Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Engineer - Marsabit, Mandera and Wajir

Job Summary

Job Title: Water Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Engineer

Location: Counties of Marsabit, Mandera and Wajir

Reports to: WASH Specialist, Garissa Zonal office

Contract Duration: 1 Year

Background

The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) 6 baseline estimates for Kenya indicates that 58% of the population has access to drinking water from improved sources with less than a 30-minute round trip to fetch water. At the same time open defecation is still practiced by 10% of the population and 7.3% of households (KNBS, 2019). Community Led Total Sanitation (CLTS) has been adopted as the core strategy for implementing the Open Defecation Free (ODF) Rural Kenya initiative aiming to achieve ODF Kenya by end of 2020. The campaign entails working through partnerships and devolved government structures throughout rural Kenya to reach all the communities which includes i) coordinated approach among stakeholders including NGOs and donors, hands on capacity building for facilitation and support for the implementation of the campaign; ii) strengthening planning, monitoring and evaluation systems; iii)undertaking research, documentation and knowledge management; iv) linking communities with affordable sanitation products and

solutions; v) working with the media to keep the ODF agenda alive; vii) sustain behavior change; and viii) engage in advocacy for increased resources.

Justification and Purpose of the position

Working under the supervision of the Client's WASH Specialist based in Garissa, the primary role of the WASH Engineer is to ensure the technical quality, sustainability, and climate resilience of WASH infrastructure. Responsibilities include overseeing quality assurance of drilling, construction, and rehabilitation works, and leading monitoring and supervision of the Client's supported WASH interventions in communities, schools, and health care facilities. This position also supports the County Ministry of Water Services in the respective counties of assignment to enhance oversight of county-level water supply and sanitation initiatives. It promotes collaboration and knowledge sharing among stakeholders to achieve sustainable access to safe, affordable drinking water and sanitation services. The WASH Engineer will work in coordination with the County Director of Water Services and receive regular technical guidance from the Client's WASH Specialist in Garissa

Key Responsibilities:

1. Technical Quality Assurance of the Client’s Supported Projects

•          Review technical designs, BoQs and specifications of the client WASH construction and rehabilitation works including equipment, supplies and materials.
• Supervise the drilling and upgrading/rehabilitation of boreholes to solar-powered systems ensuring compliance with climate-resilient design standards and timely completion
  
• Supervise construction of gender- and disability-sensitive sanitation facilities in schools and health care facilities.
  
• Ensure proper installation of mass handwashing stations and water supply systems in targeted institutions.
  
• Conduct regular site inspections and technical assessments to ensure adherence to engineering standards and environmental safeguards.
  
• Review BoQs and prepare certificate of payments for infrastructure works.
  
• Provide technical support to artisans trained in repair and maintenance of WASH facilities.
  
• Provide technical support to government counterparts, NGO partners, UN system partners and other country office partners/donors on the application and understanding of CLIENT policies, strategies, processes and best practices in WASH, to support programme implementation.
  
• Support hygiene promotion activities including distribution of WASH, menstrual hygiene management for adolescent girls in school and women of reproductive age.
  
• Ensure schools and Health facilities are reached with WASH services to ensure continuous provision of services at the health facilities and continuous learning in schools.

2. Monitoring and Reporting

• Develop and implement Monitoring and Reporting frameworks and tools for tracking progress of CLIENT supported WASH infrastructure construction and rehabilitation activities.
  
• Support data collection, analysis, and reporting on key indicators including access to safe water, sanitation coverage, and hygiene behavior change.
  
• Strengthen and update existing water supply database to ensure real-time updates on water point functionality.
  
• Generate monthly reports to inform timely actions and support evidence-based decision-making through
  
• Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E). Collaborate with WASH Hub to strengthen coordination and data sharing for improved service delivery.
  
• Work collaboratively with colleagues and partners to collect/analyze/ share information on implementation issues, provide solutions on routine programme implementation and alert appropriate officials and stakeholders for higher-level interventions and/or decisions. Keep records of reports and assessments for easy reference/or to capture and institutionalize lessons learned.
  
• Participate in monitoring and evaluation exercises and annual sectoral reviews with government and other counterparts and prepare reports on results for required action/interventions by CLIENT.
  
• Assist in the preparation of learning/knowledge products, success stories for internal learning and donor reporting, covering innovative approaches and best practices, to support overall WASH sector development

3. Capacity Building and Community Engagement

• Provide technical support to Water Service Providers (WSPs) including regulated utilities and Water Users Associations (WUAs) on technical operations, legal registration, and governance.
  
• Collaborate closely with the Water Services Department, the Environment and Climate Change Department, and the Water Resources Authority in assigned counties to strengthen the institutional and technical capacity of Water Resource Users Associations (WRUAs), provide direct support including capacity building for their operations, and facilitate the development and implementation of sub-catchment management plans.
• Facilitate capacity-building sessions for school Hygiene and Sanitation (H&S) teachers/patrons, school health clubs and Boards of Management (BoMs) representatives to strengthen their knowledge and skills in H&S promotion and effective operation and maintenance of water and sanitation facilities.
• Engage with community structures (e.g., water committees, CHPs, natural leaders) to promote ownership and sustainability of WASH systems.

4. Coordination and Collaboration

• Build and sustain close working partnerships with government counterparts including the County and National government as well as the stakeholders supporting WASH programme intervention through active sharing of information and knowledge to facilitate programme implementation and build capacity of stakeholders to achieve WASH output results.
  
• Work closely with County Government departments (Water Services, Education, Public Health), Regulated Water Supply and Sanitation Service Providers, Water Resources Authority (WRA), and sub-county water officers.
• Liaise with WASH partners to ensure alignment with ongoing initiatives.Participate in joint planning, technical reviews, and coordination meetings with stakeholders.Facilitate quarterly/ad hoc inter-agency meetings, WASH forums, serve as secretariat, and enhance linkages through stakeholder meetings, water committees, and county forums.

Qualifications and Experience:

• Bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, water engineering, hydrology, hydrogeology, Environmental
• Engineering, or related field.
  
• Minimum 4 years of experience in WASH infrastructure design, implementation, and quality assurance in rural or semi-arid contexts.
  
• Knowledge and experience in community led total sanitation (CLTS), menstrual hygiene management (MHM), and climate-resilient WASH approach will be considered an added advantage.
  
• Strong knowledge of solar water pumping systems and sanitation technologies
  
• Experience in hygiene promotion strategies in communities, Schools and Health care Facilities will be considered an added advantage.
  
• Experience in monitoring and evaluation of WASH projects using digital tools and participatory methods.
  
• Excellent communication, stakeholder engagement, facilitation, and report writing skills.
  
• Fluency in English and Kiswahili

Desirable Attributes:

• Ability to work in remote and challenging environments.
  
• Strong interpersonal skills and ability to work in multi-sectoral teams.
  
• Familiarity with donor-funded projects and reporting requirements.
  
• Commitment to community-led development and participatory approaches.

How to apply

Interested applicants to send their cover letter and CV to: HR@artemiske.com on or before Friday 31st March 2026. Please quote the job title and your county of application as the subject. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.