Senior Specialist, Climate Health & WASH

The International Rescue Committee (IRC) responds to the world's worst humanitarian crises, helping to restore health, safety, education, economic wellbeing, and power to people devastated by conflict and disaster. Founded in 1933 at the call of Albert Einstein, the IRC is one of the world’s largest international humanitarian non-governmental organizations (INGO), at work in more than 40 countries and 29 U.S. cities.

About the role

The Senior Specialist for Climate Health and WASH is the organization’s focal point for Climate Resilient WASH (CR-WASH) and Climate Sensitive Infectious Disease Prevention within the Crisis Response, Recovery and Development (CRRD) department. The Senior Specialist works under the leadership of the Environment & Climate Health Global Practice Lead (GPL) to drive progress through leadership of strategic projects, delivering on global strategic priorities, and ensuring the scope, quality, and relevance of organizational technical standards. The Senior Specialist leads delivery of the CR-WASH and water security components of the Health Outcome Strategy and co-delivers the Infectious Disease Prevention & Control (IDPC) Impact at Scale priority. The role covers a global portfolio including WASH service continuity in the face of climate shocks, water-related disease prevention, WASH in healthcare facilities, anticipatory action, and the water-energy nexus.

Responsibilities

• Strategic and Technical Delivery (50% LOE):
  • Lead a complex portfolio of strategic projects across CR-WASH, water security, and the water-energy nexus, including anticipatory action and forecast-based response for CR-WASH, WASH systems and finance, and energy access for water and health facilities in fragile and conflict-affected settings (FCAS).
  • Drive technical delivery of the IDPC Impact at Scale priority, focusing on CR-WASH and water-related disease dimensions, including strategy refinement, country prioritization, and roadmap planning.
  • Provide intensive remote and in-country technical support to Technical Advisors, Regional Practice Leads, and Country Program teams, including development of implementation tools, technical guidance, and specialized capacity strengthening.
  • Identify and shape research opportunities in CR-WASH/IDPC, including cost-effectiveness and life-cycle costing, and lead implementation as needed.
  • Collaborate with the Emergency Unit on technical quality strengthening for WASH in Emergencies, review technical guidelines for acute emergency contexts, and provide technical backstopping.
  • Monitor progress on technical program implementation, including budgets and expenditures, and drive course corrections as needed.
  • Collaborate effectively on shared priorities within the Health Unit and with other Technical Units and Global Practice Areas.
  • Support partner and donor engagement for strategic projects as needed.
• Technical Quality Strengthening and Organizational Learning (25% LOE):
  • Lead finalization and rollout of the CR-WASH core indicators and Climate Resilient WASH MEAL package, and revise technical guidance as evidence evolves.
  • Convene and sustain a CR-WASH community of practice for peer exchange, surfacing field learning to inform technical guidance.
  • Synthesize lessons and strengthen technical guidance on Anticipatory Action for CR-WASH/IDPC.
  • Contribute to the development of the Environment & Climate Health technical competency framework and assessment.
  • Synthesize, adapt, and disseminate relevant technical standards, methodologies, and implementation tools.
  • Provide technical inputs to MEAL tools and methodologies, and support data interpretation and use.
  • Proactively disseminate lessons learned across countries and regions for strategic projects.
  • Contribute to shaping and delivering the Environment & Climate Health Learning Agenda.
• External Influence, Relationships, and Representation (10% LOE):
  • Collaborate with policymakers, implementing partners, humanitarian responders, and UN agencies to advance guidance and outcomes on CR-WASH/IDPC.
  • Represent IRC in external forums, including technical, policy, and advocacy workshops across Health, WASH, and Climate domains.
  • Contribute to global prioritization and agenda-setting efforts for FCAS.
  • Work with Policy and Communications Teams to develop and advocate IRC’s policies on CR-WASH/IDPC.
• Business Development (15% LOE):
  • Lead strategic business development opportunities in partnership with relevant teams.
  • Provide specialized support on program design in CR-WASH and IDPC to Technical Advisors and Country Programs.
  • Serve as technical lead on large, complex, and high-value business development opportunities.

Requirements

• Established or growing recognition as an expert in WASH, water security, environmental management, or closely related field, with a minimum of 6-8 years of progressive experience designing and leading programs relevant to Climate Resilient WASH in FCAS and/or across the humanitarian-development nexus.
• Master’s degree in public health engineering, environmental management, or related fields, or equivalent professional experience.
• Demonstrated experience developing and delivering new strategies to advance ambitious goals, with strong ability to connect WASH infrastructure development to service models, sustained operations, financing, policy, and systems strengthening.
• Experience collaborating across health, nutrition, climate resilience, and related domains, with ability to clearly communicate the contribution of WASH and water security to health, climate resilience, and other outcomes.
• Knowledge of and ability to use and integrate data, including climate forecasts, epidemiological data, and geo-spatial data to inform program targeting and intervention design.
• Strong track record of driving uptake of evidence-based practice, including technical skills in coaching, mentoring, and capacity strengthening.
• Ability to design technical approaches for proposals and identify new business development opportunities.
• Ability to work, manage, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, highly matrixed environment; outstanding business acumen, critical thinking, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
• Superb interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills with ability to collaborate across countries, cultures, and departments.
• Excellent communication, influencing, and storytelling skills.
• Proficiency in English and French required; knowledge of Spanish or Arabic an asset.
• Ability to travel globally up to 30% of the time, occasionally on short notice.

Pay

• Compensation (US): $104,000 - $120,000. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.
• Compensation (UK): £58,476 - £69,440. Ranges are based on various factors including the labor market, job type, internal equity, and budget.

Key Working Relationships

• Reports to: Global Practice Lead, Environment & Climate Health
• Primary relationships: Primary Health Care Global Practice Lead, Senior Specialist for Infectious Disease, Regional Technical Advisors, other Specialists and Senior Specialists
• Internal relationships: Health Unit team members, Research and Innovation teams, MEAL team, Airbel Impact Lab, Emergency Unit, Policy Solutions, Advocacy Influence, and Systems Change Global Teams, Global HQ and AMU
• External relationships: INGO counterparts, UN agencies, global coordination mechanisms, public and private donors, research networks