, to further NRC’s ambition and capacity.

Overview of Role

The Regional WASH Adviser will provide a range of advisory and technical support and capacity building in relation to WASH, related programme approaches and ways of working, including with external stakeholders. This position will provide support, specialist advice and guidance across NRC WASH Portfolio, with emphasis on ensuring quality and addressing ongoing priorities.

The position works with NRC CO and RO decisions makers, the NRC WASH Community of Practice (CoP) and any roles with specific WASH responsibilities and needs at Country level where WASH is a programme priority, ensuring that optimal programme strategies, structures, systems, policy, tools and practices are in place.

This role is required to work collaboratively with colleagues in both the technical and the operational management structures in country offices, and the regional management group. Collaborative working with colleagues within the wider programme team, at Head Office (HO) and in Regions is essential to effectiveness in the role and maximising the shared learning across NRC.

What you will do

Policy and strategy and programme development - 15%

• Contribute to the development of country/regional core competence strategy and planning processes.
• Contribute to the strategic focus, articulation and implementation of WASH programmes supporting Global Strategy objectives. In particular working closely with the NRC WASH Global Lead to build, test and implement based on sharing learning and expertise from CO and RO levels.

Technical development, support and capacity building- 60%

• Responsible for providing strategic advice and technical support on relevant core competency or cross-cutting issues across Country and Regional Offices.
• Contribute to recruitment of technical staff support the technical assessment of Grade 9 S&S positions of appropriately qualified core competency staff.
• Contribute to the capacity development within the WASHs CoP including providing an onboarding introduction to key staff in COs or ROs.

Quality standards, data analysis and M&E – 15%

• Contribute to the analysis, strategic use and dissemination of S&S learning from the country programs including the sharing of best practices, resources and tools ensuring coherence, efficiency and effectiveness of the operation.
• Responsible for the exchange (and crosspollination) of technical resources and lessons learned.

Networking, representation and relationships – 10%

• Responsible for the representation of NRC at relevant technical working groups ensuring NRC’s access to technical and sectoral debates in relation to WASHs.
• Contribute to the participation of the core competency in global clusters and representation in various fora as relevant and when requested.
• Contribute to the identification, prioritization, development and documentation of advocacy issues related to WASHs.

Specifically you will;

• Respond to questions in relation to the core competency from Country Offices (COs) or Regional Offices (ROs) and provide considered, researched and timely support, to ensure that NRC delivers high quality, effective and relevant programming.
• Support the COs to ensure the teams have access to appropriate project implementation tools and relevant technical guidance.
• Assess COs capacity on key technical disciplines and subjects and design bespoke and/or adapt existing training, to support delivery of the NRC Global WASH Strategy
• Select, organise, and present key resources responding to emerging humanitarian trends supporting our CoP to deliver on our global NRC Strategy and Global WASH strategy and aligned with discussions at the global level (e.g., among NRC units or GWC partners).

Additional responsibilities

Not ongoing but contributing as possible and through a tier system (where and when most needed)

• Contribute to problem-solving working in close cooperation with the field.
• Contribute to the development of and implementation of key proposals.
• Contribute to the identification and utilization of programmatic synergies between WASH and the other core competencies as well as with Safe and Inclusive Programming (SIP), Greening the Orange (environment) and the development areas through an integrated programme (IP) approach.
• Where needed, undertake field visits to provide direct support.

Professional competencies required

• Minimum 5 years of relevant Manager/ Specialist/Adviser experience WASH sector
• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities
• Professional and documented knowledge in WASH
• Extensive experience from working in complex and volatile contexts
• Experience of strategic approaches to programme development and delivery as well as commitment to programme quality
• Experience in drafting and encouraging implementation of policy/strategic guidance, and developing practical tools and resources
• Understanding of and commitment to organisational learning, integrated programming approaches, working collaboratively with technical and operational colleagues within a matrix structure, including capacity building and the role and contribution of M&E to quality management and development
• Experience with engaging with key humanitarian stakeholders
• Able to represent organisation at a strategic level and contribute to global policy development
• Fluency in English, both written and verbal, working level of Spanish is desirable

Context related skills, knowledge and experience

• Knowledge of the countries supported by the section is an asset
• Experience and skill set in any of the following areas are desirable: WASH in schools, hygiene promotion and public health, market-based approaches to WASH, inclusive programming in WASH, climate change related to WASH programmes.

What We Offer

NRC is an equal opportunities employer and aims to have staffing diversity in terms of age, gender, ethnicity, nationality and physical ability.

We offer an opportunity to match your career to a compelling cause and a chance to meet and work with people who are the best in their fields.

Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply and join our work culture that empowers every employee to share ideas and take responsibility: At NRC we think outside the box. We encourage ideas and give responsibility to all employees at all levels, to help solve the complex issues that we face. You will have many opportunities to be heard and take initiative.

We are also looking for people who share our values:

• To be dedicated in what we do;
• To be innovative with our solutions;
• To act as one unified and inclusive team;
• To be accountable to the donors that make our work possible; the people we exist to serve, and to each other… the members of our NRC family.

Additional Information:

Duty Station: Oslo, Norway or Amman, Jordan

Duration of contract: 12 months, full-time, in accordance with local labour laws.

Grade 9 in NRC's grading structure

Travel: Up to 40%

Reporting line: Regional Programme Directors AELA & MERO

We invite applications from all qualified and interested candidates. Candidates are encouraged to apply early, as applications may be screened prior to the vacancy deadline.

For further details you can view a copy of the full JD here.