EH Officer - Water Quality

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world's largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities helping people to survive, reclaim control of their future and strengthen their communities. A force for humanity, IRC employees deliver lasting impact by restoring safety, dignity and hope to millions. If you're a solutions-driven, passionate change-maker, come join us in positively impacting the lives of millions of people world-wide for a better future.

Background/IRC Summary:  

IRC entered Nigeria in October 2012 response to a widespread flood disaster. IRC’s emergency response team, with local partner CISCOPE (civil society coalition for poverty eradication), implemented a project to support livelihoods and improve WASH in Kogi State from February to May 2013. This was followed by a 3-month nutrition and food security program in the same location from October 2013 to January 2014. IRC has been supporting programming in Adamawa state since early 2014. Since then, the IRC has expanded its operations to Borno and Yobe states courtesy of funding from ECHO, OFDA, DFID, LDS, SIDA, Europe Aid and SDC with projects on emergency WASH, nutrition, FSL and protection mainstreaming for IDPs and host communities in the three states.

Job Overview/Summary:

The Environmental Health Officer – Water Quality is responsible for the daily implementation and monitoring of water quality and related Environmental Health (EH) interventions across target communities. The role focuses on improving access to safe drinking water by ensuring compliance with water quality standards through treatment (e.g., chlorination), regular testing, and promoting safe water handling and hygiene practices. The role also involves mobilizing and engaging communities to actively participate in the management, monitoring, and reporting of safe water sources, thereby fostering ownership and sustainability. The officer ensures all water-related infrastructure and activities adhere to SPHERE and WHO standards, contributing to the reduction of waterborne disease risks and improved public health outcomes.

Major Responsibilities:

Water Quality Monitoring and Management

• Oversee the implementation of water quality monitoring activities across target sites, including Free Residual Chlorine (FRC), pH, turbidity, and bacteriological parameters.
• Supervise water treatment activities including chlorination at source and point of use, ensuring proper dosing and community safety.
• Maintain water quality testing logs and generate regular reports to inform program decisions.
• Coordinate corrective measures in sites that fall below safety standards and conduct re-testing to ensure compliance.
• Provide technical support to water system operators, chlorinators, and water point attendants on proper treatment and water safety measures.
• Ensure the routine monitoring of in-line chlorinators, boreholes, storage tanks, and water collection points.
• Support the installation, operation, and maintenance of water treatment and chlorination systems.
• Ensure compliance with standards and procedures for the handling and storage of chlorination reagents, equipment and products for water testing.
• Liaise with relevant government authorities and partners to ensure compliance with national water quality standards.

Community Mobilization & Engagement

• Lead community mobilization activities to increase awareness of water quality and safe water practices.
• Establish and strengthen Community structures to support water quality monitoring and reporting.
• Train water point operators on basic water quality surveillance, safe water chain practices, and reporting of contamination incidents.
• Facilitate regular community meetings to share test results, discuss challenges, and agree on corrective actions.
• Support communities in developing local action plans for maintaining safe water supply and addressing water-related risks.

Capacity Building & Reporting

• Building capacity of local stakeholders (government staff, private operators, and WASH committees) on water quality monitoring and response.
• Develop and disseminate IEC (Information, Education, and Communication) materials related to safe water practices.
• Document success stories and case studies on community-driven water quality monitoring.
• Submit regular activity reports to the EH Manager/Coordinator.

Program Planning, Implementation & Quality Assurance

• Develop and update work plans to meet project deliverables and deadlines.
• Ensure quality control in water-related interventions through regular field visits, assessments, and testing.
• Maintain accountability and gender-sensitive programming in all community engagements.
• Collaborate with MEAL and EH colleagues on data collection tools and indicator tracking.

Grant Monitoring & Reporting

• Participate in grant planning, implementation, and review processes.
• Contribute donor and internal reports with timely and accurate data on water quality indicators and activities.
• Document challenges, lessons learned, and best practices in water quality management.

Coordination & Representation

• Coordinate with internal departments (Logistics, Supply Chain, Health, Protection, etc.) for the smooth implementation of activities.
• Liaise with government WASH actors, water authorities, and other partners on water quality-related issues.
• Representing IRC at technical WASH coordination meetings and water safety planning forums.

Program Development

• Support the EH/WASH Manager in assessments, data gathering, and proposal development related to water quality and EH programming.

Other Responsibilities

• Monitor team safety and promptly report any incidents or concerns to management.
• Support onboarding and orientation of new EH staff.
• Undertake additional duties as assigned to advance IRC’s EH objectives.

Key Working Relationships:

Position Reports to: EH/WASH Manager or Health Manager (where there is no EH/WASH Manager)
Position directly supervises: Nil

Indirect Reporting: Senior Health Outcome Manager

Job Requirements:

• B.Sc. / HND in Environmental Health, Water Resources Management, Public Health, or other related field.
• Minimum of 2 years’ experience in WASH programming, with a strong focus on community mobilization and engagement.
• Demonstrated knowledge of water quality testing and monitoring techniques and national/international water safety standards.
• Demonstrated knowledge and experience in Water Chlorination
• Familiarity with SPHERE standards and WHO water quality guidelines.
• Strong facilitation, training, and community mobilization skills.
• Competency in Microsoft Office (Word, Excel) and use of digital data collection tools.
• Excellent interpersonal and communication skills.
• Self-motivated, results-oriented, and able to work effectively in dynamic field conditions.
• Ability to work collaboratively in diverse teams and under pressure.
• Fluency in English and Hausa (or the predominant local language in the target area).

Working Environment: 

• Security level orange. The situation in Maiduguri is calm now but remains tense and unpredictable; concerns include criminality. There is active conflict in many parts of the country and a possibility for further expansion of the conflict and violence into other areas and other states.

Standard of Professional Conduct: The IRC and the IRC workers must adhere to the values and principles outlined in the IRC Way – our Code of Conduct. These are Integrity, Service, Accountability, and Equality.

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