Market-Based Sanitation Program Manager - DRC at Sanergy

Citywise, Sanergy’s advisory services team, leverages Sanergy’s experience delivering full value chain sanitation services to accelerate efforts toward citywide inclusive sanitation. We partner with others to design and implement integrated systems that deliver safe, cost-effective and dignified sanitation. We have a proven track record delivering sanitation services to the poorest, most vulnerable populations in rapidly developing cities, command of technologies and service delivery models for urban sanitation, and a strong network of collaborators around the world.

Sustainable Water and Sanitation Systems Activity (SWASSA) is a five-year, USAID-funded program in peri-urban areas of the Kivus region of the DRC, led by Mercy Corps. SWASSA’s goal is improved and sustained equitable access to clean water supply and safe sanitation services. Citywise is responsible for leading the iterative design and delivery of cost-effective sanitation service models. We are committed to establishing a foundational understanding of the business landscape, customer preferences, existing infrastructure, and other relevant norms and context, and to developing solutions, iteratively and in partnership with government, stakeholders and communities, to strengthen what exists and fill gaps in order to ensure that all residents have access to safely managed sanitation.

About the role

Citywise is looking for a resourceful and ambitious Market-Based Sanitation Program Manager with experience in program management, market-based approaches to sanitation, and collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data to build out our work in the DRC. During Year 1 of the project, Citywise conducted an assessment of the sanitation landscape in Goma and Bukavu cities, and identified Bukavu as the most promising site for the piloting and scaling of a sanitation business model designed for the Kivus. You will collaborate with Sanergy colleagues based in Kenya (remotely) and the Mercy Corps team based in Goma to harness the expertise of each, while owning the challenge of ensuring the timely implementation of an ambitious Year 2 work plan. This role requires a self-starter who can work as part of a team and independently, and who is comfortable meeting with government officials, sanitation workers and households alike to pave a way forward for sanitation in Bukavu. You will work closely with and report to the Project Manager (based in the US) who will also actively support this project.

Duties and Responsibilities

• Establish relationships with SWASSA consortium members, Sanergy operational and support teams, government and other external stakeholders
• Oversee citywide master vision (sanitation assessment) which will include household-based data collection and working with a GIS consultant to map key infrastructure throughout the city
• Recruit and conduct a capacity assessment of potential business model partners, with the purpose of ultimately selecting a partner to receive capacity-building and support for the implementation of the business model
• Analyze assessment results to inform the pilot, including recommendations about which sanitation products and services to offer and the specific location for piloting
• Collaborate with the construction team to identify, procure and build sites to support operations, e.g. consolidation center, treatment facility
• Manage pilot of products and services, and their iterative improvement in partnership with customers

Qualifications

• 5-10 years of work experience, preferable in market-based sanitation approaches
• Master’s degree in a relevant field (e.g., business, public health, urban planning, public policy, engineering, etc.) or comparable experience
• Strong skills in written and verbal communication, customer-service orientation
• Successful track record leading day-to-day field operations in a context in which unofficial and/or changing conditions must be navigated (e.g., informal settlement, peri-urban area)
• Experience managing collection and analysis of qualitative and quantitative data and quickly and frequently adapting based on findings
• Skills in project management and reporting
• Demonstrated ability to overcome obstacles in order to achieve program objectives
• Excitement about tackling ambiguous, complex challenges; resourcefulness, creativity, and perseverance
• Self-advocacy and willingness to ask for help; ability to identify who can help and articulate what is needed
• Ability to simultaneously pay attention to critical details and keep the big picture in mind
• Recognition that both innovation and sustained effort are required to develop lasting solutions to complex problems
• Comfort engaging with varied stakeholders, including government officials, community leaders, small business operators, and community members
• Humility and ability to develop relationships to collaborate
• Working proficiency in two of three languages: English, French and/or Swahili
• Familiarity with delivery of non-sewered sanitation services will be beneficial but is not required
• Experience supporting SMEs will be beneficial but is not required
• Experience working on USAID-funded projects will be beneficial but is not required

Job Location

Bukavu or Goma, DRC; the majority of work will take place in Bukavu but the Mercy Corps office with which you will frequently collaborate is based in Goma

Duration

One-year fixed term contract (with the aim to extend dependent on funding)