The Opportunity
The WASH Officer will lead the implementation of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) activities in Abala Woreda and Town Afar Region. The role involves overseeing water supply system rehabilitation and expansion, water quality monitoring, hygiene promotion, sanitation campaigns, community mobilization, and environmental cleaning activities.
The position will strengthen community water management structures, supervise hygiene promoters, and coordinate cash assistance for hygiene and menstrual health kits for vulnerable households, girls and women. Working closely with government stakeholders, contractors, engineers and communities the WASH Officer will ensure quality project delivery, accountability, and sustainable WASH services under the ECHO-funded humanitarian project while contributing to the achievement of project objectives throughout the project cycle.
Key responsibilities included:
- Conduct WASH needs assessments, baseline surveys, and technical assessments to identify service gaps and community priorities.
- Develop designs, drawings, bills of quantities, cost estimates, specifications, work plans, budgets, procurement plans, and implementation schedules.
- Integrate gender, disability inclusion, protection, environmental sustainability, PSEA, and accountability into project design and delivery.
- Supervise the rehabilitation and expansion of water systems, pipelines, and distribution networks, and the construction of inclusive latrines and handwashing facilities.
- Monitor water quality and support safe water treatment, disinfection, and chemical management.
- Strengthen WASH committees (WASHCOs) in operations, maintenance, financial management, repairs, and sustainable service delivery.
- Plan and deliver hygiene promotion, sanitation campaigns, CLTS, behaviour change communication, and menstrual hygiene support.
- Develop IEC/BCC materials and train, mentor, and supervise hygiene promoters and other community structures.
- Conduct field monitoring, technical inspections, functionality assessments, and post-distribution monitoring; identify gaps and recommend corrective actions.
- Collect, verify, analyze, and document programme data and indicators, disaggregating by sex, age, and disability where appropriate.
- Prepare timely technical and donor reports, and maintain complete records of assessments, construction, water quality, beneficiaries, and project results.
- Coordinate with government offices, partners, WASH stakeholders, service providers, and communities; support reviews, monitoring visits, sustainability planning, and handover.
Safeguarding Children and Program Participants (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)
- Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed per the appropriate procedures.
- Ensures that all staff in the unit/function/department are properly inducted on and understand their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
- Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Young People and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day-to-day work.
- Ensures that Plan Ethiopia contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.
Qualifications/ Experience/Skills Essential:
- Bachelor’s Degree in Water Resources Engineering, Civil Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Environmental Health, Sanitary Engineering and Public Health.
- Minimum 3 years of experience in WASH programming.
- Mandatory to have proven experience in the study, design, and construction supervision of multi-use solar-powered water systems and rural water supply systems (both for water supply and agriculture/irrigation)
- Strong understanding of community-based WASH governance models with hands-on experience in hygiene promotion approaches and methodologies
- Advantageous to have experience in integrating WASH with food security (multi-use water systems).
- Strong experience in preparing BOQs, technical specifications, bid documents, evaluation, contract documents, and negotiation management.
- Knowledge of national MoWE-MoA standards, Sphere, ECHO, UNHCR, UNICEF, and WASH Cluster standards.
- Expertise in the study, design, construction supervision and governance of multi-use solar-powered water system infrastructure
- Experience and knowledge of Water-CAD, AutoCAD, and related software is advantageous.
- Knowledge of the water, sanitation, and hygiene sector.
- In-depth knowledge of project cycle management and child-centered community development programming.
- Knowledge of development issues, challenges, and opportunities relevant to WASH.
- Familiarity with participatory Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research systems and processes.
- Experience in solar project implementation is an advantage.
- Gender awareness and commitment to child-centered development.
Languages required:
- Ability to communicate effectively in English, both orally and in writing is essential.
- In addition, knowledge of local language Afar-afh is desirable.
The closing date for the application is November 15, 2026. qualified candidates should submit their application with the link provided below.
- For Internal applicants: – Link
- For External applicants: – Link
This position is only open to Ethiopian Nationals, who must be eligible to live and work in Ethiopia.
Please note that:
- Only Shortlisted candidates will be contacted.
- We are not accepting CVs that are not sent through the indicated links.
- Early application is encouraged as we will review applications throughout the advertising period and reserve the right to close the advert early.
Female candidates are highly encouraged to apply
More information about Plan International can be found on http://plan-international.org
References will be taken and background and anti-terrorism checks will be carried out in conformity with Plans Child Protection Policy. Plan operates an equal opportunities policy and actively encourages diversity, welcoming applications from all persons meeting the skills and experience required.
As an international child centered community development organisation, Plan International is fully committed to promoting the realization of children’s rights including their right to protection from violence and abuse. That means we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with.
Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. We must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.
More Information
- Experience Level Mid level
- Total Years Experience 0-5
- Qualification BA/BSc
