Job Description

LocationYobe State, Nigeria.

Position Status: Full-time regular employee

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible. In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.
Now, and for the future. In Nigeria, Mercy Corps has worked since 2012 by focusing its programming on adolescent girls’ empowerment, economic development, conflict mitigation, and humanitarian response.

General Position Summary

The WASH Officer – Public Health Promotion will lead the soft component of emergency WASH programming, focusing on hygiene promotion, community engagement, behavior change communication, and disease prevention. The role ensures Public Health Promotion activities are community-driven, gender-sensitive, and aligned with humanitarian standards. The Officer will supervise assistants and volunteers, coordinate across teams, monitor public health risks, and ensure accountability to affected populations. The WASH Officer will ensure effective implementation of activities in line with approved work plans, budgets, and M&E frameworks.

Essential Job Functions

The WASH officer is expected to conduct the following tasks and to produce a comprehensive field report including the following:

• Lead implementation of Public Health Promotion (PHP) activities across emergency phases.
• Coordinate closely with the Engineering team to ensure coherent WASH programming.
• Lead community-based environmental sanitation activities through cash for work focusing on drainage unblocking and filling of persistent water stagnant areas to prevent breeding of vectors.
• Work closely with the MEL team to conduct baseline assessments, KAP surveys, and rapid needs assessments.
• Ensure effective two-way communication and community feedback mechanisms.
• Design and implement hygiene promotion interventions based on community needs.
• Monitor disease trends and support rapid response to cholera and other outbreaks.
• Ensure proper targeting and monitoring of hygiene/NFI distributions (in-kind or vouchers).
• Develop targeted interventions for children, women, men, youth, elderly persons, and persons with disabilities.
• Integrate vulnerability and inclusion considerations across all WASH activities.
• Conduct hands-on training and mentorship for PHP volunteers and community stakeholders.
• Promote meaningful community participation in WASH programming.
• Represent Mercy Corps in coordination meetings with government, NGOs, and community leaders.

Organizational Learning

• As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve, we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.

Accountability to Beneficiaries

• Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically
  to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Knowledge and Experience

• BSc or HND in Public Health, Environmental Health, Nursing, Social Science, or related field.
• At least 4 years of progressive experience implementing WASH and other WASH-related projects in Northeast Nigeria, preferably in an NGO setting.
• Experience in WASH emergency programming with strong focus on community mobilization.
• Experience conducting hygiene promotion, training, NFI distribution, planning, and reporting.
• Knowledge of behavior change approaches and community engagement methodologies.
• Familiarity with Sphere and WASH Cluster standards.
• Strong understanding of gender, protection, and inclusion in humanitarian work.
• Experience working with NGOs in emergency response settings is desirable.
• Strong written and spoken English required; Hausa and/or local language skills are an asset.
• Ability to travel frequently to remote areas and work under emergency conditions.

Supervisory Responsibility

· WASH Assistants and Community Hygiene Promoters (CHPs)

Accountability

Reports Directly To: WASH Technical Manager, with dotted line to Senior Program Manager.

Works Directly With: All program teams, Operations, and MC beneficiaries

Success Factors

The successful candidate will be capable of multi-tasking, rapid decision-making, have initiative, drive and a lot of energy, as well as high emotional intelligence, constructive mentoring skills and proven experience with capacity building. S/he will be committed to long-term sustainability and the delivery of high-impact activities at the community level. Successful Mercy Corps team members have a strong commitment to teamwork and accountability, thrive in evolving and challenging environments, and make effective written and verbal communication a priority.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside work hours. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and Mercy Corps' policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues