WASH Technical Advisor - Nigeria

Location: Maiduguri, Nigeria

Position Status: Full-time

Salary Level: 5

Risk Level: ☐ Level 3 ☐Level 2 ☐Level 1

(Level 3: Frequent contact with participants, direct contact with children, access to sensitive data, and/or high level of accountability.

Level 2: Some contact with participants; unplanned non-direct contact with children.

Level 1: Likely to have no contact with participants or sensitive data)

About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is a leading global organization powered by the belief that a better world is possible.

In disaster, in hardship, in more than 40 countries around the world, we partner to put bold solutions

into action — helping people triumph over adversity and build stronger communities from within.

Now, and for the future.

The Program / Department / Team (Program / Department Summary)

Mercy Corps has been present in Nigeria since 2012, focusing its interventions on humanitarian assistance, economic development, and conflict mitigation. With the ongoing insurgency in Northeast Nigeria causing the displacement of millions of individuals, Mercy Corps started its humanitarian response in 2014 to address the rising humanitarian needs. Mercy Corps has been implementing multi-sectoral life-saving humanitarian programming across several Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Northeast Nigeria, particularly in Borno State, reaching vulnerable host communities and internally displaced persons (IDPs). Programming spans Nutrition, WASH, Food Security, Cash Assistance, Protection, and early recovery interventions delivered in complex and high-risk environments.

In anticipation of humanitarian funding requiring immediate mobilization and scale-up, Mercy Corps seeks an experienced Nutrition Program Manager to support rapid start-up and implementation of timely life-saving Nutrition program interventions.

The Position

The WASH Technical Advisor will be a key member of the Mercy Corps Nigeria (MCN) Humanitarian and Resilience Program team, providing strategic and technical leadership to ensure high-quality and impactful WASH programming across the mission. The Advisor will support programs funded by multiple donors by strengthening program design, implementation, monitoring, and learning while integrating Mercy Corps’ global technical standards and best practices. The role will also contribute to proposal development, technical strategy, and program innovation to ensure Mercy Corps delivers effective humanitarian and resilience-focused WASH interventions.

The WASH Technical Advisor will provide technical guidance to field teams to support the start-up and scale-up of WASH interventions, strengthen program quality and accountability, and ensure alignment with national standards and sector best practices. The position will actively engage in coordination forums and clusters, represent Mercy Corps in sector discussions, and promote integration with other sectors such as Nutrition, MPCA, Protection, and Early Recovery to enhance program impact. The Advisor will also facilitate knowledge sharing, capacity building, and learning across teams to strengthen Mercy Corps’ overall humanitarian response and resilience programming in Nigeria.

Essential Responsibilities:

PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT AND STRATEGIC PLANNING
• Contribute to and support situational analysis for the WASH sector to ensure timely and relevant data are available for the design, development, and management of WASH programs.
• Identify opportunities for program development and proposal design in line with Mercy Corps strategies and donor priorities.
• Participate in proposal development, including technical writing and budget preparation for WASH programs.
• Lead or support technical assessments to inform WASH program development and monitor evolving needs of target communities, ensuring program priorities are adapted as necessary.

PROGRAM QUALITY AND IMPLEMENTATION
• Contribute to program quality through active participation in coordination meetings, sharing lessons learned, and supporting new business development efforts.
• Ensure quality and timely field-level implementation of WASH program activities in line with approved objectives, targets, and work plans.
• Lead the MCN WASH team in developing project-specific strategies, tools, systems, and implementation plans.
• Ensure WASH programs adhere to international best practices and standards, in alignment with government policies, Sphere standards, and relevant WASH sector guidelines.
• Oversee the collection, analysis, and timely reporting of program data and indicators in accordance with Mercy Corps guidelines and donor requirements.
• Regularly monitor project implementation through field visits, assessments, and coordination with partners to assess progress, identify bottlenecks, and take timely corrective actions.

CAPACITY BUILDING AND SUPERVISION
• Strengthen the capacity of the WASH team and partner staff through on-the-job training, technical guidance, and coaching while supporting staff performance development plans.
• Provide regular technical support through field visits and offer targeted feedback to improve program implementation and quality.
• Develop capacity-building plans and identify relevant training opportunities for Mercy Corps staff and partners to strengthen knowledge and skills in WASH programming.
• Monitor staffing needs and support recruitment processes where necessary, while mentoring staff to enhance the technical capacity of project and partner teams.
• Promote and maintain quality assurance processes to ensure safe, effective, and technically sound WASH interventions.

COORDINATION AND REPRESENTATION
• Represent Mercy Corps in WASH sector coordination meetings, technical working groups, and coordination forums with UN agencies, international and national NGOs, and government partners at LGA and state levels.
• Ensure effective coordination with partner organizations, WASH sector actors, and other relevant program teams to promote integrated and complementary programming.
• Develop and maintain strong relationships with key stakeholders, government authorities, and potential collaborators to strengthen Mercy Corps’ WASH programming and partnerships.

SAFEGUARDING RESPONSIBILITIES
• Actively learns about safeguarding and integrates it into their work, including safeguarding risks and mitigations related to their area of work.
• Practices the values of Mercy Corps including respecting the dignity and well-being of participants and fellow team members.
• Encourages openness and communication in their team; encourages team members to submit reports if they have any concerns using reporting mechanisms e.g., Integrity Hotline and other options.

Supervisory Responsibility

N/A

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Programs Director - OCHA

Works Directly With: WASH Program Manager, Senior Program Manager, other Sector Program Managers, PaQ Director, Finance Department, Human Resources Department, Operations Department, and Regional and Global PaQ and TSU teams.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

Minimum Qualification & Transferable Skills
• Bachelor’s degree required in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Management, Environmental Engineering, Public Health Engineering, or a related WASH field. A master’s degree is preferred. Relevant technical certifications are an asset.
• Minimum of 10 years of professional experience in WASH programming, including significant experience in emergency WASH interventions covering both software (hygiene promotion, community mobilization, behavior change) and hardware components (water systems, sanitation infrastructure, and rehabilitation of WASH facilities).
• Demonstrated experience in proposal development, including technical writing, program design, and technical analysis.
• Strong theoretical and applied knowledge of WASH programming, including experience applying integrated and systems-based approaches in humanitarian and resilience contexts.
• Practical field experience in emergency or crisis response settings, demonstrating the ability to adapt technical approaches to complex operational environments.
• Proven experience delivering capacity building, training, mentoring, and technical guidance to field teams and partners.
• Willingness and ability to travel frequently to Mercy Corps project sites and field locations, including areas with challenging security environments.
• Familiarity with major humanitarian donors such as UNOCHA/NHF, ECHO and their compliance requirements.
• Fluency in written and spoken English is required.

Success Factors

The WASH Technical Advisor will demonstrate a strong track record in program development and implementation, bringing flexibility, creativity, and enthusiasm to deliver high-quality WASH programming. The position requires excellent writing, organizational, and multitasking skills, with the ability to prioritize tasks, pay attention to detail, and work effectively under tight deadlines within complex team environments.

The WASH Technical Advisor will actively build and maintain strong external relationships while contributing to internal team collaboration and learning. Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication skills are essential, along with the ability to adapt quickly to diverse field contexts and provide practical technical support to program teams. Awareness of humanitarian and development challenges and sensitivity to diverse cultures are critical for success in this role.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

This is an unaccompanied position based in Maiduguri, Borno State. The position holder will reside in shared staff housing in accordance with Mercy Corps policies. Living conditions are basic but functional, with access to essential amenities, health services (including medical evacuation options), internet, and mobile connectivity.

Maiduguri is a high-risk operational environment. Travel to operational areas is required and is conducted primarily via UNHAS scheduled flights in line with security protocols. All movements are closely coordinated and monitored by the country security team, and strict adherence to security procedures is mandatory.

Mercy Corps team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours and are expected to conduct themselves professionally, respecting local laws, customs, and Mercy Corps policies always. Mercy Corps is committed to fostering a diverse and inclusive workplace and is an Equal Opportunity Employer.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient, and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Team Engagement and Effectiveness

Achieving our mission starts with how we build our team and collaborate. By bringing together individuals with a variety of experiences, backgrounds, and perspectives, we strengthen our ability to solve complex challenges and drive innovation. We foster a culture of trust and respect, where every team member is valued for their contributions, empowered to reach their full potential, and motivated to do their best work. We recognize that building a strong and effective team is an ongoing process, and we remain committed to learning, improving, and growing together.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer committed to providing equal employment opportunities to all employees and qualified applicants for employment without regard to race, color, sex, sexual orientation, religion or belief, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, or any other characteristics protected under applicable law.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As an applicant, if you witness or experience any form of sexual misconduct during the recruitment process, please report this to Mercy Corps Integrity Hotline (integrityhotline@mercycorps.org).