Position Title: Technical Advisor, Product Quality Assurance

Department/Program: WASH

Level: TBD 

Reports to: Technical Director, Market Systems 

Based in: Addis Ababa

Required number: One

Vacancy type: Internal/External

Duration of contract: Indefinite based on performance and availability of funds. 

Remuneration: As per organization pay scale plus other PSI/Ethiopia staff benefits. 

Vacancy posted date: June 28, 2024

Application Deadline: July 11, 2024

Who we are?

We’re Population Services International (PSI), the world’s leading non‐profit social marketing organization. We work to make it easier for people in the developing world to lead healthier lives and plan the families they desire by marketing affordable products and services that range from mosquito nets to contraceptives to HIV testing. We are a $560m enterprise based in Washington, DC, operating in the private and public sectors in more than 65 countries.

Join us!

There are over 9,000 “PSI’ers” around the world. It’s a diverse group of entrepreneurs and professionals with an unusually wide range of backgrounds - from the medical industry to the music business - all with unique skills we bring to the job. 

PSI/Ethiopia wants to reimagine healthcare, put the consumer at the center, and whenever possible, bring quality care to the front door.  We achieve health impact in Ethiopia by working with both government and private partners and harvesting technology innovation to bring quality care closer to communities, schools, and homes.   We empower consumers by including them in the design of healthcare solutions, offering them more healthcare choices, and helping them to have a voice in influencing national priorities.  We work with all market actors in the health system to understand their needs, designing and delivering solutions so that market systems can sustainably serve consumers for the long term, helping to support the Government of Ethiopia in achieving Universal Health Coverage. 

We are looking for aTechnical Advisor, Product Quality Assurance with an engineering background, who will support development and innovation of sanitation and hygiene products and services related to the entire WASH value chain and oversee that products and services sold and delivered by the private sector are high quality, durable, and environmentally compliant. This staff will oversee R&D activities for products and services that support private sector business models, and coordinate and institutionalize all technical capacity building and training for local businesses within local TVETs and institutions for sustainability and replication.

Key Result Areas:

• Develop appropriate product and services through User Center Design

• Product and service prototyping and testing protocol and report

• Technical design bill of quantity standard sand specification 

• Review technical reports with recommendations.

• Technical training manual tailored to TOT training. 

• Technical quality assessment tools

• Quality assurance and standards measures tools and approaches.

• Program briefs, learning notes (in English), and other communication products.

• Skill transfer through experiment practical exercise, training and backstopping. 

Sounds like you? Read on! 

Your contribution

Under the supervision of Technical Director, Market Systems, the Product Quality Assurance Advisor will:

• Scan needs and available WASH product and services innovations and provide recommendations for market entrance and scale. 

• Design, adopt and implement new products and services concepts to the urban WASH market.

• Implement product and service design approaches including user center design/ human center design and iterative design process to ensure participation of users and actors in product and service design process.

• Ensure and establish quality standard measures tools and approaches for product and services. 

• Develop and adopt innovative alternatives and new technologies for traditional construction methods and use of inputs. 

• Prototype and test product concepts through standard tools and on field with consumers and market actors 

• Make recommendations on technical appropriateness of proposed design concept.

• Provide specification, design, bill of quantity and quality and occupational standards for new and existing WASH product and services concepts.

• Develop technical training manuals and guidelines for WASH products and services.

• Train professional trainers and local artisans on WASH product and services 

• Develop prototype and disseminate audio visual and digital aide for trainers and local artisans. 

• Support project management related to product design and business model development.

• Travel to the field and review technical aspects of new product installation within communities/consumers.

• Serve us a technical liaison for communication on technical aspects of WASH products and services.

What are we looking for? The basics

• MSc/BSc in Civil/Water/construction /mechanical Engineering or related fields. 

• Minimum 5/7 years of civil engineering experience in WASH, preferably with a development organization.

• Demonstrated experience in technical quality assurance and improvement, with ability to document processes and systems in a digestible way and present them to management and staff.

• Must demonstrate mastery of computer skills in engineering design software,  word processing, Excel for budget and spread sheet work and excellent presentation skills.  Skills in data processing will be an advantage.

• Must demonstrate strong interest and commitment to WASH and specifically for Market based sanitation 

• Ability to work with minimum supervision, skills to promote teamwork and effort is essential. Experience in practical fieldwork and prior supervisory position will be an advantage.

• Ability and willingness to travel to project activity regions and woredas as per need is required

Key Competencies

• Demonstrated experience in product development, technical designs and training facilitation. 

• Preferable to have experience in User Center design process. 

• Excellent communication, strong leadership/management skills. 

• Proficient in English and Amharic languages / both in oral and written communication

• Knowledge of regional languages is preferred.

• Comfortable using Microsoft Office and mobile applications. 

• Skill in Auto cad/ Archi cad 

• Willingness to travel extensively.

How To Apply

Are you intrigued? Apply!

By following our 3 steps application process:

1. Fill out the mandatory application form using the following link: Online Application Form. It will only take 5 to 10 minutes.

2. Send your CV and application letter to recruitment@psiet.org clearly mark “Application for Technical Advisor, Product Quality Assurance Position” in the subject line.

3. Check your email and make sure you receive an automatic response acknowledging receipt of your CV. If you don’t receive the automatic response, check again your subject line and if needed, re-submit your CV and application letter with the correct subject.

Application deadline is July 11, 2024. We’ll call or e-mail you back if there is a good fit on both sides.

PSI is an Equal Opportunity Employer and encourages applications from qualified individuals regardless of race, religion, national origin, sexual orientation, or disability.