Updated: Tuesday 26 September 2017

Open vacancy in COWASH

IRC Ethiopia provides advisory, consultancy, research, innovation and knowledge management services in the water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) sector. It is a subsidiary of IRC (www.ircwash.org), the international think-and-do tank headquartered in the Hague, the Netherlands. We work with governments, NGOs, businesses and people around the world to find long-term solutions to the global crisis in WASH services. We work closely with the Government of Ethiopia and its development partners, to implement the ‘One WASH National Programme’ vision of an effective and co-ordinated sector in the country.  Driven by our Agenda for Change we seek to trigger a shift in the WASH business from short-term interventions to sustainable WASH services delivery. Our business focuses on innovations and taking to scale the conditions for high quality and sustainable WASH services that reach everyone in a town or woreda.

The Community-Led Accelerated WASH (COWASH) project is a bilateral WASH project between Finland and Ethiopia, supported by the Finnish consultancy company Ramboll Finland. The project is working in 5 regions and in 76 districts to implement WASH projects using the Community Managed Project implementation approach. The Ramboll team is in located in the Ministry of Water, Irrigation and Electricity in Addis Ababa.

Using evidence to tell convincing stories about WASH and change is a core activity for IRC and the COWASH project. To support communications and knowledge management activities within IRCs wider activities (50% time) and within the COWASH project (50%), IRC Ethiopia seeks to employ a communications and knowledge management advisor. The advisor’s role will involve supporting sector professionals to communicate and influence effectively. It includes developing communications outputs of all kinds such as written articles, reports and guidelines, video or photography as well as social media content. The role involves supporting knowledge management by WASH professionals and strengthening established regional WASH communication networks.

Requirements for this position are:

  • A relevant technical qualification, such as a Bachelor’s degree in journalism, communications, public relations or other relevant subject
  • Excellent writing and editing skills in English and strong communication and presentation skills
  • Good facilitation and message delivery and dissemination skills
  • Good social skills, ability to work and communicate in an international environment and in communities of diverse cultures
  • An interest in WASH and rural development
  • Experience either developing or implementing communication and dissemination strategies, and using evidence in communications
  • Good basic computing skills, experience in layout of documents using Word and InDesign, and website content management
  • Fluency in English and Amharic while knowledge of Afaan Oromo and Tigrigna will be considered as an asset

 

This is a full-time contract position initially for a period of 18 months, with opportunities for extension within the context of IRCs Ethiopia country programme. There will be a three months’ probation phase. The advisor will share time working from IRC and COWASH offices in Addis Ababa and will frequently travel to regions and field sites. The Communications and Knowledge Management Advisor is expected to start in November 2017.

IRC Ethiopia together with Ramboll Finland will offer a competitive remuneration package, and opportunities for professional and career development within an international network. The remuneration package includes pension fund contributions, transport, and communications allowances where applicable and health insurance.

Please apply to Fretsega Girma (girma@ircwash.org) by 13 October 2017, submitting a maximum two page cv and a covering letter explaining your motivation to work with IRC and Ramboll Finland

We highly encourage women or persons with disabilities to apply.