International Rescue Committee
Senior Specialist, Climate Health & WASH
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Job Overview
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 one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.
Role Overview
The Senior Specialist for Climate Health and WASH is the organization’s focal point for Climate Resilient WASH (CR-WASH) and Climate Sensitive Infectious Disease Prevention within the Crisis Response, Recovery and Development (CRRD) department. The Senior Specialist works under the leadership of the Environment & Climate Health Global Practice Lead (GPL), to drive progress through leadership of strategic projects, delivering on global strategic priorities, and ensuring the scope, quality and relevance of organizational technical standards. In line with IRC Strategy 100, the Senior Specialists leads delivery of the CR-WASH and water security components of the Health Outcome Strategy, and co-delivers the Infectious Disease Prevention & Control (IDPC) Impact at Scale priority. The Senior Specialist covers a global portfolio including WASH service continuity in the face of climate shocks, water-related disease prevention, WASH in Healthcare facilities, anticipatory action and the water-energy nexus. The Senior Specialist collaborate closely with other Global Specialists, Global Practice Leads, Regional Practice Leads and Health Technical Advisors (TA) to promote technical best practice in CRRD programming. S/he supports high impact strategic business development, strategic and technical relationship management, and technical advocacy at the global level.
Major Responsibilities
Strategic and Technical Delivery (50% LOE)
- Lead a complex portfolio of strategic projects across CR-WASH, water security, and the water-energy nexus, including anticipatory action and forecast-based response for CR-WASH, WASH systems and finance, and energy access for water and health facilities in fragile and conflict affected settings (FCAS).
- Drive technical delivery of the IDPC Impact at Scale priority, with a focus on CR-WASH and water-related disease dimensions, including strategy refinement, country prioritization and road map planning, in collaboration with the GPL and others.
- Provide intensive remote and in-country technical support to Technical Advisors, Regional Practice Leads and Country Program teams, including development of implementation tools and technical guidance and delivery of specialized capacity strengthening, technical advice and coaching for staff and partners for strategic projects.
- Identify and shape research opportunities in CR-WASH/IDPC, including cost-effectiveness and life-cycle costing, and lead implementation when needed, in collaboration with the GPL, Airbel Impact Lab, and others.
- Collaborate with the Emergency Unit on technical quality strengthening for WASH in Emergencies, review technical guidelines for acute emergency contexts, including cholera outbreak, and technical backstopping as needed, in close partnership with the Emergency WASH Coordinator and others.
- Monitor progress on technical program implementation, including budgets and expenditures, and drive course corrections as needed for strategic projects.
- Collaborate effectively on shared priorities within the Health Unit and with other Technical Units and Global Practice Areas, including the Climate Resilience Global Practice Area, the Anticipatory Action team, and the Economic Recovery & Development, Protection and Education Technical Units.
- Support partner and donor engagement for strategic projects as needed.
- Under the guidance of the GPL, contribute to global strategy and delivery planning for CR-WASH/IDPC as needed.
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Technical Quality Strengthening and Organizational Learning (25% LOE)
- Lead finalization and roll out of the CR-WASH core indicators and Climate Resilient WASH MEAL package and lead ongoing revision of CR-WASH technical guidance and standards as evidence and field practice evolves.
- Convene and sustain a CR-WASH community of practice for peer exchange across countries and regionals, surfacing field learning and research to inform technical guidance and incorporate into global best practices.
- Synthesis lessons, strengthen technical guidance and capacity and support strategic work on Anticipatory Action for CR-WASH/IDPC, in close coordination with the Anticipatory Action team.
- Contribute to the development of the Environment & Climate Health technical competency framework and assessment to identify capacity gaps, inform capacity strengthening priorities, and support staff development.
- Synthesize, adapt, and disseminate relevant technical standards, methodologies, and implementation tools for CR-WASH/IDPC, drawing on evidenced-based best practices and reflecting IRC programming.
- Provide technical inputs to MEAL tools and methodologies when needed, and support data interpretation and use, including support to regional TAs to analyze relevant technical and program data as needed.
- Proactively disseminate lessons learned across countries and regions for select strategic projects, ensuring these inform program design and implementation of country-led projects.
- Contribute to shaping, refining and delivering the Environment & Climate Health Learning Agenda.
External Influence, Relationships and Representation (10% LOE)
- Collaborate with policymakers, implementing partners, humanitarian responders, and UN agencies to advance guidance, outcomes, research, implementation, and documentation on CR-WASH/IDPC.
- Represent IRC, as appropriate, in priority external forums, including technical, policy, and advocacy workshops across Health, WASH and Climate domains.
- Contribute to global prioritization and agenda-setting efforts, ensuring that research, evidence, tools, and resources are being used to advance IRC’s strategy and agendas for FCAS.
- Work with the Policy and Communications Teams to develop and advocate IRC’s and global policies on CR-WASH/IDPC.
Business Development (15% LOE)
- Lead strategic business development opportunities in partnership with relevant technical and business development teams and regional and country colleagues.
- Provide TAs and Country Programs with specialized support on program design in relevant technical areas of CR-WASH and IDPC, on request.
- Service as technical lead on large, complex and high value business development opportunities.
Key Working Relationships
Position Reports to:
- Global Practice Lead, Environment & Climate Health
- Primary Health Care Global Practice Lead and Senior Specialist, Infectious Disease
- Regional Technical Advisors
- Other Specialists and Senior Specialists
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Key Internal Relationships:
- Health Unit team members
- Research and Innovation teams
- MEAL team
- Airbel Impact Lab
- Emergency Unit
- Policy Solutions, Advocacy Influence, and Systems Change Global Teams
- Global HQ and AMU
Key External Relationships:
- INGO counterparts, UN agencies, global coordination mechanisms, public and private donors, research networks
Desired Experience and Skills
- Established or growing recognition as an expert in WASH, water security, environmental management or closely related field, with a minimum of 6-8 years of progressive experience designing and leading programs relevant to Climate Resilient WASH in FCAS and/or across the humanitarian-development nexus.
- Master’s degree in public health engineering, environmental management and/or related fields or equivalent professional experience required.
- Demonstrated experience developing and delivering new strategies to advance ambitious goals, with strong ability to connect WASH infrastructure development to service models, sustained operations, financing, policy and systems strengthening.
- Experience collaborating across health, nutrition, climate resilience and related domains, with ability to clearly communicate the contribution of WASH and water security to health, climate resilience and other outcomes.
- Knowledge of and ability to use and integrate data, including climate forecasts, epidemiological data, and geo-spatial data to inform program targeting and intervention design; demonstrated ability to use of data and research evidence for programmatic decisions and rigorous analytic skills.
- Strong track record of driving uptake of evidence-based practice, including technical skills in coaching, mentoring, and capacity strengthening.
- Ability to design technical approaches for proposals and identify new business development opportunities.
- Ability to work, manage, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, highly matrixed environment; outstanding business acumen, critical thinking, problem solving and decision-making skills required.
- Superb inter-personal, written and verbal communication skills with ability to collaborate across countries, cultures, and departments.
- Excellent communication, influencing, and storytelling skills.
- Proficiency in English and French required; knowledge of Spanish or Arabic an asset.
- Ability to travel globally up to 30% of the time, occasionally on short notice.
Compensation
- US: ($104K - $120K). Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.
- UK: (GBP 58,476 - GBP 69,440). Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget. Exact offers are calibrated by work location, individual candidate experience and skills relative to the defined job requirements.
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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 one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future
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