Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.
The Department
Mercy Corps alleviates poverty, suffering, and oppression and works to build secure, productive, and just communities in over 40 countries around the world. Our Program Department supports field-led work that delivers measurable impact.
Mercy Corpsโ Technical Resources and Quality (TRaQ) Tam is a key part of the Program Department. TRaQ subject-matter experts help set agency strategy and provide consultation โ from assessment and design through project implementation and results measurement โ to field offices worldwide, in some of the worldโs toughest places. TRaQ team members lead research, foster organizational learning, represent Mercy Corps to external audiences, and develop partnerships. The TRaQ team is also integral to global business development and revenue.
Within TRaQ, there is a team committed to safeguarding water resources, promoting sanitation, and ensuring hygiene practices โ the Water Security, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WSSH) team. Comprising a dynamic mix of professionals, this team unites the realms of water security and WASH to address the diverse facets of water-related challenges. The WSSH team is a mosaic of dedicated individuals, each contributing unique skills and expertise to tackle the multidimensional aspects of water security and WASH. At its core, the team is driven by a shared vision: a world where communities and economies thrive with access to clean water, safe sanitation services, and hygienic practices, while ensuring sustainable development and environmental management, and resilience to water-related hazards.
The Position
In 2022, Mercy Corps completed its new 2030 Global Strategy. The new strategy elevates Water Security to one of four key outcome areas for the agency, along with Food Security, Economic Opportunity, and Peace and Governance. This new focus combines Mercy Corpsโ historical strengths in emergency WASH programming, with a desire to further build upon our impact in water resource management, productive water, and market-based water supply and sanitation service provision as part of the agency wide mission to build resilient and inclusive communities. In close collaboration with the Climate & Water Security Senior Director, Senior WASH and Water Security Advisors, country and regional teams, and other TRaQ members, the Senior Market-based Water Supply and Sanitation Services Advisor is responsible for executing and further shaping the water security strategy.
As a Senior Market-based Water Supply and Sanitation Services Advisor, you will play a crucial role in designing, implementing, and evaluating innovative global projects and programs aimed at strengthening water security and WASH in diverse contexts worldwide. You will work collaboratively with internal and external stakeholders to develop water supply and sanitation delivery approaches and models in both fragile and non-fragile contexts, promote water demand management, and strengthen water supply and sanitation governance systems.
The Senior Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene Advisor will be responsible for helping country and program teams design and conduct assessments, analyze their water security and WASH issues, and identifying opportunities and solutions for intervention. Initial efforts will focus on helping country teams develop and operationalize water security strategies and build their portfolio of water security and WASH programming. This will involve supporting the development of country- or region- specific water security and WASH approaches, proposals, concept notes, donor engagement, producing influence-oriented research and writing products, and leading knowledge and capacity strengthening initiatives. As a technical expert, you will have the expertise to advise and guide project teams, partners, and program participants on at least two of the following areas of WASH, including:
- Market-based water supply and sanitation service delivery
- Utility management and performance optimization
- Sanitation marketing and business services development
- Financial and economic analysis of water and sanitation services
- WASH policy, governance, and regulations
- Sustainable WASH financing
- Digital innovation in water and sanitation services
Additionally, the Senior Market-based Water Supply and Sanitation Services Advisor will actively contribute to policy development and advocacy initiatives related to water security and WASH at global, regional, and national levels.Success in this role will require a deep understanding of global water security and WASH challenges, along with proven experience in facilitation of global water security and WASH program design and implementation. The successful candidate will possess strong analytical and problem-solving skills, as well as excellent communication and facilitation abilities. The ability to work effectively with diverse stakeholders, from government agencies to local communities, will be crucial. Moreover, the Senior Market-based Water Supply and Sanitation Services Advisor should demonstrate a commitment to promoting gender equality, social inclusion, and environmental sustainability in all water security interventions.
Essential Responsibilities
PROGRAM DESIGN
Program design is a key influence point for the global TRaQ. The Senior Market-based Water Supply and Sanitation Services Advisor will look to align technical leadership with donor priorities, engage in strategic prepositioning, and support the identification, tracking, and analysis of opportunities and proposal development. Key tasks include:
- Serve as a lead writer and/or technical lead on 1-2 strategic, high-profile proposals. This includes leading pre-positioning efforts, capture trips, design workshops, designing and conducting needs assessments, and developing the concept notes and/or proposals.
- Lead the development of capability statements and discussions with potential primes for new opportunities (anticipated 1-2 opportunities)
- Review concept notes and proposals as requested.
- Advise and collaborate with country teams on strategic pre-positioning, including designing assessments, engaging in strategic donor interactions, and positioning projects.
- Work intentionally with country, regional, and funding teams to identify, track, and prepare for donor-funded opportunities.
- Support country and project teams in designing and conducting needs assessments, feasibility studies, and context analyses to inform program design. Lead the design and implementation of these assessments where needed.
- Ensure compliance with design and construction standards in collaboration with the Infrastructure team, as appropriate.
- Ensure WASH programs incorporate principles of inclusivity, gender sensitivity, and community engagement.
PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION, KNOWLEDGE MANAGEMENT AND CAPACITY
Focusing on local leadership, the Senior Market-based Water Supply and Sanitation Services Advisorโs role will be to support program implementation through accompaniment, emphasizing capacity strengthening, knowledge sharing, and maintaining an ongoing relationship with key program teams. Key tasks include:
โ Support the implementation of WASH and water security programs and projects, ensuring technical quality and strong program performance. Specific programs of focus include:
โ USAID/Ethiopia RIPA-N Water Security Add-on
โ USAID/Indonesia Urban Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (IUWASH) Pasar
โ Hilton Ethiopia RISE
โ USAID/DRC SWASSA
โ Fragile Waters buy-ins (as awarded)