Background: 

The International Rescue Committee, one of the world’s largest humanitarian international NGOs, provides relief, rehabilitation and development support to vulnerable people and communities over 30 countries. We began work in Ethiopia in 2000 in response to severe drought in Ethiopia’s Somali region and are currently providing assistance to Ethiopians and refuguees in six regions in Ethiopia, implementing emergency and development programs in health, water and sanitation, economic recovery and development (ERD), women’s protection and empowerment, education, child protection, and multi-sectoral emergency response.

Summary Statement of Duties and Responsibilities:

The Water Quality Officer reports to the Senior Environmental Health Managers, and is responsible for   establishment of water quality management system and practice as part of the upgrading the Assosa town water supply service provision, maintenance of the water supply facilities in Assosa General Hospital, Assosa Health Centre, and Selga Alu Health Centre under EU Trust Fund project.

Primary responsibilities include establishing water quality treatment and monitoring system, jointly overseeing the proper treatment of water, supervision and monitoring of regular water quality test activities; set up of water quality data management system (data collection, entry, analysis, reporting); conducting regular on job and theoretical trainings to build the staff capacity on water treatment and quality monitoring. The Water Quality Officer position also requires proper management of equipment, consumables and other resources under the program and reporting periodically to supervisors.

Detailed Responsibilities and Tasks:

Operation:

• Ensure proper treatment/disinfection of water before distribution.
• Establish clear and straightforward management systems including Jar tests, Chlorine dosage, Alum dosage, chemical preparation, etc.
• Organize regular water quality data monitoring system and conduct regular water quality test, jointly with the WSU WQ Experts, to different stages of treatment plant, tap stands, storage reservoir/s, household level, etc to ensure the community are supplied with safe water as per SPHERE/GOV and international standards.
• Develop necessary formats and a database for regular water quality data collection, data entry, storage, analysis and report production.
• Raise purchase requests for procurement of equipments, reagents, treatment chemicals, and ensure the availably of all necessary items in stock for regular water quality test and operation.
• Ensure the cleaning of service reservoir, and clean water wells at regular, scheduled intervals.
• Prepare operation and training manuals for the water quality monitoring operation.
• Work with other Environmental Health team and coordinate with other stakeholders on information sharing related with water quality and promotion of proper water storage at household level.
• Summarize and produce weekly and monthly water quality report, with the status and action to be taken, and share the report to Supervisor.
• Participate and contribute for the establishment of water quality treatment center – in the construction of the laboratory, listing of equipment and furniture.
• Contribute an input in developing WASH project proposal in the portion of water quality.
• Participate in different WASH coordination meetings in representing IRC as needed.
• Serve as the focal person for water quality issues for EU Trust Fund project in Assosa and head of the water quality lab.

Capacity building:

• Conduct annual regular training/refresher/ for Water Quality Experts of the WSU and health facilities including all water operation team, and water treatment operators & quality monitors, electromechanical technicians and Sanitation & hygiene promotion team.
• Conduct on job trainings for Water Quality Experts of the WSU and health facilities throughout the project implementation period.
•  Prepare notes, modules, and other related resources regarding the training component and share for the trainees.
• Organize the laboratories with necessary equipments, manuals for equipments, books, and other electronic reference materials.

• Qualification in Sanitary/Environmental Engineering, Environmental Health, Applied Chemistry, Applied Biology, or any other relevant field.
• Experience 3 years of relevant experience with the first degree or 2 years of relevant experience plus post graduate. NGO experience is a plus. Previous experience of managing/monitoring of town water supply particularly in surface water treatment and quality monitoring activities.
• Basic supervisory/managerial skills.
• Technical and report writing skills
• Computer literate.
• Fluent spoken and written English.
• Good communication and interpersonal skills.