We help to strengthen resilience of vulnerable people exposed to hazards and crisis situations and we respond to disasters and conflicts to save lives and alleviate suffering. In the Netherlands with more than thirty thousand volunteers and internationally through technical assistance, supplies and money. Together we act before, during and after disasters to meet the needs and improve the lives of vulnerable people.
We do this without regards to nationality, race, religious beliefs, class or political opinion. Our seven principles guide our humanitarian work: humanity, impartiality, neutrality, independence, voluntary service, unity and universality.
The International Assistance division is responsible for all Netherlands Red Cross international support for victims of disasters and conflicts and for vulnerable people exposed to hazards.
WASH Rapid Response Roster – open for application
Our Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH) Rapid Response Roster is open for new admissions. Profiles within the WASH Rapid Response Roster are: WASH Coordinator, WASH Officer, WASH Officer – Hygiene Promotion, WASH Officer – Sanitation Engineer. We are looking for experts, ready to be deployed anywhere on short notice in response to international emergencies (natural disasters, conflicts, war zones or health emergencies) for deployments of (at least) 1 to 3 months. Deployments can be either within a team from Emergency Response Unit (ERU) or individually. Please take note that this vacancy does not concern a specific, nor permanent, position within the Netherlands Red Cross.

Background

Our Rapid Response Roster consists of experts who can be deployed on a short-term basis to support humanitarian operations in unforeseen, imminent or deteriorating emergencies as a result of natural or man-made disasters. Deployments will be part of an international, multi-disciplinary team and work in close coordination and collaboration with the Host National Red Cross or Red Crescent Society. We are looking for WASH experts to be deployed as WASH Coordinator or as part of a so called ERU (Emergency Response Unit) configuration. This configuration, the Water Supply Rehabilitation ERU Module (WSR) is set up and led by the Norwegian Red Cross with the support of the Netherlands Red Cross (NLRC). The WSR ERU will consists of a team of international specialised Water supply experts that can restore or rehabilitate the existing water supply infrastructure to a vulnerable population after an emergency.

What will you be doing as an WASH expert in an emergency operation?

The WSR ERU will have a focus on increasing the capacity of the host National Society, the WSR ERU team’s tasks will include providing sufficient water of drinking water quality to a vulnerable population through restoring and improving of water abstraction (such as pumping), treatment or protection of water sources as well as improving water storage and distribution. Working through the host National Society with communities and/or local water authorities, the WSR ERU team will work to improve the sustainability of that infrastructure and where possible using greener sustainable technologies (e.g. solar instead of generators).
The WSR ERU teams also incorporate hygiene promotion/public health experts to identify water-related health risks and devise priority WSR interventions to control and mitigate those risks, with reference to both engineering and behaviour change interventions. The WSR ERU builds the capacity of the NS to secure a safe water chain and preserve high quality water at the point of consumption. It builds the capacity of community and local actors to manage the water sources considering when possible long-term solutions and facilitate their participation in the design of the response. The hygiene promoter facilitates consultation and feedback collection from users to ensure engineering solutions are tailored to needs of affected population, with focus on vulnerable groups.

Who we are looking for?

We value diversity – in background and experiences. We need people with various cultural backgrounds, religions, sexual orientations, gender identities, and age groups to fulfill our mission.
We are looking for experts who are be able to work and live in difficult and demanding working conditions, due to the nature of emergency operations and proximity to disaster-affected areas or war zones. Conditions that can be expected in the field:

• Very basic living standards,
• Long hours of work in a demanding context with limited resources,
• Movement restriction,
• Stressful rapidly changing environment with limited information to make decisions.

Behavioral competencies that are required to work in those type of difficult and demanding working conditions and that meet the IFRC competency framework:

• Collaboration and teamwork
• Conflict Management
• Interpersonal Communication
• Cultural awareness
• Judgement and decision making
• Motivating Others
• Personal resilience

General requirements:

• Availability: Available for deployment within 24 months from the time of becoming a roster member and availability for a deployment of (at least) 1 – 3 months.
• Language skills: Advanced English (written and spoken) is a must. French, Spanish and/or Arabic are an asset.
• For the purpose of rapid deployment, applicants must reside in a Schengen country with a maximum of 5 hours travel from Amsterdam Schiphol International airport (see application form for further details).

Specific requirements for WASH profiles:

• Relevant university degree / higher education or demonstrated equivalent humanitarian related experience.
• At least 3 years professional experience in Water Sanitation and hygiene in development and / or emergency contexts.
• Knowledge of water quality testing, treatment, and monitoring.
• Familiarity with WASH standards (e.g., SPHERE standards or WHO guidelines).

Depending on the context we are looking for experts with experience in WASH emergency work to fill one or more of the following roles (click on the role for a more detailed description):

• WASH Coordinator/ERU Team Leader: responsible to coordinate a WASH response or for leading the ERU in support to National Society and Movement partners. This position will be for experts with experience in emergency WASH and extensive knowledge of Red Cross and ERU systems.
• Water supply engineers or hydrogeologist (depending on context) : responsible for leading the implementation of the rehabilitation or construction of water infrastructure in both urban and rural setting as well as training and capacity building of host National Society staff members
• Hygiene promoter/community mobiliser (with public health training and skills) : responsible for the implementation hygiene promotion, water committee training, and community participation in close collaboration and in support of the National Society.

Does your profile meet our requirements and are you interested in becoming part of the world's largest humanitarian network and providing essential humanitarian support worldwide for people affected by crisis situations? Join our Rapid Response Roster now!

We look forward to receiving your motivation letter and your resume in English with reference to Samira Ennaji before 16 December 2024 through the apply button on this page. Want to know more about the WASH Rapid Response Roster? You can contact Jan Heeger, Surge WASH Focal Point, jheeger@redcross.nl.
The application process consists of one interview round for which we make use of an assessment. This way you can get a good idea of what the requirements are for the profile(s) that you might be interested in and we can see what knowledge and experience you bring. The interviews will take place as from week 3, 2025 (and onwards depending on how many applications we receive) online via Teams or another location. If you are selected you will receive an invitation for the interview and assessment by email in week 52, 2024.
Integrity screening is a standard part of our selection process. This means that a reference check is a standard part of our selection process.
Before applying, please ensure private and professional availability for a deployment in 2025. Note that surge (rapid response) delegates deploy within very short timeframes. Oftentimes within 72 hours.
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