IPA Soapy Water Handwashing Stations Field Officers Jobs in Kisumu Kenya

Position: Field Officer (multiple positions)
 

Deadline to Apply: December 12th, 2014
 

Start Date: January 12th, 2015
 

Project: Soapy Water Handwashing Stations (SW-HWS)
 

Location: Kisumu
 

Eligibility: Position open to local Kenyan hires only
 

About Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA): Innovations for Poverty Action (IPA) is a non-profit organization dedicated to discovering and promoting effective solutions to global poverty problems. 

In close partnership with decision makers—the policymakers, practitioners, investors, and donors working with the poor around the world—we design and evaluate potential solutions to poverty problems using randomized evaluations, the most rigorous evaluation method available.

We also mobilize and support these decision makers to use these solutions to build better programs and policies at scale.
 

About the Soapy Water Handwashing Stations (SW-HWS) Project: Handwashing is known to significantly impact human health by preventing the spread of diseases such as diarrhea and pneumonia. However, people do not always have reliable access to soap and water for handwashing. 

Where soap is a luxury it is often stored in a secure location and therefore not readily available for handwashing. Where water must be carried long distances from the source to the home it is not always feasible to allocate large quantities of water for handwashing. 

The SW-HWS project aims to make handwashing more convenient and economical through the following innovations: a dedicated but portable handwashing location, a soap frugal foaming dispenser, an easy-to-use water frugal tap, and an integrated soap-water system.

Prototypes of the SW-HWS will be piloted in households, schools, and health clinics in peri-urban areas of Kisumu, Kenya. Household-level willingness to pay for a SW-HWS will also be evaluated.
 

About the Position: Reporting to the Associate Field Manager, Field Officers will be part of the SW-HWS team based in Kisumu, with the project operating in peri-urban Kisumu. 

Field Officers will gain valuable experience in intervention deployment and data collection by working directly with research study participants. 

Additionally, Field Officers will work closely with project management staff to improve their own skills.

Responsibilities:
 

Field Officers will be expected to work Monday through Friday performing a variety of tasks including, but not limited to:

• Setting-up, explaining, and demonstrating SW-HWS at schools, health clinics, community meetings, and individual households
• Giving presentations on handwashing behaviors and practices
• Obtaining informed consent from study participants
• Conducting surveys and interviews, making rapid/structured observations, and helping to facilitate focus groups
• Demonstrating integrity and understanding during interactions with school administrators, staff, and students, health clinic administrators and staff, and community leaders
• Ensuring data integrity is maintained at all times and errors in data collection are minimized
• Assisting in daily organization of data collection tools, data storage, and maintenance of equipment
• Providing project management team with daily feedback on field activities
• On non-field days, performing office duties such as translation work, record filing, and other administrative tasks

Qualifications and Experience:
 

Required

• Excellent oral and written communication skills in English, Swahili, and Luo
• Experience with data collection through surveys, observations, interviews, and/or focus groups
• Comfortable making presentations to large groups of people
• Ability to lift and carry at least 15 kg and do simple mechanical assembly work
• Ability to work independently and as part of a team
• Organized and efficient, with excellent attention to detail
• A positive attitude and flexibility with changing circumstances
• Completion of secondary school

Desired

• College diploma or university degree in social sciences, health, development studies, business administration, or another applicable course
• Experience with position responsibilities listed above

To Apply: Please send a cover letter and detailed CV including daytime phone number, email address, and 3 professional references. 

Your CV should include your scores or grades and other measures of academic achievement, and details about any relevant work experience.

Applications can be submitted in person at any of our branch offices, or by email to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org, or by post office using P.O. Box 2663, Kisumu area code, 40100. 

If you submit by email, please ensure that the subject line reads: “FIELD OFFICER REF NO: SW-HWS-2014-02. 

Shortlisted candidates will be contacted by email for an interview. 

Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis.

Disclaimer: The above statements are intended to describe the general nature and level of the work being performed by the Field Officer. The statements are not intended to be an exhaustive list of all possible duties, tasks, and responsibilities. Management reserves the right to amend and change responsibilities to meet organizational needs as necessary. Please note that IPA will never request any form of payment from an applicant. Applicants are encouraged to confirm the information listed above with IPA prior to releasing any extensive personal information to the organization. Please direct questions to jobs-kenya@poverty-action.org.