Oficial WASH Shelter & Infrastructure (Caracas - Personal Nacional)

The Oficial WASH Shelter & Infrastructure will lead and execute rapid response and early recovery actions in Water, Sanitation, Hygiene (WASH), Emergency Shelter, and Infrastructure sectors in response to the June 2026 earthquake in Venezuela. The role ensures timely and quality humanitarian assistance, including needs assessments, distributions, hygiene promotion, infrastructure improvements, and coordination with authorities and humanitarian actors.

Responsibilities

• Conduct rapid multisectoral and sectoral assessments to identify shelter, infrastructure, water, sanitation and hygiene needs in emergency contexts.
• Monitor public health risks associated with interruptions in water and sanitation services, excreta management, solid waste and overcrowding conditions.
• Conduct rapid damage and needs assessments (RDNA, MIRA or equivalent methodologies) related to water systems, sanitation, public infrastructure, health centers, schools, collective shelters and affected housing.
• Identify risks related to security, habitability conditions and access to basic services in camps, settlements and affected communities.
• Support identification and selection of priority communities, beneficiary households, settlements or camps for intervention in coordination with Protection and Economic Recovery teams.
• Identify, analyze and escalate critical needs, emerging risks, assistance gaps and operational challenges requiring immediate decisions or additional resource mobilization.
• Coordinate and execute rapid response actions during the first hours and weeks after the event, ensuring timely provision of essential water, sanitation, hygiene, shelter and critical infrastructure services.
• Adapt risk communication messages to different emergency phases and groups with specific needs.
• Implement risk communication, hygiene promotion and community sensitization activities to prevent diseases, reduce health risks and strengthen safe practices among affected populations.
• Plan, execute and document distribution of WASH kits and supplies at intervention sites, ensuring quality, traceability and accountability.
• Plan, execute and document distribution of non-food items (NFI) related to emergency shelter and protection against adverse weather conditions, ensuring quality, traceability and accountability.
• Plan and implement emergency shelter assistance and temporary refuge solutions according to identified needs.
• Support installation, adaptation and monitoring of collective shelters and temporary accommodation spaces according to humanitarian standards and protection criteria.
• Support design and implementation of early recovery actions aimed at progressive and resilient restoration of basic services and infrastructure affected by the emergency.
• Coordinate installation and operation of temporary water supply, emergency sanitation, waste management, drainage and temporary shelter solutions when existing infrastructure is affected.
• Identify urgent needs for goods, services and works, and prepare timely technical specifications and requirements for emergency procurement and contracting.
• Prepare technical specifications, quantity estimates and work plans for WASH and Shelter infrastructure interventions.
• Supervise emergency interventions to restore safe access to water, sanitation, drainage, temporary shelter and critical infrastructure affected by the disaster.
• Supervise rehabilitation, improvement or construction works of water, sanitation, drainage, shelter and community spaces or essential service providers during post-disaster recovery phase.
• Monitor technical quality of works executed by contractors.
• Track physical progress of activities and verify compliance with technical, quality, safety, protection and environmental management standards, preparing corresponding technical reports.
• Continuously document operational results, challenges, gaps and lessons learned to support rapid response adaptation and early recovery planning.
• Ensure proper collection, storage and protection of beneficiary data and other information required for activity reporting and project indicators.
• Actively participate in humanitarian coordination mechanisms at national, regional and local levels, including WASH, Shelter, CCCM sector groups/clusters or other relevant forums, sharing information on needs, gaps, progress and intervention priorities.
• Coordinate with competent authorities, humanitarian organizations and community actors to avoid duplication, promote complementarity and ensure timely and integrated response.
• Participate in coordination spaces within DRC with other programmatic sector teams such as Economic Recovery and Protection to ensure integrated implementation with adequate activity planning.
• Represent the organization professionally and ethically in all activities, ensuring compliance with internal procedures, proper information management and project documentation security.
• Perform any other relevant tasks as requested by line managers and WASI specialist.
• Conduct field activities according to organizational security, humanitarian access and risk management procedures, reporting incidents, restrictions and operational context changes timely.
• Ensure all activities incorporate protection, inclusion, accountability to affected populations (AAP), prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA) and community participation approaches.

Requirements

• Minimum two (2) years of experience in implementing humanitarian WASH, Shelter and/or community infrastructure programs.
• Experience in emergency shelter interventions, community infrastructure or rehabilitation of basic facilities.
• Knowledge of Sphere humanitarian standards applicable to WASH and Shelter.
• Experience supervising works, contractors and construction or rehabilitation activities.
• Good knowledge of construction and/or rehabilitation standards and practices for essential basic water, sanitation and hygiene systems in institutions or communities, including water systems, excreta disposal, waste management, among others.
• Solid understanding of basic programming in water, sanitation and hygiene, participatory promotion methods, community mobilization and networking.
• Knowledge of appropriate hygiene practices, waste management and sanitation, household water treatment methods and other hygiene practices to avoid public health risks.
• University degree in Civil Engineering, Sanitary Engineering, Public Health Engineering, Architecture, Mechanical Engineering or related disciplines.
• Experience in humanitarian WASH, Shelter and Infrastructure programs is valued.
• Proficiency in Microsoft Office and experience in data collection and management using digital platforms such as Kobo Toolbox or similar.
• Ability to coordinate with local authorities, humanitarian organizations and community leaders.
• Ability to work in remote areas and conduct frequent field visits.
• Commitment to humanitarian principles, accountability to affected populations (AAP) and safeguarding policy against sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).
• Ability to adapt to changing situations as needed.
• Ability to work well under pressure and in adverse conditions.
• Desirable: Calm and diplomatic character.
• Desirable: Knowledge of Protection principles and approaches in humanitarian action.
• Desirable: Ability to manage competing priorities and meet deadlines.
• Desirable: Ability to foster a collaborative work environment and maintain effective relationships with implementing partners and local actors.
• Desirable: Knowledge of Venezuelan legal framework and principles of international humanitarian law and human rights.

Skills

• Humanitarian WASH programs
• Emergency Shelter Interventions
• Community Infrastructure Rehabilitation
• Core Humanitarian Standards
• Supervising Construction Activities
• Contractor Management
• Construction Standards
• Rehabilitation Standards
• Water System Management
• Sanitation Management
• Hygiene promotion methods
• Social Mobilization
• Waste Management
• Household Water Treatment
• Data Collection
• KoBo Toolbox
• Microsoft Office Suite
• Coordination with Government Authorities
• Field Visits
• Humanitarian Principles
• Accountability to Affected Populations

Languages

Spanish, English