Job Description

United Purpose (UP) is an international development charity with an innovative community led approach to delivering the Sustainable Development Goals and eradicating global poverty and inequality. UP adopts a unique approach combines high quality intelligent development, disruptive innovation and enabling independence making us a powerful agent of change. Malawi is UP’s largest country office and is one of Malawi’s biggest NGOs working in a range of projects including water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), microfinance and income generation, livelihoods, climate change and disaster risk management, food security, health and nutrition, and sustainable energy.

UP have been partnering with UNICEF since 2013 to deliver life-saving Water, Sanitation and Hygiene access to over 800,000 people in the Dowa, Kasungu, Salima and Lilongwe Districts. UP also has capacity to respond to WASH emergencies has successfully worked with the Phalombe District Council to support 15,000 flood affected communities in 10 camps after the 2015 floods; implemented a 9 months Sanitation and Hygiene Project in Dowa, Kasungu, Salima and Lilongwe districts to increase access to Sanitation and Hygiene practices which also provided for emergency WASH support for floods and/or a cholera outbreak in Lilongwe and Salima districts reaching over 100,000 people. UP recently also supported 9 districts affected by the cyclone idai disasters in 2019 reaching over 200,000 people with life-saving WASH access

The recent worldwide outbreak of COVID 19 from late December 2019 to date has therefore triggered the activation of an emergency PCA, between UNICEF and UP to strengthen WASH Preparedness and Response in pre-selected ETUs in 7 districts of Mzimba, Mchinji, Mwanza, Blantyre, Lilongwe, Mangochi and Karonga with funding from UKAID and Irish Embassy. With additional funding from UKAid through UNICEF, UP has expanded WASH Preparedness and Response work for COVID 19 to 8 more Emergency Treatment Units (ETUs) located in 4 districts to provide WASH services. The expanded districts are Chitipa, Thyolo, Chikwawa and Nsanje. In total, UP is providing WASH support in 11 districts.

UP invites applications from suitably qualified and experienced persons to fill the following local vacancy: 

Position: WASH ENGINEER – CONSULTANT

Job Purpose:

Reporting to WASH Operations Manager, the WASH Engineer-Consultant will be responsible for program-level WASH construction technical quality support and assurance, review existing manuals and develop solar based reticulated system’s Operations & Maintenance (O&M) training manuals and deliver quality trainings to Health Care Facilities and community beneficiaries in target districts. The Engineer – Consultant will ensure that all constructions works are implemented in line with stipulated SPHERE and Local WASH standards. S/he will work in close collaboration with E-WASH Project Manager, District Officers and WASH Program Manager.

Duration: The duration for the assignment is 1.5 months.

Key duties and responsibilities: 

• Ensure quality latrine infrastructure construction/rehabilitation and pit emptying is implemented in designated ETUs
• Ensure quality solar based infrastructure construction and/or rehabilitation is implemented in designated ETUs in close collaboration with Private firms/Contractors, where applicable
• Review and develop Solar based systems Operations and Maintenance Manuals
• Plan and deliver quality O&M training sessions to institutions and community structures in close collaboration with district relevant stakeholders
• Ensure that boreholes are constructed or rehabilitated in line with the relevant procedures and Standards
• Provide technical support during borehole shock treatment for all contaminated boreholes
• Provide technical support during water quality testing, monitoring and household water storage mass chlorination
• Conduct Field monitoring and quality assurance visit to monitor progress of activities and flag quality issues to the WASH Program Manager as soon as they arise
• Ensure work is delivered In line with, UP’s Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy.
• Ensure an integrated approach in the implementation of WASH infrastructure and Hygiene promotion components
• Deliver expert technical support and guidance in all aspects of project implementation. This is particularly in terms of community based management, stakeholder coordination, capacity building, and gender equality into the implementation of the project.
• Closely monitor and assess all constructions to ensure relevance, effectiveness, efficiency.
• Develop and submit weekly updates and monthly monitoring and documentation reports to Program Manager.

Successful candidates will have:

• At least a Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, Water Resources Management or any other relevant fields
• At least 3 years’ experience of working in Regular and Emergency WASH-related development projects in an International NGO.
• Strong knowledge in construction of WASH infrastructure including construction/rehabilitation of solar reticulated systems/boreholes, VIP latrines, Emergency Prefabricated Latrines and Pit Emptying
• Experience in design, implementation, operation and maintenance of solar powered water systems is essential
• Experience in community based management and ability to deliver solar reticulated systems community based management trainings
• Ability to use digital platforms (e.g. mWater) to locate and monitor WASH infrastructure is essential
• Ability to work independently and take a lead with new ideas.
• Ability to build/maintain good relationships with stakeholders, especially government staff, communities and partners
• Strong respect and empathy for rural communities, and an affinity to UP’s mission and values of integrity, dignity and environmental respect.
• Fluency in spoken and written English including good English report writing skills.
• Ready to work at odd hours, including weekends and public holidays.

How to apply:

Qualified and interested candidates who meet the stated requirements must submit a completed Application Form. Please note that CVs and cover letters will not be accepted. Please visit https://united-purpose.org/s/UP-Job-Application-Form-2wtb.doc  to download the Application Form, and then submit the completed form via email only to:

Email: [email protected]

If you have difficulty accessing the form, then contact us at:

Email:  [email protected]

When submitting, please cite the position you are applying for in the subject title. Any applications that do not include this in the title will not be considered. No hard copies / physical applications will be accepted. Closing date for the receipt of completed application forms is 12:00 Midnight of Sunday 19th July, 2020. Candidates should indicate their all-inclusive fees. Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

United Purpose takes the safety and well-being of all those we work with, and our staff, very seriously. We have a zero-tolerance policy on abuse. Our recruitment is safe, meaning that we recruit staff with the highest values and standards of ethical behaviour. United Purpose has a Safeguarding Children and Vulnerable Adults Policy, which reflects our commitment to protecting the people with whom we work. All candidates will be expected to comply with this policy and its procedures.

For more information about UP, please visit our website at:

www.united-purpose.org/malawi/ .

UP is an equal opportunity employer, and women are particularly encouraged to apply