Oxfam is a global movement of people working together to end the injustice of poverty.

The Role:

Oxfam in Syria is looking for Public Health Engineering Team Leader in the Northern Hub

DEPARTMENT PURPOSE: To ensure the provision of safe water, sanitation, and hygiene services to vulnerable communities affected by the crisis in Syria. The WASH department focuses on delivering sustainable, inclusive, and context-specific solutions that promote public health, prevent waterborne diseases, and enhance resilience. By collaborating with communities, local authorities, and partners, the department aims to improve access to essential WASH infrastructure and practices, uphold dignity, and support long-term recovery and development.

TEAM PURPOSE: To deliver quality WASH interventions to reduce WASH-related diseases and improve quality of life.

JOB PURPOSE: To support Oxfam’s earthquake response in close coordination with line and technical managers in the implementation of the emergency WASH activities to alleviate the suffering of the most vulnerable population affected by the earthquake in Northern hub of Syria. This includes supporting the development and guidance of PHE team members, to support PHE Officers in their responsibilities in planning and delivering quality Public Health Engineering activities through: data gathering and management, public health engineering risks and needs assessment, implementation, capacity building to staff capacity.

KEY RESPONSIBILITIES (Technical, Leadership, People and Resource management):

• To lead and provide professional, strategic, and technical support to the PHE team in respective governorates to be able to scale up, assess, design, implement public health humanitarian program activities.
• Foster and cultivate balanced coordination between Public Health Engineering and Public Health Promotion teams for effective and sustainable implementation of WASH projects in strong coordination and collaboration with WASH TL.
• Identify and Lead capacity building efforts of the Oxfam WASH PHE team staff, partners where applicable, and other stakeholders and build their capacities to develop stronger WASH team in respective hubs, including CE among other approaches, play a coaching role to Oxfam WASH PHE team on Engineering complexity issues and provide/ arrange high-quality training to staff in the hub.
• Lead and support the development of quality and professional implementation guidelines, ways of working in line with each specific context.
• Experience in the design, drawing, BoQs, Boc’s setting and monitoring. for smooth implementation of PHE activities at field level.
• Support, develop and contribute to PHE proposals, innovations, and donor reports that are of high quality and in accordance with Oxfam and donor requirements.
• Ensure proper learning and feedback mechanisms. Incorporate best practices in projects and guide PHE team on sharing strategies, procedures, successes, and lessons learned.
• Work closely with country WASH team and other teams e.g. EFSVL, Gender, Protection, MEAL etc to ensure that WASH approaches are appropriately integrated and of desired quality.
• PHE TL will lead a team of PHE Officers and manage their day-to-day quality activity planning and implementation in large scale. Lead his/her team through performance objective setting and carry out performance reviews when needed.
• Act as Focal point to participate and represent Oxfam in sub-WASH cluster coordination including liaison among relevant sector actors including government line departments working in the respective hub to build effective relationships when needed in each governorate.
• Ensure that interventions strive to conform to relevant government policies, the OCS, WASH & EFSVL country strategies, SPHERE standards, and adhere to OI guidelines and protocols as noted above.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the line manager including flexible scheduling across governorate.

What we are looking for:

We’re looking for a candidate who cares about Oxfam's mission to end poverty and is personally aligned to our feminist principles and values of empowerment, accountability and inclusion in all you do.

An ideal candidate for the role will also be / have:

ESSENTIAL

• Self-Awareness
• Listening
• Relationship building
• Strategic Thinking and Judgment
• Influencing

In addition:

• Master’s or bachelor’s degree in (Mechanical, Civil, Electric, Architecture Engineering).
• Master's degree holder Minimum of 5 years, or bachelor’s degree holder 7 years of relevant experience.
• Experience working in INGOs and NGOs or UN agencies as humanitarian organizations is essential.
• Capacity to train Site Engineers in different engineering practices.
• Experience of project management and software like MS Project and in (Auto-CAD, Archi-CAD, Google Earth, and water modelling software, and proven experience in leading technical teams, with a strong track record in capacity building coaching and mentoring.
• Knowledge of latrine designs, solid waste management and other sanitation infrastructure to complement PHP efforts.
• Experience in preparation of different reports for stakeholders, highlighting achievements, challenges, and lessons learned.
• Proven experience in managing relationships with local authorities, partners, different ministries, and other government departments, NGOs, and local communities.
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills to assess PHE needs and develop effective interventions.
• Strong understanding of project cycle management and budget management and donor requirements.
• Proficiency in English and Arabic.
• Strong organizational and time management skills.
• Demonstrated ability to lead, building capacity, motivate a diverse team, ensuring effective performance management and fostering a collaborative working environment.
• Ability to travel up to 75% monthly basis or when required, Roving Latakia and Hama 25% time for each governorate.
• Proactive problem-solving and anticipation or risks and field challenges.
• A mature understanding of relevant issues derived from at least five years of WASH field.
• Strong understanding of Community Engagement and soft WASH approaches, with the ability to ensure technical and social interventions are integrated.
• Experience in coordinating with internal departments (e.g. MEAL, Logistics, PHP, EFSVL).
• Experience in designing/ supervise, and evaluate PHE interventions, including engineering assessments BoQs, and water/Sanitation system designs.

We offer:

We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits. 

From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in-house courses, e-learning modules, on-the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more. 

You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer here.

How to apply:

As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.  

Our values and commitment to safeguarding

Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people, adults and beneficiaries with whom Oxfam GB engages. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

The post holder will undertake the appropriate level of training and is responsible for ensuring that they understand and work within the safeguarding policies of the organisation.

All offers of employment will be subject to satisfactory references and appropriate screening checks, which can include criminal records and terrorism finance checks. Oxfam GB also participates in the Inter Agency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme.  In line with this Scheme, we will request information from job 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 his/her understanding of these recruitment procedures.

We are committed to ensuring diversity and gender equality within our organisation and encourage applicants from diverse backgrounds to apply.

About us

Oxfam is a global community who believe poverty isn’t inevitable. It’s an injustice that can be overcome. We are shop volunteers, women’s right activists, marathon runners, aid workers, coffee farmers, street fundraisers, goat herders, policy experts, campaigners, water engineers and more. And we won’t stop until everyone can live life without poverty for good.

Oxfam GB is a member of international confederation of 21 organisations working together with partners and local communities in the areas of humanitarian, development and campaigning, in more than 90 countries. 

A thriving diverse Oxfam:

It’s people power that brings about change. To play our part as a global organisation working to overcome poverty and inequality, we need equality, diversity and inclusion across our community of staff, partners and volunteers. Together, we’re committed to becoming a more diverse workforce, better able to tackle the global challenges that face our world today.

To do that:

• We need to dismantle the unequal power structures that exist everywhere, this including Oxfam and the wider development and charity sectors.
• We need an inclusive Oxfam where everyone can bring who they are to our work and feels celebrated for the differences they bring.
• We want and need everyone, and that means we need you.