Overview

Jhpiego is an international, non-profit health organization affiliated with the Johns Hopkins University. Jhpiego develops innovations to enhance the capacity of health care workers, strengthening health systems and improve delivery of care towards improving the health and well-being. Jhpiego has been collaborating with the Government of Malawi and various partners in implementing a wide-range of interventions in maternal, newborn and child health, family planning, HIV/AIDS prevention and care and treatment, since 1999

The incumbent will work closely with district authorities, health workers, traditional leaders, private sector partners, sanitation entrepreneurs, community structures, and households to support project implementation. The position will be responsible for field-level implementation, community mobilization, stakeholder coordination, data collection, monitoring, and reporting. Strategic public-private partnership development, policy engagement, high-level negotiations, and donor-level technical leadership will remain the responsibility of the Public-Private Partnerships WASH Advisor and project leadership.

The Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Officer will be based in Chikwawa district, Malawi, reporting directly to the Public Private Partnerships WASH Advisor.

Responsibilities

Community Mobilisation, Participation and Hygiene Promotion

• Mobilise and engage communities, traditional leaders, community-based organisations, women, youth, persons with disabilities and other local stakeholders in the planning, implementation and monitoring of WASH activities.
• Conduct community entry meetings, awareness sessions, household consultations, CLTS follow-up, hygiene demonstrations and community feedback meetings using participatory approaches.
• Support the establishment and strengthening of WASH committees, Scheme Management Committees, natural leader networks, sanitation committees and other community accountability structures.
• Facilitate inclusive community action plans that define responsibilities, timelines, local contributions and follow-up actions.
• Promote handwashing with soap, safe water collection and storage, household water treatment, food hygiene, safe child-faeces management and prevention of cholera, diarrhoeal diseases and other waterborne diseases.
• Document and follow up community feedback, complaints and agreed actions, referring technical or safeguarding concerns to the appropriate project or district personnel.

VSL-Linked WASH Financing and Household WASH Improvements

• Engage existing and newly established VSL groups to promote savings and responsible borrowing for household toilets, handwashing facilities, water connections and other priority WASH improvements.
• Work with VSL facilitators to integrate WASH goals, financial literacy, household budgeting and repayment planning into regular group activities.
• Support VSL groups to develop transparent and locally appropriate WASH savings or loan arrangements without taking responsibility for managing or holding group funds.
• Link VSL members and households with appropriate sanitation service providers, artisans, suppliers and relevant district structures.
• Monitor and document WASH investments supported through VSL mechanisms, including household uptake, affordability, repayment experiences and lessons learned.

Water Supply Functionality and Operations and Maintenance

• Support routine monitoring of water kiosks, piped water systems, storage facilities and other community water infrastructure in targeted areas.
• Work with Scheme Management Committees, water user associations, area mechanics, private operators and the District Water Office to promote preventive maintenance and follow up reported breakdowns.
• Support communities to understand service standards, user responsibilities, agreed fees, transparent revenue management and complaint-response procedures.
• Collect and document information on system downtime, causes of breakdowns, repair response times, water-quality concerns and recurring operations and maintenance challenges.
• Support water-quality surveillance, safe water handling, household water treatment and referral of technical problems to qualified personnel.
• Promote appropriate use and protection of water infrastructure against vandalism, misuse and contamination.

Stakeholder Coordination, Monitoring, Learning and Reporting

• Maintain routine field-level coordination with the District Water Office, District Health Office, District Council, traditional authorities, private-sector partners, civil society organisations and community structures.
• Participate in relevant district WASH, health, sanitation and emergency coordination meetings and provide implementation updates as required.
• Support stakeholder mapping, preparation of field visits and meetings, documentation of discussions and follow-up of agreed action points.
• Collect, verify and submit timely quantitative and qualitative data on community mobilisation, sanitation uptake, VSL-financed WASH improvements, water-system functionality and other assigned WASH activities.
• Maintain accurate activity records, attendance lists, community follow-up records, referral logs and evidence of completed activities using approved monitoring tools.
• Prepare weekly and monthly updates, success stories, lessons learned, case studies and contributions to project and donor reports.
• Promptly report implementation delays, data-quality issues, safeguarding concerns and other risks to the WASH Advisor

Required Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in Water Resources Management, Environmental Health, Public Health, Community Development, Development Studies, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience implementing community-based WASH programmes.
• Experience in sanitation marketing, market-based sanitation, local enterprise development, or household sanitation financing.
• Experience working with VSL groups, community savings mechanisms, microfinance linkages, or household financial-literacy activities is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting rural water supply, water-point management, operations and maintenance, or community water governance.
• Experience working with district councils, government extension workers, traditional leaders, community structures, civil society, and private-sector actors.
• Ability to collect, verify, analyse, and report field data using standard monitoring tools.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Chichewa.

Preferred Qualifications

• Knowledge of Malawi’s WASH policies, district structures, and rural sanitation context.
• Strong community facilitation, conflict-resolution, mentoring, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to translate technical WASH concepts into practical messages and actions for communities and service providers.
• Ability to work independently in field settings while maintaining close communication with the technical and management team.
• Strong organisation, problem-solving, documentation, and follow-up skills.
• Commitment to inclusion, safeguarding, accountability, and respectful partnership with communities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and familiarity with digital data-collection platforms is an advantage.
• Ability and willingness to travel frequently within the project district and, when required, to other project locations.
• Experience working on United States Government-funded programmes is an advantage.

All Jhpiego staff members, regardless of the level of their responsibilities, are expected to:

• Model Jhpiego’s mission and values.
• Participate in the business development process when requested.
• Contribute to knowledge sharing, learning, and transfer of skills.
• Make responsible decisions that support time and cost containment and clear accountability.
• Work collaboratively and maintain professional relationships with colleagues, partners, and communities.

• Mobilise and engage communities, traditional leaders, community-based organisations, women, youth, persons with disabilities and other local stakeholders in the planning, implementation and monitoring of WASH activities.
• Conduct community entry meetings, awareness sessions, household consultations, CLTS follow-up, hygiene demonstrations and community feedback meetings using participatory approaches.
• Support the establishment and strengthening of WASH committees, Scheme Management Committees, natural leader networks, sanitation committees and other community accountability structures.
• Facilitate inclusive community action plans that define responsibilities, timelines, local contributions and follow-up actions.
• Promote handwashing with soap, safe water collection and storage, household water treatment, food hygiene, safe child-faeces management and prevention of cholera, diarrhoeal diseases and other waterborne diseases.
• Document and follow up community feedback, complaints and agreed actions, referring technical or safeguarding concerns to the appropriate project or district personnel.
• Engage existing and newly established VSL groups to promote savings and responsible borrowing for household toilets, handwashing facilities, water connections and other priority WASH improvements.
• Work with VSL facilitators to integrate WASH goals, financial literacy, household budgeting and repayment planning into regular group activities.
• Support VSL groups to develop transparent and locally appropriate WASH savings or loan arrangements without taking responsibility for managing or holding group funds.
• Link VSL members and households with appropriate sanitation service providers, artisans, suppliers and relevant district structures.
• Monitor and document WASH investments supported through VSL mechanisms, including household uptake, affordability, repayment experiences and lessons learned.
• Support routine monitoring of water kiosks, piped water systems, storage facilities and other community water infrastructure in targeted areas.
• Work with Scheme Management Committees, water user associations, area mechanics, private operators and the District Water Office to promote preventive maintenance and follow up reported breakdowns.
• Support communities to understand service standards, user responsibilities, agreed fees, transparent revenue management and complaint-response procedures.
• Collect and document information on system downtime, causes of breakdowns, repair response times, water-quality concerns and recurring operations and maintenance challenges.
• Support water-quality surveillance, safe water handling, household water treatment and referral of technical problems to qualified personnel.
• Promote appropriate use and protection of water infrastructure against vandalism, misuse and contamination.
• Maintain routine field-level coordination with the District Water Office, District Health Office, District Council, traditional authorities, private-sector partners, civil society organisations and community structures.
• Participate in relevant district WASH, health, sanitation and emergency coordination meetings and provide implementation updates as required.
• Support stakeholder mapping, preparation of field visits and meetings, documentation of discussions and follow-up of agreed action points.
• Collect, verify and submit timely quantitative and qualitative data on community mobilisation, sanitation uptake, VSL-financed WASH improvements, water-system functionality and other assigned WASH activities.
• Maintain accurate activity records, attendance lists, community follow-up records, referral logs and evidence of completed activities using approved monitoring tools.
• Prepare weekly and monthly updates, success stories, lessons learned, case studies and contributions to project and donor reports.
• Promptly report implementation delays, data-quality issues, safeguarding concerns and other risks to the WASH Advisor

• Strong written and verbal communication skills in English and Chichewa.
• Strong community facilitation, conflict-resolution, mentoring, and interpersonal skills.
• Ability to translate technical WASH concepts into practical messages and actions for communities and service providers.
• Ability to work independently in field settings while maintaining close communication with the technical and management team.
• Strong organisation, problem-solving, documentation, and follow-up skills.
• Commitment to inclusion, safeguarding, accountability, and respectful partnership with communities.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and familiarity with digital data-collection platforms is an advantage.

• Bachelor’s degree in Water Resources Management, Environmental Health, Public Health, Community Development, Development Studies, Environmental Science, Social Sciences, or a related field.
• Minimum of 5 years of relevant experience implementing community-based WASH programmes.
• Experience in sanitation marketing, market-based sanitation, local enterprise development, or household sanitation financing.
• Experience working with VSL groups, community savings mechanisms, microfinance linkages, or household financial-literacy activities is strongly preferred.
• Experience supporting rural water supply, water-point management, operations and maintenance, or community water governance.
• Experience working with district councils, government extension workers, traditional leaders, community structures, civil society, and private-sector actors.
• Ability to collect, verify, analyse, and report field data using standard monitoring tools.
• Knowledge of Malawi’s WASH policies, district structures, and rural sanitation context.