Published: Feb. 13, 2019

Program Associate – Burkina Faso

(to begin no later than June 2019)

1. ˮƵ Aquaya

The Aquaya Institute (Aquaya) is an independent, non-profit research and consulting organization dedicated to safe, equitable, and sustainable water and sanitation in developing countries. Our mission is to improve public health by reducing the burden of waterborne diseases. Aquaya was established in 2005 to provide development agencies, governments, and implementing organizations with a trustworthy and agile resource for conducting rigorous research, experimentation, and evaluation.

Aquaya has completed projects spanning public health, economics, technology development, and social entrepreneurship in over 20 countries of Africa, Asia, and Latin America. We have published or contributed to over 20 peer-reviewed research articles and produced numerous other report and publications.

Aquaya maintains an office in Nairobi, Kenya. Staff members are also located in the US, Europe and other African countries. Many of our projects are carried-out in collaboration with academic research groups and expert consultants.

2. ˮƵ the position

We are recruiting a Program Associate for a full-time position based in the southwestern region of Burkina Faso. The Program Associate will manage Aquaya’s Monitoring for Safe Water (MfSW) program activities in Burkina Faso and report to Aquaya’s Senior Research and Program Manager in the UK.

MfSW is an Aquaya program focused on strengthening local systems for water quality monitoring and water safety management in Africa. Aquaya initiated research on monitoring performance among African water suppliers and public health agencies in 2012 with a grant from the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation. We are now applying our research results to build monitoring capacity in Ghana, Uganda and Burkina Faso with a five year grant (2017 – 2022) from the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation. MfSW activities in each country are broadly divided into four phases:

  • Phase 1: Regulatory diagnostic and situation analysis
  • Phase 2: Evaluation of central and onsite testing facilities
  • Phase 3: Design and evaluation of interventions that increases resources and motivation for water quality monitoring
  • Phase 4: Development of sustainable water quality monitoring systems

In Burkina Faso, these activities will begin in a single district in the southwestern region of the country where other Hilton Foundation grantees are supporting water supply improvements and the development of effective management systems. MfSW programming will occur in conjunction with these efforts and will include collaborations with other Hilton Foundation grantees, district water suppliers, and government officials at local and national levels. We launched MfSW in Ghana in mid-2017 and in Uganda in mid-2018, and lessons learned from the first two years of activities will inform our MfSW strategies for Burkina Faso.

3. Criteria for the position

The following qualifications are necessary for this position:

  • An MSc degree in environmental engineering or environmental sciences
  • Demonstrated understanding of water quality monitoring science
  • Demonstrated experience with small water supply systems
  • Commitment to living in southwestern Burkina Faso on a full-time basis. Working remotely or maintaining a part-time residency in Burkina Faso are not options for this position.
  • Eligibility to obtain the legal right to work in Burkina Faso
  • Fluency in English and French

We are also looking for the following skills and attributes:

  • Previous work experience in developing countries
  • Demonstrated expertise in data management and statistical analysis
  • Interest in conducting research that informs development programming
  • Strong work ethic and a commitment to delivery
  • Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills
  • Outstanding organization and time management skills, with an attention to detail and an ability to establish systems to manage constant flows of information and deliver on deadlines
  • Proven ability to work closely with a small team and to successfully manage multiple and changing priorities in a fast-paced, dynamic environment, while maintaining a positive and productive attitude and a good sense of humor!

4. Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time, exempt position. Aquaya offers competitive salaries that are commensurate with experience. Benefits include medical and dental insurance, enrollment in a retirement plan, reimbursements of relocation costs, and reimbursements of annual home leave travel expenses.

5. To apply

Please submit your resume via e-mail tojobs@aquaya.orgalong with a thoughtful cover letter. The deadline for submissions is March 8, 2018.

In your cover letter, please explain why you are interested in Aquaya’s mission and activities. Please also tell us why your skills, background, and accomplishments make you the ideal candidate for this position, specifically highlighting your experience in developing countries, your background in quantitative data analysis, and any abilities to work in languages other than English and French.

Please note that we will not consider applications without a cover letter. In your e-mail subject line, please specify “Program Associate – Burkina Faso”. No phone calls please.