Overall Purpose of the Role
The Climate and Water Systems Specialist will focus on expanding DRC Kenya’s climate-focused programme portfolio that address the intersection of displacement, climate and water access related challenges in Kenya. The role will contribute to strengthen the quality, effectiveness, sustainability and scale-up of integrated yet sector specific interventions on climate resilience including climate smart agriculture, water resource management and access, rangeland management and enhancing the adaptive capacity of vulnerable and displaced communities and pastoral communities in arid and semi-arid lands. The role requires a strong technical grounding in climate-resilient WASH, integrated water resource management (IWRM), and the policy, legal, and financing architecture that underpins climate adaptation programming in Kenya and the region.
Duties & Responsibilities
Programme Quality and Technical Support
- Provide technical expertise to country programme initiatives in the design, testing, implementation, monitoring, evaluation and validation of pilot initiatives with focus on Resilience Design, Climate Smart Agriculture and Farmer Managed Natural Regeneration generating evidence to inform programme improvement scaling and resource mobilization.
- Lead technical design and quality assurance of water resource management components, including IWRM planning, water security and water conservation approaches, groundwater/aquifer management, and engagement with basin-level water governance structures (e.g. Water Resource Users Associations, Water Resources Authority) relevant to ASAL contexts.
- Ensure programme approaches reflect climate-resilient WASH principles: climate risk and vulnerability screening of WASH infrastructure at design stage, drought, and floodproofing of water systems, water safety planning under climate stress, low-carbon/renewable-powered water systems (e.g. solar pumping), and linkages to Anticipatory Action and forecast-based financing for WASH pre-positioning.
- Lead the application and scaling of Resilience design (RAD), Climate Smart Agriculture, Water systems methodologies.
- Strengthen DRCs water access and climate-focused programme approaches that support communities in drought and flood conditions, including climate smart agriculture and resilience design, natural resource management and rangeland management, forestry initiatives and WASH.
- Explore further effective climate programme models and solutions relevant to displacement settings that DRC and partners could implement.
- Ensure technical guidance and programme design are grounded in relevant national and international policy and legal frameworks such as UNFCCC/Paris Agreement (NDCs, NAPs), SDG 6, Sendai Framework for DRR, and relevant WASH Cluster standards.
- Align climate programme models with other DRC sectors ensuring there is clear integration, understanding challenges and opportunities for implementation.
- Development of technical guidance, tools and standards for programming.
- Provide field level support to ensure technical quality and compliance with global WASH, climate standards.
Programme Design Development and Partnerships
- Work with country office and area programmes on developing high quality, competitive concept notes, proposals and budgets supporting ideation, design, delivery modalities, and writing.
- Explore alternative financing sources and recommend financing modalities, including carbon credits, investment finance, and other climate funding sources.
- Support engagement with donors and private sector partners to position DRC’s work in this area.
- Explore and map WASH and climate finance opportunities for DRC including traditional donors and finance modalities, identifying relevant opportunities and partners and that DRC can work with to access the diverse sector funding.
- Develop partnerships with relevant WASH and climate agencies, networks and coalitions that compliment DRC’s work and can open opportunities to access additional integrated water management/water and sanitation and health and climate financing.
- Support the realization of DRC Localization Strategy by participating in Partner Identification Process, Partner Capacity Assessment sessions and Project close-out meetings.
Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning
- Contribute to the development of MEAL frameworks, indicators, tools and systems for WASH and Climate related programmes (Ensure indicator frameworks capture water security and climate-resilience dimensions alongside standard WASH access indicators).
- Support quality donor reporting and technical evaluation processes.
External Representation, Coordination and Advocacy
- Represent DRC Kenya in relevant technical working groups and advisory forums.
- Contribute to the development of advocacy approaches related to climate and WASH issues.
Capacity Building and Knowledge Sharing
- Conduct workshops and training sessions to share knowledge and develop capacity with DRC teams and partners on WASH and climate programming, financing and WASH.
- Lead in the development of high quality and comprehensive knowledge products namely case studies, learning papers, technical reports, including preliminary analyses, programmatic approach documents, and final reports.
- Use monitoring data and lessons learnt to improve programme design and inform adaptive management.
Experience and Technical Competence
Required:
- At least 3-5 years’ experience in climate-related programming and WASH, with a focus on displacement and/or fragile contexts.
- Strong technical experience in design and delivery of climate programming including resilience design and permaculture principles, resilient food systems and smart climate agriculture; with hands-on experience ideally focused in humanitarian settings.
- Solid understanding of integrated water resource management (IWRM), water conservation approaches, and water security in the context of climate change, including basin-level water governance and groundwater management relevant to arid and semi-arid contexts.
- Strong understanding of climate-resilient WASH programming: climate risk screening of WASH infrastructure, drought/flood-resilient water system design, water safety planning under climate stress, and low-carbon/renewable-energy water solutions.
- Solid understanding of relevant national and international policy, legal frameworks and agreements, including the UNFCCC/Paris Agreement, Kenya's Water Act and Climate Change Act, the Human Right to Water and Sanitation, and relevant WASH/DRR standards (Sphere, Sendai Framework).
- Strong experience in partnership development with climate and WASH focused partners and strong network of climate and WASH partners and actors in the region, including ideally with funders.
- Proven experience in proposal writing and proposal development. Experience and working knowledge bidding for WASH and climate financing mechanisms and instruments (e.g. GCF, GEF, Adaptation Fund, Loss and Damage Fund, blended and results-based finance).
- Understanding of refugee / host community contexts, including socio-economic challenges and opportunities and the role NGOs and private sector can play in addressing challenges and realizing opportunities.
- Excellent analytical, interpersonal, communication, and reporting skills.
- Strong communication skills (oral and written) in English.
Desired:
- Technical experience in WASH systems strengthening.
- Technical/hydrogeological literacy relevant to groundwater development and management in ASAL contexts (e.g. borehole siting, aquifer recharge).
- Experience in working across multi-country contexts with diverse teams.
- Experience in climate financing modalities such as carbon credits.
- Experience working with a multitude of stakeholders, from senior management in countries, to field technical staff.
- Understanding of gender and protection dimensions of climate-WASH programming.
Education and Languages
- Undergraduate degree - Preference for a relevant Master's degree (e.g. water resources management, environmental engineering, climate change).
- English (fluent).
- Swahili (working proficiency preferred).
