Organisation
Created in 1979, Action contre la Faim is a non-governmental organization that fights against hunger. Its charter of humanitarian principals- independence, neutrality, non-discrimination, free and direct access to victims, professionalism, transparency - has been part of its identity for more than 40 years. Its mission is to save lives by eliminating hunger through the prevention, detection and treatment of under-nutrition, particularly during and after emergency situations linked to conflicts or natural disasters. Action contre la Faim focuses its actions on 5 main areas of expertise: Nutrition and Health – Mental Health, Psychosocial Support and Protection – Food Security and Livelihoods – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene – Advocacy. In 2022, Action contre la Faim provided aid to 28 million people in more than 46 countries worldwide. www.actioncontrelafaim.org
Reference
2024-2023
Action Against Hunger (ACF) has been operational in Nigeria since 2010, successfully implementing integrated programs in Nutrition, Health, Food Security and Livelihoods (FSL), and Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). Since 2017, the mission has expanded its activities in response to the conflict in Borno State, focusing on long-term, sustainable programs aimed at system strengthening in the Health, WASH, Social Protection, and Agriculture sectors.
ACF has also been active in Jigawa and Kano States in the Northwest, implementing social protection, advocacy, and policy-level interventions. In 2021, the mission launched a response in Sokoto State following a cholera outbreak.
Since 2018, ACF has been one of the leading agencies implementing the Rapid Response Mechanism (RRM) in Northeast and Northwest Nigeria (Borno, Yobe, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, and Sokoto States) to address urgent humanitarian needs among displaced populations.
Currently, ACF is running multi-sectoral emergency and development-oriented programs in Yobe, Borno, Jigawa, Kano, Bauchi, and Sokoto States, reaching 2,732,030 individuals (1,133,162 men and 1,598,868 women) in 2022.
Despite its remarkable achievements in the humanitarian sector, ACF, like other humanitarian actors, continues to face challenges due to the shrinking humanitarian space caused by the security situation and the activities of non-state armed groups.
Under the supervision of the Deputy Country Director, you will ensure the quality, relevance, and scalability of the WASH program within the mission, in alignment with ACF standards, international guidelines, and national policies.
More specifically, your responsibilities will be responsible for the following missions:
- Contribute to the definition of the country strategy as well as the strategy and positioning of the WASH technical department.
- Ensure adherence to and analysis of ACF's key WASH indicators within your zone of intervention.
- Coordinate the identification of needs and the formulation of project proposals.
- Oversee the implementation of programs/projects and ensure timely and accurate reporting.
- Support the Field Coordinator in monitoring APR (quantitative and narrative), provide technical feedback, and flag any deficiencies.
- Propose action plans and solutions to ensure the smooth and effective implementation of programs.
- Guarantee the quality and accountability of WASH projects.
- Actively participate in national sectoral coordination and technical forums, and develop strategic sectoral partnerships.
- Participate in the recruitment of national Project Managers (PMs) and contribute to the selection of expatriates when relevant (defining profiles, conducting interviews, administering technical tests, and evaluating technical competence).
- Contribute to the technical aspects of HR requests for expatriates (job descriptions, technical recruitment criteria, action plans).
- Ensure the development and follow-up of a WASH Department action plan.
- Promote capitalization, technical development, research and innovation within the WASH Department
You hold a Master's degree in Water Engineering, Construction Engineering, or Public Health and have over 3 years of experience working on water, sanitation, hygiene, and health education projects.
You also have at least 5 years of experience in project management, preferably in a humanitarian context.
You have demonstrated a strong proposal writing and donor reporting skills.
You have proven experience in financial management, including the preparation of budgets for programs.
You have an experience working in security-volatile contexts.
You are fluent in English.
This role demands strong management and leadership skills, as well as the ability to operate effectively in sensitive cultural environments. As the WASH Head of Department (HoD), you will provide technical support on all WASH-related matters to the programme teams across the mission.
With a budget of 6-7 million USD, extensive WASH programming, and a large WASH team, this role demands exceptional management and leadership skills ACF Nigeria represents a large and dynamic mission. This is an exciting opportunity to create lasting and sustainable change for vulnerable populations in Northern Nigeria!