YOU’LL CONTRIBUTE TO ENDING WORLD HUNGER BY …
offering the organization deep knowledge in essential technical areas in the battle to end hunger. In the organization, they are recognized as one of the top-level experts in his/her/their area of focus. They are sought out by internal and external colleagues as the person who knows or knows where to find the answers to some of the most challenging technical questions. If no answer exists, they are inspired to seek out an answer. Senior Technical Advisors are guiding voices in advancing an impact-driven workforce unified in the pursuit to end hunger. Not only do Senior Technical Advisors hold a deep field based technical knowledge, they foster a cohesive approach to addressing key drivers of hunger: social injustice, climate change, conflict and poverty.
Senior Technical Advisors are driven by three forward looking values:
1) Promoting an impact-driven organization. The incumbent can translate his/her/their deep technical expertise into an integrated response and expands our focus and combats underlying causes of hunger, connects with diverse partners and mobilizes the public for lasting change.
2) Fueling the knowledge transfer essential for innovation and evidence-generations. Thru engagement with the Knowledge and Innovation Hub (based in Nairobi) the incumbent will ensure transference of effective and innovative global approaches to the field and conversely field based knowledge generated from the field are spotlighted on the global stage.
3) Developing creative, successful new funding programs and in turn, communicate these successes in various external settings. Cultivating, securing and retaining institutional and individual donors is a top priority for this role. USG is considered the top priority institutional donor. These advisors bring professionals together, streamline efficiencies, and mainstream research and evidence-generation as part of a successful resource mobilization strategy.
Senior Technical Advisors are exceptional communicators. They are effective in inspiring donors and staff to achieve a world without hunger, now – to act sooner than later. Every advisor is a strategic thinker, deeply versed in technical leadership and sought out for his/her/their contributions. These advisors, with colleagues, drive us towards a comprehensive, evidence-based, scalable approach which embraces local, community-led, inclusive change.
The position reports directly to the Director, Technical Services and Innovation.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene
Specifically, the main responsibilities of the WASH Senior Technical Advisor are to provide technical leadership and guidance to WASH approaches and interventions by:
· Contributing, from a WASH perspective, to the end of hunger.
· Maximizing impact
· Leading resource mobilization efforts
· Design and lead organizational learning by integrating innovative approaches and applied best WASH practices
· Support knowledge transfer from the field to a global level, and from the global level to the field
· Bridge knowledge and capacity building efforts across the organization
Purpose: Provides provide global leadership and strategic direction for Action Against Hunger in WASH. Leads and provides the highest level of WASH expert analytic and advisory services based on state-of-the-art knowledge.
Engagement: Promotes a multisectoral approach to tackle undernutrition and synergies with other sectors of interventions. Collaborates with technical experts. Engages with and coordinates on strategic initiatives and working groups for WASH across the Action Against Hunger network. Represent Action Against Hunger.
Delivery: Sets the WASH strategy, policies, position papers, proposals, guidance and tools as part of a wholistic approach to the root causes of hunger.
KEY ACTIVITIES IN YOUR ROLE WILL INCLUDE
Essential Job Duties
1. Technical Leadership in Maximizing Impact
• Sets WASH strategic technical direction, including overseeing the refinement of our programming framework and interventions in support of bringing our innovative programming to scale, such as integration of equal access to WASH practices
• Leads collaboration across multisectoral programming in a manner that helps the organization achieve performance excellence and program impact including addressing matters of climate change
• Leads program development of WASH components of technical policies, framework, approaches and project models such as develop toolkits for infection prevention control and water, sanitation and hygiene in health care facilities
2. Resource Mobilization and Program Development
• Leads and designs applications/proposals that integrate innovative approaches and best practices in the area of WASH.
• Contributes to strengthening engagement with USAID and US-based foundations, identifying potential partnerships, increasing awareness in Washington DC & New York of our core capacities, signature interventions, program achievements and evidence, learning, and the Action Against Hunger brand.
• Builds and develops relationships for strategic collaborations and partnerships with key stakeholders, including academic and policy institutions
• Represents the organization with donors, policy makers and other stakeholders to support fundraising efforts
3. Expand Learning, Evidence base and Knowledge Transfer
· Contribute and be a lead partner for the knowledge exchange of the Action Against Hunger Knowledge and Innovation Hub
· Contribute to the utilization of successful WASH related interventions and approaches, and their continued performance.
· Builds partnerships with other agencies &/or partners to ensure up to date knowledge and understanding of the latest pertinent WASH programming, tools, technical developments, and innovations
· Leads and coordinates the development of guidelines, manuals, position papers and other institutional documents on WASH topics and collaborate with Action Against Hunger network initiatives, advancing and promoting these guidelines, etc.
4. Influencing & Engagement
• Develops and implements a robust influencing agenda to positively affect the policies and practice of key stakeholders most critical to organizational goal of ending hunger and undernutrition.
· Represents Action Against Hunger at global alliances, coalitions, and other working groups and technical fora (such as Millennium Water Alliance, Right2Grow, Clean Fed and Nurtured, the Global Handwashing Partnership, Global WASH Cluster, InterAction etc.)
· Secures invitations to represent Action Against Hunger with key audiences (such as USAID, Dept of State, WHO, United Nations, etc.)
· Authors other organizational communications, not limited to opinion papers, editorials, or other media outlets.
III. Supervisory Responsibilities
· None
lV. Fiscal Responsibility
· None
V. Physical Demands
• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with interruptions.
• To travel to the field, the employee must attest to a level of physical fitness capable of enduring physically difficult, highly stressful situations which may include the necessity to walk long distances, to eat a limited diet and/or to reside in potentially uncomfortable housing or tents.
• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
Vl. Working Conditions, Travel and Environment
• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required by contact with the missions, mission security, or other obligations.
• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business travel as well as to the missions if appropriate. While visiting the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well is to infectious diseases.
Vll. Gender Equality Commitments & Zero Tolerance to Abuse
· Foster an environment that reinforces values of women and men, and equal access to information.
· Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.
· Promote a safe, secure, and respectful environment for all stakeholders, particularly for children, beneficiaries, and members of staff.
· Help to prevent any type of abuse including workplace harassment and sexual abuse and exploitation.
· Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion, race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status.
· Value and respect all cultures.
DO YOU MEET THE PROFILE REQUIRED CRITERIA?
Required Qualifications
· Minimum Post-Graduate degree (Master’s Degree or higher preferred) in Engineering, Water, Sanitation, & Hygiene, Public Health, Climate, Social Science or related field. Equivalent experience considered.
Required Skills & Experience
· A minimum of 10 years previous work in programs overseas with an international humanitarian and/or developmental organization.
· Expertise in WASH programming in a technical advisory position
· Experience working in development and humanitarian/post-crisis contexts
· Proven communication skills including external representation
· Proven ability to lead new business activities and secure new funding through competitive and non-competitive funding mechanisms
· Applied research or technical development experience, involvement in the development of guidance and support tools and methodologies.
· Experience collaborating and securing funding from major donors (e.g. USAID, ECHO, FCDO)
· Author of technical publications or reports.
· External representation experience in US and international technical and lay forums
· Familiarity with the USG policy and key stakeholders
· Experience engaging in research, and/or rigorous evaluations and linking to other initiatives (external engagement and communications, etc.).
· Ability to manage and prioritize own workload.
· Ability to present clear ideas and arguments, providing distance support, training, and influence.
· Flexible, adaptable, dynamic, and enthusiastic in working with staff from other sectors.
· Proactive and taking initiative, autonomous and reliable.
· Fluent written and spoken English.
· Working knowledge of French or Spanish desirable.
· Good working knowledge of computer software, MS Office
· Existing eligibility to work in the US is a requirement.
We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender-identity, ancestry, sexual orientation, national origin, age, handicap, disability, marital status, or status as a veteran. ACF-USA complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.
