Senior Technical Officer – WASH in Health Facilities

The posting

Senior Technical Officer – WASH in Health Facilities, Maputo, Mozambique

Job Code: TECH31019

Job Family: Technical

Compensation Band: Band LL

Reports to: Senior Technical Advisor – WASH

About FHI 360:

FHI 360 is a nonprofit human development organization dedicated to improving lives in lasting ways by advancing integrated, locally driven solutions. Our staff includes experts in health, education, nutrition, environment, economic development, civil society, youth, research, and technology — creating a unique mix of capabilities to address today's interrelated development challenges.

We are currently seeking qualified local candidates for the position of: Senior Technical Officer – WASH in Health Facilities. The Senior Technical Officer (STO) – WASH in Health Facilities provides technical implementation support for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions in healthcare facilities and priority public health settings under the WASH and Global Health Security components of the EpiC program. The Senior Technical Officer – WASH in Health Facilities is based in Maputo.

Job Summary

Under the supervision of the Senior Technical Advisor- WASH, the Senior Technical Officer – WASH in Health Facilities works closely with the Ministry of Health, national public health institutions, provincial and district health authorities, healthcare facilities, laboratories, MNCH teams, implementing partners, and other stakeholders to strengthen WASH services and practices in healthcare facilities. The position supports assessment, planning, implementation, monitoring, and institutionalization of WASH interventions, with particular attention to water supply and safety, sanitation, hygiene and hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, healthcare waste management, WASH-FIT, infection prevention and control, and integration of WASH into routine health services and emergency preparedness. The position also supports integration of WASH messages and practices within MNCH services, mobile brigades, vaccination campaigns, and other priority health service delivery platforms.

1. Accountabilities:

Technical Responsibilities

1. WASH in Health Facilities

• Work closely with MISAU and provincial and district health authorities to plan, implement, monitor, and institutionalize WASH priorities in healthcare facilities; • Support healthcare facilities to assess and improve WASH services and practices, including water supply, water safety, sanitation, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, healthcare waste management, and hygiene facilities; • Lead and support WASH assessments using nationally approved instruments and recognized tools, including WASH FIT and other relevant WASH performance assessment tools, and translate findings into prioritized, costed, and time-bound improvement plans; • Provide technical leadership and support for implementation of WASH improvement plans at national, provincial, district, and health-facility levels; • Support health facilities to strengthen routine WASH systems, procedures, monitoring tools, and quality-improvement activities; • Support monitoring of WASH service availability, functionality, quality, and practices and use findings to guide corrective actions and continuous improvement; • Provide technical support to strengthen water safety, sanitation, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, healthcare waste management, and hygiene practices in healthcare facilities;

2. WASH, MNCH and Community Health Services

• Provide technical support to integrate WASH and hygiene practices into maternal, newborn and child health (MNCH) services and other priority health service delivery platforms; • Support integration of appropriate WASH messages and practices into MNCH health facilities, mobile brigades, vaccination campaigns, and other community-based health activities; • Support health workers and community health teams to promote practical WASH behaviors, including hand hygiene, safe water handling, sanitation, environmental hygiene, and infection prevention; • Support development and adaptation of WASH and hygiene promotion materials for healthcare workers, community health workers, patients, caregivers, and other priority audiences; • Ensure effective integration of WASH with IPC, surveillance, risk communication, community engagement, and other public health interventions; • Support WASH preparedness and response measures in healthcare facilities and communities during outbreaks and other public health emergencies, including cholera, other waterborne diseases, and epidemic-prone diseases;

3. Global Health Security and Outbreak Preparedness

• Participate in WASH readiness assessments, rapid response activities, outbreak investigations, and implementation of corrective and preventive measures; • Support coordinated outbreak-response approaches linking WASH, IPC, surveillance, laboratories, case management, risk communication, community engagement, and emergency preparedness; • Contribute to development and implementation of WASH preparedness plans, SOPs, technical guidance, and response tools; • Provide on-site or remote WASH technical support during public health emergencies, including rapid WASH risk assessments, water safety, sanitation, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, healthcare waste management, and continuity of essential WASH services;

4. Capacity Strengthening and Supportive Supervision

• Develop and deliver training, mentorship, Training-of-Trainers, and supportive supervision for healthcare workers and relevant technical staff on WASH in healthcare facilities; • Support development and adaptation of SOPs, job aids, training materials, assessment tools, and technical guidance related to WASH and hygiene; • Conduct field visits to monitor implementation and support continuous improvement of WASH services and practices; • Provide coaching and mentoring to health facility teams on WASH-FIT, WASH improvement plans, monitoring, and routine quality improvement; • Assess training effectiveness and support trained national and provincial facilitators to cascade standardized content, mentor frontline teams, and maintain training quality;

5. Program Implementation, Coordination and Monitoring

• 5. Program Implementation, Coordination and Monitoring

• Support development and monitoring of workplans, indicators, activity trackers, technical reports, and program deliverables; • Coordinate with MISAU, INS, provincial and district health authorities, health facilities, MNCH teams, laboratories, implementing partners, and other stakeholders; • Support technical planning and coordination for WASH supplies, commodities, equipment, and related facility needs, in coordination with the WASH Engineer and other technical specialists; • Contribute to sustainability and institutionalization of WASH services and practices within government health systems; • Support coordination with WASH maintenance and equipment repair teams to ensure that identified infrastructure and equipment needs are appropriately referred and followed up, without assuming maintenance design or small repairs responsibilities; • Perform other duties as assigned;

Applied Knowledge & Skills

• Strong technical knowledge of WASH in healthcare facilities, including water safety, sanitation, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, healthcare waste management, and hygiene promotion; • Practical understanding of WASH-FIT and other WASH performance assessment approaches and their application to healthcare facility improvement; • Knowledge of WASH requirements for infection prevention and control and outbreak preparedness and response, particularly cholera and other waterborne and epidemic-prone diseases; • Ability to provide practical WASH support during emergency operations and outbreaks, including rapid risk assessment, water safety, sanitation, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, healthcare waste management, and continuity of essential services; • Understanding of Global Health Security, WASH and its linkages with Infection Prevention and Control (IPC) and One Health; • Strong skills in training, mentorship, supportive supervision, and quality improvement. • Ability to develop technical guidance, SOPs, monitoring tools, and high-quality program documentation; • Strong analytical, coordination, communication, and stakeholder-engagement skills; • Ability to work effectively with government institutions and multidisciplinary teams; • Fluency in Portuguese and professional working proficiency in English;

Competencies:

• Project Management (Planning and Time Management) - Accurately scopes out length and difficulty of tasks (sets objectives/goals/measures). Breaks down work into steps, schedules, task/people assignments. Marshals people, time, and resources efficiently. Arranges information in a useful manner and orchestrates multiple activities at once.

• Creating and Managing Systems and Processes – Recognizes the need for standardization and balances client and organization need in systems design. Anticipates the effects of process change on people while optimizing task efficiency and simplicity.

Problem Solving & Impact:

• Works on problems of moderate to complex scope that require review of various factors. Exercises good judgment with selecting methods and techniques to determine appropriate action. • Decisions may cause delays and affect a work unit or area within a department. • Identifies and raises issues to senior technical staff. • Networks with key internal and external personnel.

Supervision Given/Received:

• No supervisory responsibilities are envisioned for this position.

• May mentor other lower-level personnel.

• Reports to the Senior Technical Advisor – WASH.

Education:

• A Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, WASH, Health Systems, Global Health, or a related field.

· A Master's degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, WASH, Health Systems, Global Health, or a related field, is strongly preferred.

Experience

Required:

• Minimum of six (6) years of progressively responsible experience in WASH, public health, environmental health, health systems strengthening, or related areas – with a Master’s Degree.
• Minimum of eight (8) years of progressively responsible experience in WASH, public health, environmental health, health systems strengthening, or related areas - with a Bachelor’s Degree.

· Demonstrated experience implementing WASH programs in healthcare facilities or public health settings, including WASH assessments, water safety, sanitation, hand hygiene, environmental cleaning, healthcare waste management, and development and monitoring of improvement plans.

· Experience using WASH performance assessment tools, including WASH-FIT, and supporting training and supportive supervision.

· Experience working with government health institutions at national and/or sub-national level.

Preferred/Desirable:

· Experience designing and facilitating Training of Trainers (ToT), evaluating learning, and supporting training cascades.

· Experience supporting outbreak preparedness and response, rapid response teams, emergency treatment structures, simulation exercises, or after-action reviews.

· Experience integrating WASH into MNCH services, mobile brigades, vaccination campaigns, or other community-based health services.

· Previous experience working with MISAU, INS, DPS/SPS, SDSMAS, or health facilities in Mozambique.

· Experience working on donor-funded health programs, preferably U.S. Government-funded programs.

Typical Physical Demands:

• Typical office environment. • Ability to spend long hours looking at a computer screen and doing repetitive work on a keyboard. • Ability to sit and stand for extended periods of time. • Ability to lift/move up to 5 lbs.

Technology to be Used:

• Personal Computer/Laptop, Microsoft applications (i.e., Office 365, SharePoint, Zoom/Teams), cell phone/mobile technology, and standard office equipment.

Travel Requirements: 30 – 40 %

• Domestic travel within Mozambique; limited regional travel possible.

The expected hiring salary range for this role is USD 47,000 - 57,000 for annual basic salary. When determining an offer amount, FHI 360 factors in multiple considerations, including but not limited to: relevant years of experience and education possessed by the applicant, internal equity, market pay, and budget. For internal candidates, salary placement will also follow FHI 360’s current promotional increase guidelines.

This job posting summarizes the main duties of the job. It neither prescribes nor restricts the exact tasks that may be assigned to carry out these duties. This document should not be construed in any way to represent a contract of employment. Management reserves the right to review and revise this document at any time.

FHI 360 is an equal opportunity employer whereby we do not engage in practices that discriminate against any person employed or seeking employment based on race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national or ethnic origin, age, marital status, physical or mental disability, protected Veteran status, or any other characteristic protected under applicable law.

Our values and commitments to safeguarding: FHI 360 is committed to preventing any type of abuse, exploitation and harassment in our work environments and programs, including sexual abuse, exploitation and harassment. FHI 360 takes steps to safeguard the welfare of everyone who engages with our organization and programs and requires that all personnel, including staff members and volunteers, share this commitment and sign our code of conduct. All offers of employment will be subject to appropriate screening checks, including reference, criminal record and terrorism finance checks. FHI 360 also participates in the Inter-Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme (MDS), facilitated by the Steering Committee for Humanitarian Response. In line with the MDS, we will request information from job applicants’ previous employers about any substantiated findings of sexual abuse, exploitation and/or harassment during the applicant’s tenure with previous employers. By applying, job applicants confirm their understanding of these recruitment procedures and consent to these screening checks.

FHI 360 will consider for employment all qualified applicants, including those with criminal histories, in a manner consistent with the requirements of applicable state and local laws.

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FHI 360 fosters the strength and health of its workforce through a competitive benefits package, professional development and policies and programs that support a healthy work/life balance. Join our global workforce to make a positive difference for others — and yourself.

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