WASH stands for water, sanitation and hygiene. It is one of the largest areas of humanitarian and development work in Africa, and WASH jobs are steadily searched on Jobmington. If you are an engineer, a public health graduate or a community worker, it can be a rewarding career.
Common WASH roles
- WASH officer or assistant: carries out water point, latrine and hygiene activities in communities and camps, and keeps records.
- WASH engineer: designs and supervises boreholes, water systems and sanitation facilities.
- Hygiene promotion officer: leads community hygiene education, such as handwashing campaigns and menstrual hygiene.
- WASH coordinator or manager: runs programmes, budgets, partners and reporting.
- Monitoring, evaluation and learning roles on WASH programmes.
Skills employers look for
- A degree or diploma in civil or water engineering, environmental health, public health or a related field.
- Field experience in communities or emergencies. Volunteer and internship work counts.
- Knowledge of humanitarian standards. Many agencies use the Sphere standards for WASH in emergencies.
- Data skills: water quality testing, mobile data collection and clear reporting.
- Languages for the area of work, such as French for parts of West and Central Africa.
Who hires
WASH roles come from UN agencies such as UNICEF, international NGOs, national NGOs, county and local governments, and engineering firms delivering water projects. Humanitarian roles cluster where needs are greatest, so be open to field locations.
See WASH roles open now: search WASH jobs on Jobmington. Browse by country: Kenya, Ethiopia, Uganda, Nigeria.
How to stand out
- Put numbers on your field work: water points rehabilitated, households reached, people trained.
- Name the tools you used, such as design software, water testing kits or data collection apps.
- Show you can work with communities, not only on infrastructure.
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