Sanitation and Hygiene (S&H) Officer -Climate Proof Water4Food Project

The Organisation

Plan International is an independent development and humanitarian organisation that advances children’s rights and equality for girls. We believe in the power and potential of every child but know this is often suppressed by poverty, violence, exclusion and discrimination. And it is girls who are most affected.

Working together with children, young people, supporters and partners, we strive for a just world, tackling the root causes of the challenges girls and vulnerable children face. We support children’s rights from birth until they reach adulthood and we enable children to prepare for and respond to crises and adversity. We drive changes in practice and policy at local, national and global levels using our reach, experience and knowledge.

For over 85 years, we have rallied other determined optimists to transform the lives of all children in more than 80 countries.

We won’t stop until we are all equal.

The Opportunity 

The Sanitation and Hygiene (S&H) Officer provides frontline technical leadership at community level, focusing on sanitation, hygiene promotion, and behavior change interventions under the Climate Proof Water4Food Project. S/he is responsible for delivering climate-resilient and gender-transformative sanitation and hygiene outcomes, ensuring effective implementation of community-based WASH interventions.

Work closely with WASH officers, relevant government sector offices, and target communities to ensure coordinated and effective implementation of interventions.

Contribute to and influence project-wide sustainability and climate adaptation outcomes through high-quality sanitation and hygiene programming.

Lead the implementation of sanitation and hygiene promotion and the humanitarian WASH components of the integrated Climate Proof Water4Food Project in Gambella Region & ensure delivery of results in line with approved project plans, targets, and objectives, overseeing implementation across all stages of the project cycle.

Strengthen partnerships with government stakeholders by fostering collaboration, supporting capacity development, and facilitating achievement of agreed results.

Drive behavior change and sanitation sustainability by promoting improved hygiene practices and community-led approaches among target populations.

Other tasks may be assigned to the incumbent as deemed necessary

Safeguarding Children and Program Participants (Safeguarding) and Gender Equality and Inclusion (GEI)

• Understands and puts into practice the responsibilities under Safeguarding and GEI policies and Plan International’s Code of Conduct (CoC), ensuring that concerns are reported and managed per the appropriate procedures.
• Ensures that all staff in the unit/function/department are properly inducted on and understand their role in upholding Plan International’s safeguarding and GEI policies;
• Ensures that Plan International’s global policies for Safeguarding Children and Program Participants and Gender Equality and Inclusion are fully embedded in day-to-day work.
• Ensures that Plan Ethiopia contributes to Plan International’s global efforts to ensure safeguarding and GEI, including making sure that relevant reporting and data are submitted.

The Individual

• MSc/Bachelor’s degree in Public Health, Environmental Health, or a related field (Master’s degree is an added advantage).
• Minimum of 3–5 years of relevant experience in sanitation and hygiene programming, preferably in fragile and climate-affected contexts.
• Strong community mobilization and facilitation skills, with demonstrated ability to engage diverse stakeholders.
• Solid understanding of gender-transformative and inclusive sanitation approaches.
• Proven experience in hygiene promotion methodologies and behavior change interventions.
• Demonstrated experience in implementing CLTS+, sanitation marketing, and hygiene promotion interventions in rural settings.
• Familiarity with integration of WASH and food security programming (e.g., multi-use water systems) is an advantage.
• Good knowledge of national and international standards, including MoH guidelines (CLTS/MBS/Tsedu Ethiopia), Sphere Standards, and UNHCR, UNICEF, and WASH Cluster frameworks.

Knowledge Specific to the Position

• Strong understanding of sanitation and hygiene components within the WASH sector.
• Sound knowledge of project cycle management and child-centered community development approaches.
• Awareness of key development challenges and emerging issues relevant to WASH programming.
• Familiarity with participatory Monitoring, Evaluation, and Research (MEAL/MERL) systems and processes.
• Experience in CLTS+, Tsedu Ethiopia, and sanitation marketing approaches is an added advantage.
• Demonstrated commitment to gender equality, inclusion, and child-centered development principles.

Skills

• Advanced expertise in CLTS+, sanitation marketing, hygiene promotion, and implementation of Tsedu Ethiopia initiatives.
• Strong conceptual and strategic thinking skills, with the ability to translate ideas into practical programmatic actions.
• Excellent interpersonal skills, with the capacity to build and maintain effective working relationships with colleagues and stakeholders.
• Strong written and verbal communication skills, including report writing, documentation, and professional presentations.
• Proficiency in computer applications, including word processing, spreadsheets, databases, and other relevant project management tools.

Location: Gambella 

Type of Role: six months, with the possibility of extension based on Performance & project needs

Reports to: Project Manager 

Closing Date:June 07, 2026

Equality, diversity and inclusion is at the very heart of everything that Plan International stands for.

We want Plan International to reflect the diversity of the communities we work with, offering equal opportunities to everyone regardless of age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex or sexual orientation.

Plan International is based on a culture of inclusivity and we strive to create a workplace environment that ensures every team, in every office, in every country, is rich in diverse people, thoughts, and ideas.

We foster an organisational culture that embraces our commitment to racial justice, gender equality, girls’ rights and inclusion.

Plan International believes that in a world where children face so many threats of harm, it is our duty to ensure that we, as an organisation, do everything we can to keep children safe. This means that we have particular responsibilities to children that we come into contact with and we must not contribute in any way to harming or placing children at risk.

A range of pre-employment checks will be undertaken in conformity with Plan International's Safeguarding Children and Young People policy. Plan International also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. In line with this scheme we will request information from applicants previous employers about any findings of sexual exploitation, sexual abuse and/or sexual harassment during employment, or incidents under investigation when the applicant left employment. By submitting an application, the job applicant confirms their understanding of these recruitment procedures.

Please note that Plan International will never send unsolicited emails requesting payment from candidates.