Job Opportunity: WASH Program Coordinator position available at ACTION AGAINST HUNGER in Gambella, Gambela. Engineering jobs in Ethiopia are in high demand. Apply now through GeezJobs - Ethiopia's leading job portal.

                                                                                                   03-September-2025

About Action Against Hunger 

Action Against Hunger-USA is a global humanitarian organization that takes decisive action against the causes and effects of hunger. We save the lives of malnourished children and we enable entire communities to be free from hunger. With more than 8,000 staff in over 50 countries, our programs reached 17 million people in 2019. 

About the Country Program in Ethiopia 

Action Against Hunger has been operational in Ethiopia since 1984 responding to both chronic and acute needs through a multi-sectoral strategy where nutrition, Food Security and Livelihoods, WASH, and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support activities are integrated to have a meaningful impact on people’s resilience. Action Against Hunger currently operates in 5 different regions (Oromia, Somali, Amhara, Benishangul Gumuz, and Gambella) with a portfolio of 20m USD/year of emergency, resilience building, research, and innovation programs. We have a country team of around 600 staff in 17 regional and satellite offices. Our main donors in Ethiopia in 2020/2021 are BHA, ECHO, Europaid, UNHCR, UNICEF, GFFO, BPRM, SIDA, EHF, WFP, CIAA, and others. 

Purpose of the Position

The WASH Program Coordinator is responsible for leading the implementation of multi-partner WASH programs in refugee camps and host communities, ensuring coordination across camps and alignment with UNHCR/RRS frameworks, coordinating, and supervising WASH interventions at the field level, ensuring alignment with ACF Ethiopia’s strategy, sector standards, and donor requirements. This role integrates technical expertise, innovation, resilience-focused program implementation, and market-based approaches, supervision, and coordination, to deliver sustainable, high-quality WASH services. The position also ensures behavioral change strategies, climate adaptation, and community-led solutions are integrated into programming.

Engagement 

Internal:

• Works closely with other field program teams (sectoral coordinators, Senior EH Officer, Construction Supervisor, and Nutrition & WASH SBC Officer) for cross-sectoral integration and quality implementation.

• Engages with the capital WASH team (WASH Head of Department, Advisors) for technical oversight, knowledge sharing, and strategic alignment.

• Collaborates with MEAL, Logistics, Finance, and HR to ensure smooth project operations.

• Shares innovations, research findings, and emerging WASH developments with the team through regular learning sessions.

External:

• Represents ACF in regional, zonal, and woreda WASH coordination platforms, clusters, and technical working groups. 

• Represent ACF in Gambella WASH inter-agency coordination forums and act as primary liaison with UNHCR/RRS for refugee WASH programming.

• Build strong relationships with refugee leadership and host community representatives to mitigate tension over shared WASH resources.

• Works with government ministries, humanitarian partners, and private sector actors to promote market-based WASH solutions and systems strengthening.

• Engages with communities and ensures accountability through social behavior change (SBC) strategies and participatory approaches.

Delivery (key performance indicators): 

• Sustainable and quality WASH service delivery: timely implementation of context-specific, climate-resilient WASH solutions, incorporating Social and Behavior Change (SBC) strategies and community engagement, while adhering to project work plans and technical standards. 

• Budget & compliance management: ensure expenditures align with approved budgets, forecasts, and donor regulations, maintaining financial accountability and cost-effectiveness

• Effective monitoring and result-based reporting: ensure full compliance with internal reporting requirements (APR, DHIS-II), donor expectations, and government reporting timelines, while tracking WASH interventions through robust data collection and analysis

• Team management, capacity building and innovation: strengthen the technical competency and performance of field WASH teams through capacity building, mentorship, and team cohesion. Promote the integration of market-based approaches, innovative technologies, and climate-adaptive solutions in WASH programming. 

• Coordination and strategic representation: actively engage in WASH clusters, technical working groups, and coordination forums, ensuring collaboration with government, humanitarian actors, and sector stakeholders. 

Key Responsibilities/objectives:  

Program implementation & technical oversight

• Lead and coordinate WASH project planning, implementation, and supervision, ensuring alignment with ACF policies, donor requirements, and national strategies.

• Lead the design, implementation, and monitoring of WASH interventions, including sustainable water supply, sanitation, hygiene, WASH-NFI distribution and emergency response, ensuring technical quality and sustainability.

• Oversee construction, operation, and maintenance of large-scale camp water supply systems (boreholes, solar pumping, water trucking) and communal sanitation facilities.

• Incorporate climate adaptation, resilience, and market-based approaches in WASH programming to ensure long-term impact.

• Promote behavior change and hygiene improvement through SBC strategies targeting household, community, and institutional WASH practices.

• Ensure community-based approaches in WASH interventions, supporting behavior change and sustainability.

• Ensure sustainability measures for refugee WASH infrastructure, including O&M plans, spare parts systems, and capacity-building of refugee WASH committees.

• Oversee WASH in institutions, ensuring sustainable WASH conditions in healthcare facilities and schools.

• Ensure WASH response in emergencies, providing essential WASH services following disasters or conflicts, and contributing to disease outbreak mitigation strategies.

• Ensure quality assurance in WASH hardware and software components through site supervision, technical validation, and compliance monitoring.

• Integrate WASH activities with other sectors (Health, Nutrition, FSL) for a holistic and coordinated response, assist other program sectors with relevant programmatic priorities and activities 

• Guide the team in technical assessments, feasibility studies, and development of engineering designs (BoQs, specifications, drawings).

• Identify opportunities for private sector engagement in WASH service delivery and facilitate partnerships with local businesses, supply chains, and entrepreneurs

• Promote innovative WASH solutions such as smart water management systems, solar-powered solutions (where feasible), and digital monitoring tools.

• Ensure projects contribute to WASH market system strengthening, and market based program implementation 

• Ensure that WASH infrastructure projects adhere to environmental sustainability, humanitarian standards, and gender-sensitive approaches.

Budget & resource management

• Lead financial planning, budget tracking, and expenditure monitoring, ensuring compliance with donor regulations

• Lead procurement planning, budget forecasting, and financial oversight, ensuring timely delivery of WASH materials and services in collaboration with finance and logistics teams.

• Optimize resource utilization and risk management in procurement and contract management, ensuring cost-effectiveness and accountability.

• Contribute to proposal development, budgeting, and reporting, supporting program continuity, expansion, and donor compliance.

• Lead emergency preparedness and rapid response for WASH outbreaks in camps, including pre-positioning of supplies and response SOPs.

Monitoring, reporting, accountability & learning 

• Ensure implementation of project monitoring frameworks and participate in field-level assessments and evaluations.

• Integrate protection, gender, and disability inclusion into WASH interventions, ensuring safe access for women, children, elderly, and persons with disabilities.

• Lead data collection, analysis, and reporting on key performance indicators, working closely with MEAL teams.

• Ensure timely, result-based and quality reporting (donor, internal, government reports)

• Track and analyze project progress using standard tools (APR/DHIS-II, DIP, budget follow-up).

• Conduct WASH-related assessments (technical, socio-economic, KAP surveys, infrastructure evaluations) to inform programming and learning.

• Utilize GIS, remote sensing, and digital monitoring tools for data-driven decision-making.

• Document lessons learned, best practices, and success stories 

Team management & capacity building

• Supervise and provide technical guidance to field WASH teams, ensuring clear roles, responsibilities, performance expectations and work plans.

• Identify capacity-building needs and conduct trainings on technical WASH topics, SBC, emergency response, and climate-resilient WASH solutions for staff and community-based structures

• Provide on-the-job coaching, training, and performance management for staff, enhancing their skills in project implementation, integration and coordination

• Facilitate learning sessions to share best practices, new developments in the WASH sector, and technical skill-building for field teams.

• Ensure a culture of learning and innovation, ensuring staff remain updated on emerging trends and sector developments.

Coordination & stakeholder engagement

• Actively participate in regional and local WASH cluster meetings, One WASH National Program, ensuring ACF’s voice and approach are represented

• Strengthening collaboration with local authorities, NGOs, private sector actors and community structures 

• Facilitate community participation and inclusion of gender, disability, and environmental considerations in program planning and implementation 

• Manage and harmonize cross-camp and multi-donor programming (ECHO, UNHCR, SIDA, etc.) to avoid fragmentation across camps.

Fiscal Responsibility

• Budget holder for WASH and any ES-NFI projects at base level 

 Supervisory Responsibilities

• Base WASH (Senior EH Officer, Construction Supervisor) and ES-NFI teams (if any)

Gender equality commitments  

• Foster an environment that supports values of women and men, and equal access to information.

• Provide a work environment where women and men must be evaluated and promoted based on their skills and performance.

• Respect beneficiaries’ women, men, children (boys and girls) regardless of gender, sex orientation, disability, religion. race, color, ancestry, national origin, age, or marital status. 

• Value and respect all cultures. 

Safeguarding Commitments

• Action Against Hunger has a zero tolerance to child safeguarding violation and SEA. Our selection process includes rigorous reference and background checks. Successful applicants will be expected to sign up and carry out their duties in accordance with our Child Safeguarding and PSEA policies.

Physical demands 

• While performing the duties of this job, the employee is required to sit for long periods and to concentrate on work, including typing, and turn out heavy volumes of work accurately, within short time frames under stressful situations in the context of a moderately noisy office with many interruptions. Must be able to proofread own work accurately so that only minor corrections are needed on an infrequent basis.

• The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this job. Reasonable accommodations may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.

Working conditions, travel and environment

• The duties of the job require regular job attendance at least five days per week. Must be available to work outside normal office hours or on the weekends as required.

• Must be able to travel as required for standard domestic and international business purposes. While performing the duties of this job in the field, the employee may be exposed to precarious settings under high security risks and/or very basic living conditions and outside weather conditions, as well as to infectious diseases. 

Required qualifications & experience

Education:

• BSc/MSc in Water Resource Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Environmental Health, or related fields.

Experience:

• Minimum 6 years of experience in WASH project implementation, with at least 3 years in a managerial or coordination role.

• Experience in market-based programming, SBC, climate adaptation, and WASH system strengthening is highly desirable

Required skills & competencies

• Demonstrated experience in managing refugee WASH programming at scale, preferably in Gambella or similar humanitarian contexts.

• Strong coordination and negotiation skills with UN agencies, government bodies, and refugee community structures.

• Strong understanding of WASH engineering, climate resilience, public health, and humanitarian programming.

• Skilled in planning, budgeting, and reporting on multi-sectoral WASH interventions.

• Ability to integrate market-based approaches and innovative technologies in WASH service delivery.

• Experience in data collection, analysis, and donor reporting. 

• Knowledge of AutoCAD, EPANET, GIS, WaterCAD, and digital monitoring tools.

• Strong supervisory and team-building skills with the ability to mentor and develop staff.

• Ability to liaise with government, donors, and humanitarian actors to advocate for WASH needs.

• Ability to assess needs, propose solutions, and adapt strategies to changing contexts.

• Strong ability to represent ACF in coordination forums, produce technical reports, and engage with donors.

• Ability to work in challenging environments, including conflict-affected areas, with a proactive and solution-oriented approach.

• Fluency in English. Knowledge of other local languages in the working area is an advantage.

How To Apply

                                                                  APPLICATION PROCEDURE 

If you are interested, please send your application composed of nonreturnable CV, a Covering Letter with “WASH Program Coordinator-Gambella” written in the subject line, and three references, applicants to the following addresses:

Through www.ethiojobs.net  or jobs@et-actionagainsthunger.org

Deadline: Friday 12- September - 2025

Action Against Hunger-USA provides all staff with an _attractive salary & benefits package. We provide equal employment opportunities (EEO) to all employees & qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, religion, gender, ancestry, national origin, age, handicap, disability, the marital status, or status as a veteran. Action Against Hunger-USA complies with all applicable laws governing nondiscrimination in employment.