Jobs in Zambia and Zimbabwe

Caritas Mansa Job Vacancy in Zambia: Programmes Officer – Water & Sanitation

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  • Company: Caritas Mansa
  • Location: Lusaka, Lusaka Province, Zambia
  • State: Lusaka
  • Job type: Full-Time
  • Job category: NGO Jobs in Zambia

About the Organization

Caritas Mansa is a development wing of the Diocese of Mansa and a true arm of charity towards the most vulnerable in society. Her mission is to empower the less privileged to sustain their well-being and to sustain natural resources through conscientisation, training and advocacy in collaboration with other stakeholders. Our work is inspired by the social teaching of the church and by the Gospel values of love, justice, respect for human life and dignity.

  • Among the projects that we are running currently is Water, Sanitation & Hygiene (WASH) in Samfya and Mwense districts.

Project Summary:

To change lives of poor people by contributing towards improving access and rights to safe water, improved sanitation services and effective hygiene education in targeted schools or communities and healthcare facilities by complimenting each other’s strengths and capabilities.

The Water and Sanitation Programme Officer is an operational part of Improving Wash in Schools and Health Care Facilities Project, established with the role of mobilizing communities for implementation of water and sanitation activities in the target areas. In addition, the Water and Sanitation Programme Officer will act as a technical hand of the Projects coordinator at field level, for Improving Wash in Schools and Health Care Facilities Project construction activities related to water and sanitation in Mwense District.

The Water and Sanitation Programme Officer takes lead in the implementation of water points and piped water schemes construction in schools and rural health centres/posts related activities in the target areas; the work includes conducting technical assessment in line with the best-practices in water point, piped water schemes construction, capacity building trainings, hygiene sensitizations through drama and radio programs. This position involves working closely with the District Education Board Secretary’s (DEBS) office, District council and health office, Water aid Zambia and other essential stakeholders who are actively involved in WASH sector for facilitation of WASH construction related works, and provides additional technical skills to beneficiaries for operational and maintenance of facilities.

Under general and technical supervision of Projects coordinator, Monitoring and Evaluation Officer, the Water and Sanitation Programme Officer assists in various engineering activities ranging from planning, preparation and review to contract administration, design and estimating construction plans, and monitoring the quality of implementation

Job Responsibilities:

  1. Prepare plans, specifications, and cost estimates of prioritized construction works.
  2. Ensure all permits are ready and assist in preparation of technical estimates, design and resource management plan.
  3. Prepare bid documents and support the program team for the bid selection process.
  4. Conduct pre-feasibility and feasibility of WASH construction related works.
  5. Facilitate formation, training and orientation to V-Wash committees for each water point constructed or rehabilitated.
  6. Prepares and submits weekly/monthly reports or updates.
  7. Attend various internal and external meetings regarding WASH.
  8. Responsible person of quality control.
  9. Conduct regular technical supervision, monitoring and provide technical inputs to beneficiaries.
  10. Support program team to prepare, plan and implement technical training and ensure that standard training materials are used throughout the operation.
  11. To carry out work as instructed by the Projects coordinator or the Director.
  12. To maintain updated records of all field activities to show status of the work, construction materials, equipment at store and construction site.

Key Duties:

  1. Support WASH construction activities.
  2. Assist in WASH facilities design and implementation program interventions.
  3. Ensure construction/rehabilitation of water points and piped water schemes are in accordance with approved designs.
  4. Ensure appropriate materials are used in WASH construction facilities.
  5. Facilitate trainings for V-WASH on operation and maintenance, Area Pump menders and Mansons.
  6. Conduct any other programming responsibility delegated by supervisor.
  7. Ensure timely and efficient monitoring and evaluation of project activities.
  8. Contribute to the development of water and sanitation activities.
  9. Work closely with key stakeholders including government authorities, community leaders, partner organisations, beneficiaries and other providers.

Project and Partner Support:

  1. Provide technical support to partners in the implementation of piped water schemes, drilling/rehabilitation of boreholes and during construction of sanitation facilities.
  2. Support in community mobilization and other WASH technical issues.
  3. Project implementation compliance to award/contracts.
  4. Development and maintenance of relationship with key stakeholders.
  5. Monitoring and Evaluation of all WASH related activities.
  6. Conduct/actively participate in meetings and workshops related to WASH.
  7. Ensure environmental compliance is attained during implementation.
  8. Experience working with communities, with skills in group facilitation, training and communications.
  9. Meet project goals, objectives, outputs and requirements.
  10. Compile project reports highlighting project impact against indicators.
  11. Provide technical input on the implementation of piped water schemes and boreholes operational and maintenance.

Administration:

  1. Contribute to Improving Wash in Schools and Health Care Facilities Project program reports to Water aid Zambia, community beneficiaries and government partners.
  2. Project activity planning and tracking.
  3. Support the projects coordinator and the Director with tender procedures and management of water infrastructure development works.
  4. Support administration staff with coordination of project logistics.
  5. Review service invoices in accordance with set standards, procedures and compliance requirements on agreements/contracts.
  6. Support contractual agreement and implementation process with partners and contractors to resolve disputes.

Staff Development:

  1. As delegated by the supervisor liaise with Monitoring and Evaluation Officers to ensure sharing of lessons learned, tools & systems.
  2. Ensure capacity building of specific team members on technical aspects of program.
  3. Supervise consultants or volunteers as required.

Typical Background, Experience & Requirements:

Experience and Technical Skills:

  1. Minimum Diploma in Civil or Water Engineering from an accredited Institution or University. Degree in Development Studies, Sanitary Engineering, Public Health or Social Sciences is an added advantage.
  2. Minimum three (2-3) years of experience with project implementation, monitoring, evaluation and reporting.
  3. Experience in working with AutoCAD, GIS, M&E software solutions or systems and mobile applications for data gathering.
  4. Experience in transferring knowledge (either formal training or knowledge management).
  5. Oral and written fluency in English.
  6. Demonstrable intermediate skills in MS Office – Excel, PowerPoint, Access and Word.
  7. Excellent knowledge of various planning tools, including log frames and Gantt charts.
  8. Knowledge of WASH will be an added advantage.

Skills and Abilities:

  1. Good attention to detail and accuracy.
  2. Good numerical ability.
  3. Ability to plan own work, setting priorities and meeting deadlines including working under pressure and prioritise workload according to the changing needs of the programme.
  4. Ability to apply conceptual, analytical and evaluative skills and identify issues.
  5. Fluency in English.
  6. Work with minimum supervision
  7. Excellent writing and editing skills.
  8. Good interpersonal skills such as influencing.
  9. Work as part of a team and as such will be required to collaborate with staff in the organization.
  10. Able to ride a motorcycle is an added advantage.
  11. Commitment to Organisation principles & values.

Key Working Relationship:

Based in Mwense District, the water and sanitation programmes officer reports directly to the projects coordinator or to the Director depending on circumstances. He/she provides assistance to the Caritas Mansa/Water aid Zambia project staffs in building skills of WASH field supervisors and expected to liaise with other stakeholders such as government personnel in key line ministries, traditional leaders, and Village and district water point committees.

 

How to Apply

Please email a cover letter, and curriculum vitae which should include three references to; [email protected], Please include the position you are applying for in the subject line.