ThaiNGO

Location: Mae Sot, Tak, Thailand

Application deadline: 24 March 2017

Duration of Assignment: Untill 31 December 2017 with posibility of extension depending on funding and program needs

Background/IRC Summary:  

Background/IRC Summary:  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 at work in over 40 countries and 26 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. The IRC has been operating in Thailand since 1975 and currently provides assistance to displaced persons in Tak, Kanchanaburi, Ratchaburi and Mae Hong Son provinces.

Job Overview/Summary:

IRC provides primary health care and environmental health services in several refugee camps in Thailand. IRC and community-based partner organizations provide preventive and curative health care services in the camps, including primary health care, reproductive health, neonatal care and health education. As a critical component of disease prevention the IRC ensures access to safe water improved sanitation and hygiene promotion Environmental health activities include maintenance of water supply infrastructure and chlorination systems, support to the maintenance of household sanitation including latrine desludging and replacement, solid waste disposal services, drainage works, vector control, hygiene promotion, provision of WASH services in health facilities to ensure quality of care.

Under the direct supervision of the Health Coordinator, the Environmental Health (EH) Manager is responsible for planning, implementing and monitoring environmental health related activities / WASH in the Tak refugee camps. This includes design and supervision of construction of WASH infrastructure. The EH Manager will also develop work plan and monitor assigned environmental health program and assist the  Health Coordinator in monitoring budgets and spending plan to ensure expenditures are on track and utilized according to donor requirements and regulations. He/she will ensure collection of program data and completion of required reports.  The role also has a component of training of both water committees and other community partners involving the design and delivery of training and ongoing mentoring.

Major Responsibilities:

Program Implementation

• Develop activities and work plans with clear objectives and achievable benchmarks, reflecting strategic long-term and short-term priorities in coordination and consultation with the Health Coordinator.
• Adhere to and implement programming in accordance with global standards as defined by IRC technical units, SPHERE, UN organizations, WHO and other expert entities in the water and sanitation (WASH) arena.
• Design and supervise construction of appropriate water supply networks, reservoirs, and chlorination systems, source upgrades, washing areas, latrines and waste management facilities serving refugee households, schools and health facilities. This includes the development of technical specifications to meet local and international standards for WASH in these settings.
• Ensure that users are consulted on design and location of all WASH facilities so that they provide safe access to all users and accommodate the specific needs of women, girls and people with disabilities.
• Ensure the procurement of material supplies and completing the necessary documentation for transport into the camps.
• Monitor WASH committee activities and training.
• Ensure the Sewage Treatment Unit is properly operated.
• Investigate damage, accidents, or delays at construction sites, to ensure that proper procedures are being carried out.
• Share lessons learnt for all on-going field activities across multiple sites and ensure a creation of a learning environment amongst the team members.
• Develop a water quality assurance plan, ensuring that water quality testing is carried out in accordance with the plan and that remedial actions are taken should results indicate contamination.
• Assist and support the Health Coordinator as necessary in monitoring EH program budgets and spending plan to ensure expenditures are on track and utilized according to donor requirements and regulations.

Coordination & Communication

• Serve as the environmental health focal point with the surveillance and rapid response teams (SRRT), and other agencies on outbreak management and control.
• Manage and coordinate community participation in water and waste management; maximize community acceptance of responsibility, and support and work closely with the IRC community health team in coordinating hygiene promotion activities.
• Work closely with the IRC community health team on household and community activities regarding: use and maintenance of latrines, waste/wastewater disposal, and water supply, and in coordination with the health team, outbreak control.
• Assist the IRC Mae Sot Field Coordinator and the Health Coordinator in coordinating communication and collaboration as necessary with: the Thai Public Health; Livestock Dept. (for example, hygiene, sanitation, bird flu, outbreaks, animal health, etc.); camp committee, section leaders, and community groups (for example, sanitation, water, hygiene, education, drainage, Surveillance and Rapid Response Teams); and other NGOs implementing water, drainage, hygiene, sanitation, agriculture/gardening, disease outbreaks, malaria response, etc.

Documentation and Reporting

• Ensure development, documentation, and implementation of written protocols and standard operating procedures for water, sanitation and waste management activities.
• Ensure that Sphere standards and local regulations in water, sanitation, hygiene promotion and waste management are met through planning of upgrading works, infrastructure designs, ongoing maintenance activities and monitoring of the work in the field.
• Assist the Health Coordinator in developing monitoring & evaluation tools to collect input on services from the community.
• Ensure that program data are collected and updated, and ensure that required reports are completed in a timely manner, both internally and for donor reports.
• Maintain an inventory of project supplies.

Training & Supervision

• Conduct training, refresher training and in-service training and orient camp-based water committee, EH camp-based assistants, community-based organizations and other staff as necessary.
• Provide supervision and on-going guidance to the Environmental Health Officers.

Job Requirements:

Education: Degree in Environmental Health or Sanitation, Water Engineering, Civil Engineering, Hydrology. Degree in MPH is an advantage.

Work Experience: Minimum 3 years working experience in water supply, water resource management, sanitation and hygiene in a refugee setting.

Demonstrated Skills and Competencies:

• Experience in environmental health / WASH services delivery and ability to develop WASH activities from a community development approach.
• Construction supervision experience.
• Strong budget management skills and experience in managing government grants and privately-funded projects.
• Experience in managing and mentoring multicultural staff and ability to manage sizeable multi-cultural team delivering assistance involving a wide array of program stakeholders.
• Strong interpersonal and communication skills, both oral and written.
• Strong writing and analytical skills, including ability to communicate technical matters to a range of audiences.
• Competent in Windows, MS office programs.
• Professional demeanours.
• Experience in implementation of communicable disease outbreaks investigations and response.

Language Skills:  Fluency in English. Burmese, Thai, or Karen is a plus

Working Environment: The position will be based in the IRC office in Mae Sot, with extensive travel to the temporary shelters.

HOW TO APPLY: Application letter and most recent CV in English stating qualifications and experience should be submitted to the IRC Human Resources Department at Thailand.HR@rescue.org

All applications will be treated confidentially and not returned. The IRC considers all applicants on the basis of merit without regard to race, national origin, religious beliefs, sexual orientation, age, marital status or physical or mental disability. The IRC is an equal opportunity employer.