Junior Professional Officer

Job Description: 

We are looking for a highly-qualified and ambitious young professional to join the Community-led Accelerated WASH Project, Phase IV (COWASH IV) in Ethiopia. With Finnish and English language skills, this motivated young professional will have the opportunity to work in the Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH) sector and contribute to the successful implementation of the bilateral development cooperation project. COWASH IV is funded by the governments of Finland and Ethiopia and works to improve access to safe water and sanitation services in rural areas of Ethiopia. This role will offer a unique and meaningful experience, as the project is driven by a community-led approach, empowering local populations to participate in the implementation and maintenance of the services provided. We are looking for a highly motivated individual who is eager to make a real difference and help contribute to the achievement of the national objectives in the WASH sector.

COWASH IV is a bilateral development cooperation project that works to improve access to safe water and sanitation services in the rural areas of seven regions in Ethiopia: Amhara, Benishangul-Gumuz, Oromia, Sidama, Southern Nations Nationalities and Peoples, South-west Ethiopia Peoples, and Tigray. The project follows the Community Managed Project (CMP) approach to contributing to achieving Ethiopia’s national targets in terms of access coverage and quality-of-service delivery in the WASH sector.

Overall Role

The Junior Professional Officer (JPO) will join the Federal Technical Assistance Team based in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and provide junior-level expertise to the COWASH IV project. This role offers a unique learning opportunity, as the JPO will gain wide experience across the WASH sector. The JPO will gain valuable experience working with a range of stakeholders on the ground, as well as exposure to the management of an international project. While the work plan under COWASH IV will be designed to suit the professional background and interests, the JPO will have diverse tasks and responsibilities that contribute to the achievement of the Programme's results and will work under close supervision and mentoring by the TA Chief Technical Advisor (CTA). 

The JPO will report to the CTA and have the following responsibilities:

Communications 

• Support the further development and implementation of the CMP Communications Strategy; 
• Support in the development of the new COWASH IV web page; 
• Support in the preparation of communication materials including case studies, news updates, brochures and briefing notes; 
• Support the promotion of the adoption of the CMP approach at a broader level across Ethiopia; 
• Assist in producing presentations and abstracts for international events, especially concerning Stockholm Water Week; 
• Assist in the management of the COWASH IV social media-based communication. 

Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) 

• Assist the COWASH IV M&E Specialist in the projects results-based reporting; 
• Assist in the development of project presentations highlighting progress and achievements; 
• Participate in the further development and maintenance of the result-based M&E system; 
• Assist in the Project planning and liaison with the Regional Support Units. 

Capacity Building

• Assist in the guidance and training of various Project stakeholders at all levels; 
• Follow-up at the community level to determine the effectiveness of project training; 

Other responsibilities 

• Assist the CTA in the financial management of the project; 
• Represent COWASH IV through participation in meetings, seminars, workshops and conferences in Ethiopia and abroad; 
• Active networking and liaison with WASH stakeholders in Ethiopia and abroad; 
• Participating in the relevant sector working groups in Addis Ababa; 
• Participate in the follow-up of cross-cutting issues; 
• Assist the CTA in Project reporting; 
• Support the CTA in the Embassy of Finland liaison and reporting duties. 

Qualifications 

• Master’s level degree relevant to ICT, GIS or Water and Sanitation, Engineering disciplines, Environmental or Social Sciences or appropriately related field; 
• Working knowledge of the Finnish language, and fluency in both spoken and written English. 
• Preferably less than 32 years old

Work Experience 

• Minimum 2 years of work experience in fields related to water supply or sanitation, rural development, environmental management, climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction, project or financial management, or other relevant fields.  
• Prior experience working in a developing country (either as a volunteer, trainee or in paid employment) is an asset  
• High professional integrity and ability to work, in difficult conditions; 
• Good understanding of cultural sensitivities; 
• Experience in training and producing training materials; 
• Good communication and report-writing skills in Finnish and English; 
• Good knowledge of information management and communications; 
• Good knowledge of monitoring and evaluation; 
• Good computer skills (word processing, spreadsheets, project management, database management, mapping programs, website creation and management etc);
• Patience and a sense of humour are critical requirements! 

Duration: 2 years 
Commencement: April/May 2023
Supervisor: Chief Technical Advisor 
Place of assignment: Project Office in Addis Abeba, Ethiopia 

Applications are to be sent to Mikaela Kruskopf, NIRAS Finland at mkf@niras.fi  latest by February 15th 2023.