National Ground Water Specialist, UNICEF WASH Initiative in Africa, Ethiopia

  • Posted on 10 May 2023

Job Description

About Us

We are International Business & Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a global consulting firm working some of the most complex and impactful development problems worldwide. We work on programs that help government agencies, private companies and donors improve the lives of others. At IBTCI you will be part of an inclusive team that provides expert solutions and advice to understand and address critical problems while giving you opportunities to succeed and grow.

Job Title: National Ground Water Specialist, UNICEF WASH Initiative in Africa

Department/Location: Social, Economic, and Agricultural Development (SEAD) Practice, Ethiopia

Reports To: Practice Director

Type: Consultant

Classification: Consultancy

Clearance Required: N/A

Overview:

International Business and Technical Consultants, Inc. (IBTCI), a US-based international development consulting company, is seeking a Ground Water Specialist to support on the ground in Kenya or in Ethiopia a group of three international experts to design a longitudinal study including the selection of field sites to monitor the outcomes of groundwater mapping in terms of improved water availability to target communities, even in the face of drought. The in country specialists, one in Kenya and one in Ethiopia, will help the team draw lessons from a pilot activity implemented in one of the countries of interest, address sustainability concerns, and assess the scalability potential of groundwater mapping. The results of the study will guide UNICEF globally and in their regional offices to determine support for the acceleration and scale-up of groundwater mapping, and feed into corporate knowledge and evidence around WASH innovations.


Responsibilities

Essential Duties/Tasks and Responsibilities:

  • Serve as the national Ground Water Specialist in country of residence to participate in a team of Ground Water experts designing a long-term study to track an initiative implemented by UNICEF to do ground water mapping in Ethiopia and in Kenya.
  • Collect local documents and data to help develop a conceptual framework to monitor the ground water mapping initiative, and/or collect information in the country of residence to determine the initial impact of a pilot intervention on increasing access to water.
  • Prepare summaries of documentation related to the ground water initiative, including a country profile as needed.
  • Contribute to the different reports and deliverables generated.
  • Contribute to the design tools or sections of tools to conduct key informant interviews among stakeholders.
  • Identify stakeholders to interview in country of residence to fill gaps detected via secondary analysis and site visits.
  • Accompany core team of experts during country visits conducted to gather information via key informant interviews.
  • Summarize conclusions of interviews conducted in country.
  • Contribute to drafting presentations and present findings in areas of the consultant’s expertise.
  • Participate in the dissemination of findings as required.


Qualifications

Minimum Requirements:

  • 5 years of experience conducting research on ground water activities to increase access of water to local populations.
  • Demonstrated experience in designing, implementing, evaluating or conducting ground water projects/exploration.
  • Strong ability to interact with a wide range of stakeholders at different levels of donor agencies and country governments officials responsible for activities in the WASH sector.
  • Familiarity with the UN system and UNICEF investment in the WASH sector in country of residence or Africa.
  • Residence in one of the following countries: Ethiopia.

Preferred Knowledge, Skills and Abilities:

  • Excellent research methodology skills.
  • Excellent quantitative and qualitative data analysis skills.
  • Familiarity with climate change impact on water resources.
  • Excellent oral and written communication skills.
  • French language skills desirable.

Education: Advanced degree/Masters in environmental engineering, hydrogeology, water and environmental management, or related field.

Working Environment: Work is typically performed in an office environment. Working out of own space.

Physical Requirements: This is largely a sedentary position that requires the ability to speak, hear, see, and lift small objects up to 20 lbs.

Supervisory Responsibility: None

Travel: Travel in country up to 10% during the duration of the assignment.

Work Authorization: Work conducted in country of residence where work authorization or citizenship is required. US visa sponsorship is not available for this position.

Please note this job description is not designed to cover or contain a comprehensive listing of activities, duties or responsibilities that are required of the employee for this job. Duties, responsibilities, and activities may change at any time with or without notice.

About the Organization

About the Organization:

IBTCI has been in business since 1987. We specialize in Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL), Institutional Support (IS), Financial & Risk Management (FRM), Supply Chain Management & Procurement (SCMP); Social & Behavior Change (SBC) and Capacity Building. We provide these services across many sectors including, but not limited to, agriculture, resilience & food security, conflict & crisis, democracy & governance, economic growth & trade, education, energy & Infrastructure, environment & climate change, global health & WASH and humanitarian and disaster assistance. At IBTCI, our colleagues are encouraged to collaborate and be part of the solution while getting the tools and guidance needed to grow and support our clients' missions.

IBTCI is committed to a policy of equal employment opportunity for all persons without regard to race, color, religion, sex, gender identification, age, marital status, disability, sexual orientation, national origin, disabled veteran or Vietnam-era veteran, or any other classification protected by applicable anti-discrimination laws. We prohibit and do not tolerate any form of discrimination or harassment. VEVRAA Federal Contractor.

If you are an applicant with a disability that requires a reasonable accommodation to complete any part of the application process or are limited in the ability, or unable to use the online application system and need an alternative method for applying, you may contact the Talent Acquisition team at TalentAcquisition@ibtci.com (Do not send your resume to this account, for consideration please apply in our career page, https://careers.ibtci.com/jobs).