MOBILE SUPPORT TECHNICIAN WATSAN - OPERATION CELL 1 (MIDDLE EAST)

Do your skills and experience not precisely match the requirements? MSF-OCBA is an organization committed to promoting diversity and equity by providing equal access to professional opportunities. We understand that women, people of colour, indigenous individuals, members of the LGTB+ community, and other underrepresented groups often hesitate to apply for employment if they don't meet all the requirements. At MSF-OCBA, we strive to create a diverse, inclusive, and genuine workplace. Therefore, if you're interested in this position but your experience doesn't align perfectly with the selection criteria, we encourage you to apply anyway. You might be the ideal candidate for this or other positions.

MAIN PURPOSE

The MST Watsan provides first- and second-line technical support, remotely and in person, to the MSF OCBA portfolio in Cell 1 (Palestine, Yemen, Syria and Afghanistan) on water supply, hygiene, sanitation and vector control (WHS and VC). The post also builds the capacity of field staff by applying and transferring technical know-how in line with MSF protocols, standards and procedures. All support contributes to the OCBA Logistics and Supply Chain Priorities 2026–2030, enabling missions to develop in optimal working conditions and maximizing the impact of MSF projects.

JOB OVERVIEW

In collaboration with the Logistics Coordinator when in the programs, and under the hierarchical supervision of the Logistic Cell Advisor (TELOCO) and functional supervision of the Watsan Technical Coordinator, the MST Watsan will work with mission staff to promote relevant technical awareness and to improve technical delivery in Water Supply, Hygiene, Sanitation and Vector Control, providing support and advice in accordance with the Terms of Reference agreed with the mission. Beyond immediate operational support, the role is also expected to contribute to strategic thinking and planning for the Watsan portfolio in Syria, Yemen and the broader Cell context.

ACCOUNTABILITIES

• Following up on Watsan activities in her/his portfolio countries, monitoring established and ongoing work, systems and installations, and providing technical advice and solutions when necessary.
• Reporting systematically on progress in implementing the Watsan-related elements of the OCBA Logistics and Supply Chain Priorities 2026–2030, the application of related policies and performance against Watsan KPIs, to inform strategic and operational decisions.
• Promoting understanding and alignment of Watsan interventions with MSF priorities and standards.
• Carrying out field visits to portfolio countries as needed or as requested by field teams.
• Helping to revise or draft the mission's Watsan strategy in line with current and future operations and providing advice when pertinent.
• Carrying out functional evaluations of the Watsan set-up, assessing technical installations, systems, structures, equipment and HR set-up, and compliance with MSF procedures, policies and guidelines, to identify the main areas for improvement.
• Supporting the mission to develop and implement an improvement plan based on the recommendations of the functional evaluation.
• Providing technical assessment of local suppliers and (sub-)contractors for the quality of materials, systems, installations and parts, to inform their validation against MSF quality standards.
• Assisting the logistics team with the design and installation of new or complex systems and with the implementation of new protocols and tools.
• Assisting the logistics team with HR tasks, including recruitment and selection of technical staff, and briefing and debriefing of focal persons and logisticians.
• Identifying training needs for WHS and VC, contributing to training content, and facilitating team and on-the-job training on technical basics according to MSF standards.
• Developing new policies, tools, protocols and SOPs in her/his area of expertise (local, regional or global), at the request of the Watsan Technical Coordinator and in coordination with the Operational Cell Logistics Advisor.
• Drafting reports and action plans after field visits to capture lessons learnt.
• Contributing to the research and development of field tools, practices, guidelines and policies, including proposing and piloting innovative solutions to recurrent technical problems.
• Developing and maintaining knowledge of practices and approaches in her/his area of expertise and sharing it to improve operational effectiveness.

ROLE’S SPECIFIC ELEMENTS

• Field Support: regular support on field evaluation of needs, assessments, definition of strategies and field policies, and the implementation or launching of key activities to achieve the quality standards both in Health Structures and within Communities. S/he will have a portfolio of countries to follow throughout the year. 
• Training: will also conduct training on relevant topics to the staff of the mission, and will participate in the review, design and presentation of MSF training modules, and / or coaching of other human resources in the field. 
• Others: will support the Watsan Team in projects/activities to be defined which amongst others could include temporarily doing the backup of the Watsan Technical Coordinator. S/he could be representing MSF Watsan position in forums and meetings. 
• Close coordination and communication with other departments, to ensure a homogenous approach to responding to the emergency.

• The position requires the ability to travel to missions in the assigned portfolio, subject to visa, administrative, and security constraints.
• Candidates should be able to undertake travel to Yemen, Syria, Afghanistan, and Palestine as required by operational needs, subject to applicable travel authorizations and security conditions.

SELECTION CRITERIA

Education and experience

• Desirable: Postgraduate qualification in water and sanitation, public health, or humanitarian studies
• Minimum 2 years of NGO Watsan field experience; community and HCF Watsan, outbreak response; adult training facilitation; ability to work in remote and insecure settings
• Desirable: MSF Watsan experience; Middle East context, Experience in Watsan interventions or infrastructure design in climate-vulnerable or climate-affected contexts.
• Languages: Full proficiency in English required; other languages valuable (French, Arabic are a plus).

CONDITIONS

• Frequently travels to the missions (at least 60% of the time). Homebased position when not deployed.
• Full time position.
• The salary will be in accordance with the Mobile Grid, GGF level 16 with associated individual pay calculation, with an additional gross monthly allowance of 250 euros.
• If the selected candidate is legally resident in Spain, the entry step salary is €38,000 (final salary will be determined based on individual pay calculation).
• Annual leave includes 25 working days plus 3 additional personal days per calendar year, as well as up to 20 working days of rest per year following program visits
• Practical working conditions while in the field are as per MSF-OCBA guidelines
• Duration: end of 2026. Possible renewal
• Starting date: November 2026

HOW TO APPLY

• To apply, please submit your CV and cover letter to:
• Closing date: November 4th, 2026, 23:59 CET (Central European Time).

INFORMATION ABOUT RECRUITMENT PROCESS STEPS

• After the application deadline, the recruitment process usually takes between 6 and 8 weeks.
• All candidates will be informed once the process is closed. Due to the high number of applications, individual feedback cannot usually be provided.
• If you have not heard from us, it means the process is still ongoing and additional candidates may be contacted.
• A reference check will be requested in the final stages of the process. Candidates will be required to provide references from former employers using professional or corporate email addresses (personal email accounts such as Gmail, Yahoo, etc. will not be accepted).

All applications will be treated with the strictest confidence. MSF provides a work environment that reflects the values of gender equality, teamwork, integrity and a healthy balance of work and life. MSF does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment and discrimination.