POSITION DESCRIPTION

Introduction

WaterAid’s vision is of a world where everyone has access to safe water and sanitation. Our mission is to transform lives by improving access to safe water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) in the world’s poorest communities. WaterAid works with partners to maximise its impacts for policy change/influence.

WaterAid works through supporting local organisations and government authorities to design and demonstrate appropriate and sustainable WASH programs. WaterAid also seeks to influence policy change through government and other key sector actors to secure and protect the right of poor people to safe, affordable water and sanitation services.

Everything we do is shaped by our six values:

• Integrity
• Respect
• Collaboration
• Courage
• Accountability
• Innovation

WaterAid has been operating in Papua New Guinea (PNG) since 2004, working with local partners and the government to increase access to gender sensitive, socially inclusive and climate resilient water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services. WaterAid PNG’s geographic focus is on the National Capital District and Central Province in the Southern Region, East Sepik Province and East New Britain Province.

WaterAid works through supporting local organisations and government authorities to design and demonstrate appropriate and sustainable WASH programs. WaterAid also seeks to influence policy change through government and other key sector actors to secure and protect the right of poor people to safe, affordable water and sanitation services.

WaterAid is a child safe organisation. We recognise that we must meet community expectations, and the trust placed in our personnel to maintain the highest standards of conduct with children. Therefore, all positions within WaterAid are required to comply with our Child Safeguarding Policy and Code of Conduct.

WaterAid is committed to protection from sexual exploitation and abuse in everything we do. The values and standards we uphold are highlighted in our Global Code of Conduct. All positions within WaterAid are required to comply with our Global Code of Conduct.

WaterAid passionately believes everyone in the organisation has a role to play in innovation, encourages curiosity about the world and empowering everyone to act. We recognise that both big and small changes can have positive impacts on our roles, our team and our mission.

Position Summary

WaterAid is committed to supporting the Government of PNG to have an inclusive and climate resilient Water, sanitation and hygiene services. The WaSH Technical officer is a highly capable individual that supports the implementation and contractor supervision for WaterAid’s infrastructure projects in delivering WASH hardware outcomes through inclusive and equitable water, sanitation and hygiene.

The WASH Technical Officer will be a member of the WaterAid Wewak Programs Team reporting to the WaterAid Wewak Project Coordinator & WaSH Technical Advisor. The officer will receive technical support and mentoring from the WaterAid WaSH Technical Advisor.

The position will focus mainly on the Advancing Quality Universal Access (AQUA) to WaSH project to improve health outcomes in the Wewak District of the East Sepik Province. Wewak, , The project aims to improve health outcomes by increasing access to clean, safe and reliable water sources in communities and HCFs across East Sepik Province. By focusing on target districts, including Wewak district, the project aims to catalyze sustainable WASH system improvements, advancing the Wewak District WASH Plan (2024 – 2027).

The position is key to deliver the technical hardware WASH component of the The Coca Cola Foundation (TCCF) funded project in the final year of implementation.

Key Performance Areas/Accountabilities

1. Project Management

• Work with the WASH Technical Advisor, Wewak Program Coordinator and Program Officers to prepare and deliver project implementation plans that take into account project/grant requirements, partner engagement and capacity, and good development practice (sustainable, collaborative, empowering, rights based).

• Implement WaSH infrastructure programme plans through project site visits scheduled, alongside other WAPNG staff. This will include community engagement, WASH and health education, interactive WASH workshops and WASH infrastructure delivery.
• Contribute to programme implementation, development and reporting within frameworks and methodologies including but not limited to, National WaSH Policy, WASH in School Policy & Infrastructure Guidelines, Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) and Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion principles (GEDSI), WaterAid PNG Water Quality Testing Policy, WaterAid PNG Health & Safety Policy & Guidelines, etc.

• Ensure that the projects satisfy minimum criteria defined in respective WaterAid Guidelines and PNG Government policy, law and regulation, and are implemented in line with grant requirements, budgets and plans, including by overseeing work of construction partners. Simultaneously, use the WA Expenditure Tracker to manage the funds on a weekly basis.
• Conducting project baseline and endline assessments of infrastructure projects to inform the design of contextually appropriate WaSH infrastructure, for tracking project and program outputs and the uploading data onto WAPS under the framework on weekly, monthly and quarterly basis.
• Supporting the design of appropriate, cost effective, sustainable and inclusive WASH infrastructure that responds to local contextual factors.
• Provide support to the WaSH Technical (Infrastructure) Team in the development of accurate bills of quantities and costing.
• Where necessary, arrange meetings with WaSH Committees/partners/contractors to agree on designs, construction approaches, negotiate contracts, build capacity of construction partners and local technician in the community, monitor progress of infrastructure construction; identify and manage any risks.
• Provide support to the WaSH Technical Advisor to develop sound contract agreements with successful contractors to implement WaSH infrastructure projects.
• Ensure WaSH Advisor & Wewak Programs team is kept informed of activity progress, risks and all relevant issues always by sending reports, messages on WhatsApp group and updating project status on WaterAid Project Systems (WAPS) on a weekly basis.
• Work with respective Program Officers & Coordinators to provide support to the WaterAid team on hygiene and sanitation behaviour change approaches and support the team to ensure ‘good practice’ approaches are always pursued.
• Ensure timely submission of payment requests & advances, processing of acquittals and follow up with partners/contractors for finance documentation as needed. Ensure activities are implemented in accordance with the design, scope of work and available budget.
• Support procurement of goods and services required for infrastructure projects adhering to WaterAid procurement & finance processes. This includes initiating cost estimates for review and submission to line manager for review where necessary.
• Respond to requests for information promptly and accurately.
• Conduct formative research on hygiene and sanitation and support the design of activities that aim to change practices when required.
• Ensure water quality testing is carried out for all WaterAid Projects and results communicated and uploaded to WAPS. Conduct frequent rapid testing at project sites as needed.
• Comply with contextualised WA standard Occupational Health & Safety and Operations & Maintenance are adhered to in project implementation.
• Lead, supervise and work alongside casually engaged local artisans and general labour ensuring casuals’ well-being is addressed. This includes ensuring all casuals undergo safeguarding training and other mandatory WA awareness & training sessions before their engagement.

2. Monitoring, Evaluation, Knowledge and Learning

• Monitor and support implementing partners (contractors) and staff to ensure that construction is of high-quality standard and consistent with their contractual obligations and plans. This includes routine monitoring and supervision for casual engaged artisans and tradesman.
• Ensure WaSH Advisor & Programs team are kept informed of activity progress, risks and all relevant issues always by sending reports, messages on WhatsApp group and updating project status on WaterAid Project Systems (WAPS) on a weekly basis.
• Responsible for collecting and maintaining accurate data to support reporting and reviewed in the MEL framework in WaterAid Programme System. Ensure the data reported in the framework, indicators and results in WAPS
• Support the Programs Team to facilitate information gathering activities related to the collection or development of baseline data, case studies and research.
• Lead the review of the data in WAPS and upload all the data for baseline, endline and research into WAPS on annual basis
• Coordinate and compile technical reports on WaSH infrastructure to contribute to timely reporting, communication and learning for WaterAid (internal), donors, partners and stakeholders.
• Regularly report to the line manager on all relevant matters including, but not limited to, programme updates, programme developments and progress, programme issues such as resourcing needs, training/development, leave, work, health & safety issues.

Attend and participate in all scheduled or mandatory meetings, training and activities

3. Equity and Inclusion

• Ensure that WaterAid’s WaSH infrastructure work is inclusive in design, with consideration to women, girls, people with disabilities and other marginalised groups in design and implementation.
• Support the GEDSI team upload and review the risk data into WAPS and monitor on a regular basis.
• Identify opportunities to further engage the community in the planning, monitoring and review of WASH services and work with local authorities and community representatives to design and implement feedback mechanisms about community access to water, sanitation and hygiene services.
• Build the capacity and understanding of the WaterAid Team on gender, equity and inclusion and how to ensure WaterAid programs are inclusive.
• Consult with the GEDSI Advisor on the equity and inclusion aspects of the work and ensure that WaterAid staff and external stakeholders are sensitive to gender and social inclusion considerations.
• Promote a ‘Do No Harm’ approach amongst WaterAid staff and partners and ensure that referral pathways are accessible for stakeholders and beneficiaries affected by WaterAid’s work.

4. Partner Engagement

• Build and maintain constructive working relationships with WaterAid’s local partners. Mentor and support WaterAid Team members to do likewise.
• Coordinate field visits with partners with sensitivity to security and accessibility issues.
• Support WaterAid to undertake due diligence assessments on all new /potential contractors and to take forward corresponding development plans.
• Represent WaterAid through local sector coordination bodies where required.

Communications & Working Relationship.

Internal

• WaterAid PNG- Programs & Operations-Finance
• WaterAid Australia (participation in learning events, liaising with technical leads & Advisors where required.)
• WaterAid global intranet (participation in webinars and other online learning platforms)

External

• Multiple governmental and non-governmental stakeholders
• Contractors
• Good and Service providers
• Casual Artisans

Physical environment & Demands

• High travel requirements within Wewak & Maprik Districts of East Sepik province potentially with potential travel to other WaterAid office sites where required.

Recruitment process

This position is open to Papua New Guinean candidates only

Applications for this role must comprise of:

• An application letter addressing the essential person specification criteria outlined above (maximum 2 pages).
• A curriculum vitae (maximum 4 pages). The CV must include three professional referees (referees will not be contacted until after interviews, with permission from the candidate).

Applications which do not address the Selection Criteria specified and the page limits will NOT be considered.

Late and incomplete applications will not be accepted.

WaterAid is committed to welcoming people from the widest possible diversity of backgrounds, culture and experience. Female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply. We will make any practical adjustments to enable people with a disability to participate fully in an inclusive working environment. Please let us know if require any special assistance in making your application or attending an interview.

Email applications to: [email protected] with the subject line: “Application – WASH Technical Officer”. The closing date is 14^th October 2026.

Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

Note: WaterAid is a child safe organization. The successful applicant will be required to comply with our child protection policy.