Are you a WASH specialist with a passion for training? CAWST is not like other organizations, and this position is not like others. We are looking for a unique combination of skills, experience and interests including water and sanitation, international development, and capacity building of WASH practitioners. You believe that everybody can learn, and you love training and supporting others to build their WASH knowledge and skills. You are enterprising, resourceful, and motivated. You have an insatiable curiosity and are deeply committed to applying your skills and experience to making the world a better place.
The Position: International Technical Advisor
Reports to: Director, Training and Consulting
Type: Full time, permanent
Location: The position is based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. This is a challenging cross-functional role that requires considerable travel to developing countries. International travel is typically four trips per year, and up to 50% of your time will be spent overseas.
Position start date: As soon as possible
Application Due Date: August 28, 2017
Position Summary
The International Technical Advisor (ITA) is part of CAWST’s Training & Consulting team. This position builds the knowledge and skills of WASH practitioners to start, strengthen and grow their WASH programs. The ITA is responsible for providing professional technical training and ongoing consulting support to help our clients overcome technical and implementation challenges.
Each ITA is assigned countries in the developing world, and is responsible for developing and executing on their plans.
The ITA works closely with all CAWST departments, and in particular in cross-departmental regional teams with Research Learning and Education Program Development teams.
Specific Areas of Responsibilities
1. Training & Consulting Support
- Use your expertise and energy to train WET Centres and clients using a variety of methods including workshops, apprenticing, and mentoring. Your goal will be to:
- Transfer skills and knowledge so practitioners take effective action, resulting in safe drinking water, sanitation and hygiene.
- Build the capability of practitioners of different skill levels in a variety of roles, e.g., technicians, community health workers, and project organizers.
- Prepare and deliver effective and motivating training workshops and learning exchanges, adapting CAWST workshops and resources to the context and needs of clients.
- Develop and maintain strong client relationships, building and sustaining credibility with your clients and potential clients.
- Encourage and advise your clients by phone, email, or in person, providing support and expertise to help them troubleshoot their projects and initiatives, solve problems, and identify and overcome barriers to implementation.
- Keep your technical competence and knowledge up-to-date as CAWST learns new information.
- Contribute to CAWST’s online chat, webinars, knowledge bases, and clients’ web-based discussion forums.
2. Water Expertise and Training (WET) Centres
- Work with WET Centres to build their skills and capabilities so they can replicate CAWST’s capacity building services for client organizations.
- Identify potential new WET Centres and Training Organizations within the region or countries of responsibility. Develop relationships and explore potential opportunity to partner in the development of a WET Centre.
- Work together with local partners to develop strategy and plans, and seek funding for the development of the WET Centre.
- Act as project manager, as appropriate, taking responsibility for the capacity building process through the phases from exploration, start-up, growth, and strengthening to independence.
3. Education Program Development, Research Learning, Communications
- Actively participate in personal and organizational professional development, in particular in CAWST’s semi-annual Learning Exchanges (January and June).
- Collaborate with our Education Program Development team to develop, maintain and update education materials, and act as subject matter expert, contributing your skills and knowledge.
- Collect images, case studies, stories and testimonies from CAWST’s work overseas for the purposes of education program development and communications.
- Gather information and provide input to other CAWST teams to guide the development of appropriate training, consulting services, and tools for our clients.
- Provide and review content to ensure materials meet the needs of practitioners, and to ensure technical accuracy.
- Support CAWST’s role in research projects.
4. Operations Planning and Reporting
- Develop and execute country and regional strategies and plans, including activities, targets and budgets.
- Understand and contribute to CAWST’s operations, business cycle, and financial stewardship, e.g., monthly operations reports, budget reconciliations, timesheets, project and activity reports.
5. Business/Client Development and Fund Development
- Research and prepare country and regional strategies.
- Develop strong understanding of country contexts, client organizations, and key water & sanitation issues.
- Identify potential training, networking and client support opportunities.
- Seek funding to support your operations plan, working closely with Fund Development team.
- Contribute to funding proposals that include programs in your region, or area of expertise.
- Develop relationships with potential funders in your countries of responsibility.
6. Governance
- Participate in the development of CAWST’s strategic plans, including development of short and long-range performance objectives.
- Assist in the distribution and collection of CAWST’s annual client survey, and contribute as needed to the results analysis.
Any other duties and responsibilities as directed by the Director, Training and Consulting or designate.
This important role requires an energetic person, who has a special combination of skills and attributes.
Education
- Bachelor’s degree in Engineering, sciences or other relevant discipline.
Experience
- Minimum eight years’ work experience implementing WASH programs in the international development context.
- Minimum three years’ experience delivering WASH training, and WASH related capacity building services.
- Demonstrated track record of commitment to poverty alleviation through water, sanitation and hygiene.
Skills and Attributes
Excellent WASH technical knowledge and significant experience implementing projects in the following:
- Household water treatment
- Sanitation and excreta management
- Hygiene promotion and behaviour change
- Water supply and treatment
- Excellent written and verbal communications, with the ability to target different and cross-cultural audiences to build rapport, engage, and motivate individuals.
- Able to create a participatory learning environment and use a range of cross-cultural, participatory training, and facilitation methods.
- Entrepreneurial nature.
- Problem solver, resourceful, and able to troubleshoot technical problems quickly and effectively.
- Enjoys working in a dynamic, diverse and vibrant environment.
- Innovative and open to change.
- Strategic and proactive in coordination and project management.
- Service-oriented and consistently seeks to provide a high level of professional service to clients and colleagues.
- Able to handle multiple tasks and balance priorities with various projects and stakeholders.
- Easily and quickly establishes credibility with clients and other stakeholders.
- Professional and diplomatic approach; works well independently, within teams, and across teams.
- Enjoys international travel, able to work in challenging situations in different cultures, and easily adapts to different contexts.
- Proficient with Windows-based computer programs, e.g., Word, Excel, PowerPoint.
- Passion for our cause, and shared values that align with our mission and vision.
Language
- Fluent written and spoken English required.
- Fluent written and spoken Spanish is an asset.
Compensation
Salary will be discussed in the personal interview so please include salary expectations in your cover letter.
Organizational Background
CAWST is a Canadian charity that focuses on the principle that clean water changes lives. Safe water and basic sanitation are fundamentals necessary to empower the world’s poorest people and break the cycle of poverty. CAWST believes that the place to start is to teach people the skills they need to have safe water in their homes. We transfer knowledge and skills to organizations and individuals in low- and middle-income countries through education, training and consulting services. This ever-expanding network can motivate individual households to take action to meet their own water and sanitation needs. Since 2001, CAWST’s client network has helped 15.4 million people get better water or sanitation.
The Financial Post newspaper named CAWST one of the Top 25 Charities in Canada in 2015. CAWST was one of only three charities to receive the top “A” rating in 2015. Read the article or see the Charity Intelligence report.
Our vision is a world where people have the opportunity to succeed because their basic water and sanitation needs have been met.
Our mission is to provide technical training and consulting, and to act as a centre of expertise in water and sanitation for the poor in developing countries.
CAWST values equitable opportunities, sustainable solutions, and collaborative and inclusive processes. We recognize and accept differences in cultural, religious and political processes.
HOW TO APPLY:
Eligibility
You must be legally able to work in Canada.
To Apply
Please apply by sending your cover letter, resume, and completed questionnaire to cawstHR@cawst.org. Review of applications will begin on August 28, 2017 and will continue to be accepted until the position is filled.
Please note: Only resumes from candidates eligible to work in Canada will be reviewed; and only those applicants granted an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.
Questionnaire
Please answer all questions to the best of your ability. Be as specific as possible and try to keep each answer under half a page.
What has motivated you to consider working at CAWST?
What excites you the most about this role?
What is your philosophy on education and training? Please support with an example of experience you have had in training delivery and your role in the delivery.
What was one of the most difficult problems you have faced in an international development context, how did you handle it, and what was the outcome?
Of your technical experience, what do you believe is most relevant to the International Technical Advisor role with CAWST?
What are your long-term career goals and aspirations? Where do you see yourself in five years?
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