The Water Team at CARE USA sits within the broader Food and Water Systems Unit and is responsible for a wide range of functions in the areas of water, sanitation, hygiene (WASH), water resources management, and water for productive uses referred to collectively as water+. CARE’s water+ programs emphasize systems strengthening approaches that support the capacities and conditions for sustainable water and sanitation service provision, and sustained hygiene behavior change in the countries and communities in which CARE works. CARE’s water+ programs recognize and address gender and social inequalities, and seek change that sustainably improves the lives of women and girls.

Water Team responsibilities include: supporting country offices (COs) and regional programs with technical facilitation, mentoring, project management, and policy and advocacy support; strategic guidance to CARE’s global water+ portfolio; impact measurement; contributing to WASH and cross-sector working groups and collective action platforms; communicating with impact across CARE and within the global water sector; advocating domestically for effective US government engagement in the WASH sector; and engaging donors and the public in CARE’s water+ work.

The Senior Water+ Systems Advisor (SWSA) will provide technical facilitation and learning support to CARE’s Water+ programs, with an emphasis on inclusive WASH governance and systems strengthening as a foundational approach and strategy. This will include: supporting learning, documentation and exchange to and from water+ programs and the global water sector; helping to position key program learning to influence WASH policy and practice at district and national levels; and providing technical facilitation in water and sanitation systems strengthening, sanitation and hygiene behavior change, and water resources management for multiple and productive uses. The SWSA will work closely with country offices and other members of the Water Team, as well as members of CARE’s broader Food and Water Systems Unit and will: provide technical assistance/facilitation as well as learning, policy, and research support to key Water+ and multi-sector programs to ensure robust systems strengthening approaches; guide and support country offices and programs in strategic learning and documentation processes that maximize their influence internally and externally; strengthen links between CARE’s US-government funded Water, WASH, and multi-sector programs; support the Water Team to meaningfully expand our portfolio in water resources management and water for resilience; and collaborate with CARE’s Bid Development and Fundraising teams to develop and resource water+ programs and initiatives.

The Senior Water+ Systems Advisor must have excellent written and verbal communication skills.

Responsibilities:

1. Technical WASH systems capacity strengthening, facilitation and project management
   • Lead technical facilitation and assistance to ongoing Water+ programs with the aim of strengthening program quality and technical rigor in line with the global WSSH sector, and of ensuring alignment with CARE’s 2030 Agenda and the CARE Food and Water Systems Strategy. This includes playing lead and support roles in program design, proposal development, and start-up processes; supporting country teams with project management related to deliverables and timelines; technical vision and mentoring related to WASH Systems and market-based approaches; leading and facilitating learning cycles that inform adaptive program management; documenting and disseminating learning to key audiences; supporting program monitoring and implementation, including development of key tools and metrics; facilitating reporting and impact measurement; and supporting design and implementation of communications, policy, and/or advocacy strategies in collaboration with country offices and Water+ program staff.
   • Provide expert Water+ technical assistance to key USAID multi-sector and food security programs (including USAID and USDA funded programs), with a particular emphasis on enabling effective systems strengthening approaches. This requires identifying and adapting relevant integrated water+ approaches and analysis; identifying opportunities for and leading research and learning that improves implementation of multi-sector approaches; and developing strategic communications to ensure lessons learned influence internal and external audiences. Responsibilities include development of logical frameworks and theories of change in collaboration with country office colleagues from nutrition, food security, gender and climate resilience sectors; defining key program activities; and supporting key partnerships that enhance integrated programming and multi-sector impact.
   • Lead consolidation, dissemination, and adaptation of learning in key programs, including several programs currently in final stages of implementation and close-out. This includes creating and adapting processes and tools for capturing key learning.
   • Collaborate with Water Team members to strengthen technical facilitation processes, capture and assess lessons learned, and adapt approaches.
2. Strengthen cross-cutting Monitoring, Evaluation, Research and Learning (MERL) Processes – The Water Team has a broad and growing portfolio that spans contexts and includesintegrated WASH activities with nutrition, food security, and climate change resilience; water for agriculture; and water resources management. The Water+ Systems Advisor will collaborate with other Water Team members to build from CARE’s existing MERL approaches and tools to develop, adapt, and strengthen MERL tools, processes, and guidance related to WASH Systems Strengthening, including:
   • In collaboration with the Water+ team and COs, s/he will lead ongoing efforts to build out a system for for capturing, consolidating, adapting, and building on learning across CARE Water+ programs. This includes MERL processes, tools, and guidance focused on WASH systems strengthening.
   • Work with country office teams to effectively communicate, adapt, and disseminate learning to inform future program design, and influence policy and practice among key stakeholders at international, national, and district levels.
   • Develop strategic learning and research products for key internal and external audiences, including partners and donors. Learning products may include: peer reviewed journals, conference presentations, grey literature publications such as policy briefs and program guidance notes, webinars, and presentations to sector-wide thematic working groups.
   • Represent CARE’s Water+ Team within and across CARE and to external audiences via relevant forums in the US and internationally.
   • Engage with CARE’s global MERL, ILKA, and fundraising teams to develop external messaging and communication campaigns related to WASH systems strengthening.
3. Enhance cross-sector linkages
   • Identify, lead and participate in key communities of practice within and across CARE teams, and within the broader WASH and related sectors.
   • Identify and cultivate key learning and advocacy opportunities in the global WASH sector and within other inter-related sectors
   • Enhance water+ and WASH linkages to other CARE program areas, including food security and nutrition, climate justice, emergency response, women’s empowerment, health, and education, and ensure technical rigor of multi-sector approaches.
   • As needed, represent CARE in the global WASH sector and on key technical working groups/coalitions with the objective of advancing collective impact of the global WASH sector.
4. Portfolio Development and Resource Mobilization – The Water Team continues to expand its portfolio in WASH systems strengthening, water security and resilience, WASH finance and market based approaches. This position will lead and support landscape analysis and resource mobilization to expand CARE’s water+ expertise, influence, and portfolio.
   • Support design of a resource mobilization strategy for CARE’s work in WASH systems strengthening, market-based approaches, and/or water security.
   • Support COs to build and maintain strong, collaborative donor relationships.
   • Maintain and build positive relationships with global donors through ongoing programming and global partnership events and engagements.
   • As needed, lead and support US Government-specific bid development, including leading technical elements of program design and partnership development on key proposals.
   • Coordinate with CARE’s fundraising teams to grow our global and country-specific Water+ portfolios.

Qualifications:

• Master’s Degree (or equivalent experience) in water, sanitation, hygiene, water resources management, or other related field.
• 7-10 years experience working in international development issues (or educational equivalent), with experience living or working across multiple country contexts.
• English language proficiency
• Excellent verbal and written communication skills
• Experience in at least two of the following: learning, research, communications, policy analysis and advocacy, and proposal development
• Experience in water, sanitation, hygiene, water resources management, climate change adaptation, or resilience
• Demonstrated ability to maintain strong, positive relationships with country or project teams and with donors.