Solidarites International Myanmar - WaSH PM - Sittwe
Business Unit: Overseas missions
Functional area: Water and sanitation
Country: Myanmar (Burma)
Posted on: 16/01/2017
closing date: 28/02/2017
Desired start date: 13/03/2017
Duration of the mission: 12 months
Location: Sittwe, Rakhine State
About the mission
SI has been in Myanmar since 2008, first in the Delta in response to the Cyclone Nargis. In 2011, SI expanded to three new regions (Dry Zone, Rakhine, and Chin State) focusing on Livelihoods, Food Security, Shelter, and WASH. In 2012, SI started emergency response to people displacements due to violence in Kachin and later in Rakhine (between armed forces in Kachin State and between communities in Rakhine). SI has a base in Sittwe which is responsible for managing programs in Sittwe and Pauktaw T/S (emergency programs for IDPs), and in Rathedaung T/S since October 2013.
SI currently has a coordination office in Yangon and 2 bases: One in Rakhine State, and one in Kachin State.
In Sittwe, there is a Field Coordinator (FCO), a Logistic Manager, an Administration Manager and 3 PMs respectively for Sittwe (WaSH/FSL), Rathedaung (WaSH/FSL) and Pauktaw (WaSH) located programs, plus 7 Activity Managers (national and international staffs):
- 1 in Rathedaung as a PM assistant;
- 2 in Pauktaw in charge of the activities’ implementation in Pauktaw (1 for Construction / 1 for HP-MEAL);
- 4 in Sittwe: 1 AM in charge of FSL, 1 Construction Manager, 1 AM for HP-MEAL and 1 as a PM assistant
The current position holder will work under the direct supervision of the Field Coordinator.
About the job:
The program manager WASH is responsible for implementing and achieving the objectives defined in the operation proposals.
(S)he is responsible for overseeing operational teams assigned to the program.
(S)he guarantees the good performance and the quality of the program(s) WASH implemented, and, where appropriate, proposes adjustments or developments to ensure relevance.
The PM Sittwe will work under the supervision of the Field Coordinator with a technical link with the WASH Coordinator. She/he will primarily be in charge of quality and timely implementation of the project in Sittwe T/S. The main tasks at his/her arrival will be to continue to ensure the quality of the SI WASH intervention in the areas, define, in relation with the FC/WaSH Coordo, and follow the activities relevant to each area. This position is a manager position and requires good management commands (3 national managers under his/her supervision and 2 international AM). The position requires frequent and regular field visits in the camps and villages.
The SI WASH program for Sittwe T/S is part of a DFID Consortium of NGOs led by Save the Children (SCI) in partnership with ACF and Oxfam. The consortium is responsible for 95% of the WASH intervention in Sittwe T/S covering approximately 85,000 beneficiaries in 16 camps and the surrounding host communities. SI works in 4 large camps and two large host communities to deliver an integrated WASH/FSL program. The WASH intervention has gone through 5 successive phases with a majority of the hardware completed and a well-developed hygiene promotion program in place. Focus of this position will be on increasing community management and participation in WASH related activities, advancing the behavior change programing, and continuing to the improvement and upgrade of WASH infrastructure.
In addition, SI is responsible for the treatment and the disposal of latrines’ sludge for Sittwe camps. In 2014, SI has developed and constructed a centralized wastewater treatment station that is capable of taking the waste from over 5,000 latrines in the Sittwe area (transport done by Oxfam). Currently the site is receiving a daily intake of 40,000 liters but could increase to 60,000 in 2017. This plant design is based on decentralized wastewater treatment technology and requires no chemicals, energy inputs and little operation and maintenance costs. The PM will be required to maintain this site and contribute to the improvement of efficiency and quality of treatment to ensure that sludge is properly and safely disposed of.
The main challenges of the position are:
The PM will work on the transitional phase between DFID fundings to the new HARP. This last one started during the emergency and has accompanied a lot of Wash improvements in Sittwe. Challenges of this new phase, besides the volume of activity that remains high, are:
- To harmonize designs, monitoring and methodologies within the Consortium (already started with the support of the Consortium coordinator).
- To finalize community ownership of the infrastructures (already started).
- To participate and finalize the work launched within the WASH Cluster regarding Hygiene Kits distribution continuation
- To install and follow latrines pilots (bio digesters) in camps. Results could be used to design the phase after.
- To optimize Wastewater Treatment Station and increase its daily capacity.
The PM will manage a large team mostly based in camps (90%). The PM will have the support of all his direct managers and from teams in the camps who know their jobs very well (3/4 years’ experience for most of them). The PM has an important volume of daily operations and project management tools to deal with as well as a consortium coordination to ensure and a strategic vision to develop.
Your profile
Education: Academic and practical knowledge of water, sanitation and hygiene is essential (included construction, HP promotion, innovative sanitation). Advanced degree on community development or public health could be acceptable. Master’s degree is a minimum.
Experience: Minimum of 3 years of relevant international WASH experience, preferably in emergency or humanitarian contexts; experience in complex ethnic and/or religious contexts or sensitive environments preferred (conflict, post-conflict); IDP/refugee camp experience desirable. Experienced in managing significant team.
Technical skills and knowledge: Good technical knowledge about WASH problematic on both technical and hygiene promotion part. Knowledge of the overall sanitation chain (desludging / wastewater treatment / latrine innovation like biodigester) is strongly needed for the PM position in Sittwe. Strong HR management and capacity building skills are required. A good knowledge of community engagement and approach methods is essential to this position. Good experience in Operation and Maintenance of WASH infrastructures in camps (incinerators/latrines/handpumps-boreholes/drainages).
Transferable skills: Patience, diplomacy, tact and sensitivity in dealing with ethnic division in tense environments, and capacity to analyze and report on security situation; good social skills to work as part of a large team and live in shared accommodation.
Languages: Good level of English is compulsory, Rakhine/Burmese a plus.
Other desirable qualities: Myanmar or at least South-east Asia experience preferred.
Application process
Does this description fit you? Please send us your CV and Cover letter in English. CV only applications will not be considered.
NB: The vacancy may close before the deadline. Thank you for your comprehension
Living conditions :
Sittwe is the capital of the Rakhine State. The inter-communal violence that broke out in Rakhine State in 2012, pits two ethnic minorities: the Rohingyas Muslim people and some extremist buddhist of the Rakhine population. Today, the inter-communal tensions are high between both. It is kind of religious nationalism according to which Muslims cannot be considered to be Burmese citizens, nor their presence tolerated on Burmese soil. The situation has been ongoing for several decades, but it’s also a result of the dissolution of the Junta in 2011, which led to the resurgence of religious tensions that had been suppressed for decades, revealing a latent Islamophobia. Some words to avoid when talking with ‘locals’ but now, communities are separated by barbed wire and military compounds.
From Yangon, it takes 1 hour by flight to get to Sittwe. There is constant flight all the week between Sittwe and Yangon.
By car (or boat also), you will need 4 hours to drive to a famous touristic place Mrauk-U, the former kingdom with plenty of old pagodas.
In Sittwe you can easily ride or walk in town alone. Many small shops and nice viewpoints. The beach is a plus.
We offer
SI will offer you:
A salaried post: according to experience from 1600 euros gross per month, plus 10% annual leave allowance paid monthly and a monthly Per Diem of 500 USD.
Social and medical cover: Expatriates benefit from an insurance package which reimburses all healthcare expenses (including medical and surgical expenses, dental care and ophthalmological expenses, repatriation) and a welfare system including war risks. Essential vaccination and antimalarial treatment costs are refunded.
Vacation: During the assignment, a system of alternation between work and time off is implemented at the rate of one break every three months. For a one-year assignment, the expatriate will have a 7-day break during the 3rd and the 9th month (with 500 euros allocated by Solidarités). He or she will also be entitled to go back to his or her home country for a 14-day period after six months spent on the mission (Solidarités will cover travel costs)
For further information about Solidarités International, please consult our website: http://www.solidarites.org/en/
Contact : Anna FRANGI, Recruitment & Follow Up Officer
How to apply:
Does this description fit you? Please send us your CV and Cover letter in English. CV only applications will not be considered.
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