Aquaya Jobs 2021

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 30 peer-reviewed research articles and produced numerous other reports 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.

Job Description

Job Title: Research & Program Manager

About the Research & Program Manager position

We are recruiting a Research & Program Manager for a full-time position based in Accra, Ghana. This position will require international travel within sub-Saharan Africa and will report to Aquaya’s Director of Research & Programs. The Research & Program Manager will be responsible for managing research activities, including

Specific activities include:

• Develop data collection tools and research protocols
• Write literature reviews and research briefs
• Manage project budgets and timelines
• Manage datasets and conduct basic statistical analysis
• Contribute to publications, reports and dissemination materials

The Research & Program Manager will contribute to Aquaya’s new initiatives:

Rural Evidence and Learning for Water (REAL Water) Program. Funded by USAID and led by Aquaya, the REAL Water program will evaluate strategies for expanding access to safe, equitable, and sustainable rural water across the developing world. The REAL Water program will conduct research on three primary topics:

• Professionalization of rural water service delivery
• Strengthening of water quality monitoring in rural areas

Urban Resilience by Building partnerships and Applying New evidence in WASH (URBAN WASH) Program. Funded by USAID and led by Tetra Tech, the URBAN WASH program will generate and promote evidence for more sustainable, equitable, and climate-resilient WASH and water resources management (WRM) policy and programming in urban and peri-urban areas. The URBAN WASH program will conduct research on three primary topics

• Institutional frameworks for city-wide access to safe water and sanitation
• Water safety management among small-scale providers
• Targeted subsidies for water and sanitation

Criteria for the Program Officer position

The following qualifications are necessary for this position:

• Master’s degree – preferably in engineering, science, environmental science, or related field.
• 4+ years of relevant work experience OR PhD in related field.
• Demonstrated technical experience in water engineering (drinking water treatment and/or drinking water supply) or related field.
• Previous international work experience in sub-Saharan Africa.
• Ability to conduct quantitative data analysis in Excel, R, or Stata.
• Excellent verbal, written, and interpersonal communication skills.
• Commitment to living in Ghana on a full-time basis.
• Fluency in English.

We are also looking for the following skills and attributes:

• Good problem-solving and time management skills.
• Strong work ethic and a commitment to delivery.
• 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!

Compensation and Benefits

This is a full-time position, with an initial 3-month probationary period. Aquaya offers competitive salaries that are commensurate with experience. Benefits include medical insurance and enrollment in a pension plan.