Organizational Background
CAWST is a Canadian
non-profit organization focused on the principle that clean water changes
lives. Safe water and basic sanitation are fundamentals necessary to empower
the world’s poorest people and break the cycle of poverty. CAWST believes that
the place to start is to teach peopl
e the skills they need to have safe water
in their homes. CAWST transfers knowledge and skills to organizations and
individuals in developing countries through education, training and consulting
services. This ever-expanding network can motivate individual households to
take action to meet their own water and sanitation needs. Since 2001, CAWST’s
client network has helped 9.3 million people get better water or sanitation.
Our vision is a world where people have
the opportunity to succeed because their basic water and sanitation needs have
been met.
Our mission is to provide technical
training and consulting, and to act as a centre of expertise in water and
sanitation for the poor in developing countries.
CAWST values
equitable opportunities, sustainable solutions and collaborative and inclusive
processes. We recognise and accept differences in cultural, religious and
political processes.
___________
The
Position:
Knowledge and Research Coordinator
Reports to: Director, Research Learning
Type: Full time, 12-month
contract as a maternity leave replacement
Start Date: Flexible, ideally August or
September 2015
Position Summary:
You will develop
innovative strategies, processes and tools to effectively manage technical
knowledge in water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH), building CAWST to become a
global leader and centre of expertise in WASH.
You will lead the
collection, analysis, and management of WASH technical knowledge from academia,
grey literature, and the field experience of practitioners and CAWST’s broad
base of 2,000 clients in 185 countries. You will also support the sharing of
knowledge, both within CAWST to ensure that staff are informed and current, as
well as with our partners and clients. You will facilitate the exchange of
knowledge between academics and practitioners, mentors practitioners to
implement WASH programs using the best available knowledge, and supports
academics to conduct research relevant to the needs of the practitioners.
You are an
enterprising and motivated individual with excellent organizational and writing
skills, constantly assessing, experimenting and learning from those with whom
you work. You want to contribute to expanding water and sanitation access
globally.
The position is
based in Calgary, Alberta, Canada. Travel is not required.
Responsibilities:
The Knowledge and
Research Coordinator will support the following functions:
- A. Create innovative
strategies and processes to transfer relevant knowledge to staff
- Create
and streamline strategies, processes and tools to access and review latest
WASH research information. - Create
and streamline strategies, processes and tools to distill relevant
research knowledge to staff through written and verbal means, in-person
and remotely. - Response
to technical inquires by CAWST staff. - Maintain
a list of commonly asked WASH facts and figures. - Update
and evolve strategies based on input from CAWST field staff, partners and
clients.
- B. Capture knowledge from
staff and clients
- Create
and implement new strategies, processes and tools to collect tacit
knowledge and learnings from field staff and from clients. - Advance
the expansion of knowledge management systems, including but not limited
to e-Libraries and online knowledge bases.
- C. Generate and disseminate
new knowledge to the sector through innovative channels
- Establish
strong working relationship with reputable research institutions worldwide
to address priority knowledge gaps in the sector. - Coach
practitioners to design and manage practical research projects to increase
the impacts and sustainability of their WASH programs. - Support
Education Program Development department in creating effective education
and training materials. - Share
new knowledge through emerging and traditional channels, including and not
limited to webinars, videos, virtual discussion forums, online
knowledge-bases conferences, and publications. - Response
to technical inquiries by clients, students, and others.
- D. Global services to
clients
- Develop,
pilot test, and refine potential in-country services to clients related to
practical research and knowledge management.
- E. Other responsibilities
- Support
business development and management functions, for example: - Develop
and execute strategies and plans of the Research Learning department. - Understand
and contribute as appropriate to CAWST’s operations and business services
cycle (e.g. monthly operations reports, budget reconciliations) - Interface
and sustain credibility with partners, clients and potential clients to
promote CAWST’s credibility and services. - Assist
with proposal writing, fund development, donor reporting and public
campaigns, as required.
Education:
- Masters
level degree (or higher) in engineering, public health, science or related
fields.
Experience:
- Minimum
2 years of experience working in water, sanitation, hygiene, or health in
international development context. - Preferred
experience in library and information science. - Preferred
experience of applying ICT (information communications technology) to
knowledge management.
Skills and
Attributes:
- Entrepreneurial:
Enjoy working in a dynamic, constantly changing environment. Able to
identify opportunities, think creatively about challenges, resolve issues,
make recommendations, and seek support when necessary. - Organized:
Strong project management and coordination skills. Able to define a scope
of work, outline what it will take to complete the project, and engage
others as needed in the process to achieve project objectives, while
handling multiple tasks and balancing priorities. - Team
player: Able to work well both independently and within a team. - Analytical
capability: Make good judgement on the authenticity and relevancy of
research findings. Effectively analyze and synthesize academic research
articles to generate strategic recommendations and practical actions. - Meticulous:
Exercise great care in collecting and managing technical knowledge with
high degree of accuracy, consistency, and rigour, down to the last detail.
- Communication:
Appropriately present complex information in plain language, with the
ability to target different and cross-cultural audiences. - Continual
learning: Open to new ideas and feedbacks from colleagues. Constantly
assess, experiment and learn to improve. - Research:
Able to conceptualize, plan, and conduct high quality practical research
projects. - Languages:
Fluent French and / or Spanish an asset (verbal and written)
Compensation:
Will be discussed in
personal interview.
How
to apply
Please visit http:www.cawst.org/en/get-involved/employment
to learn how to submit your resume, cover letter and questionnaire. The
position will be open until filled. No phone calls please. Only those
candidates able to work in Canada will be reviewed; and only those granted an
interview will be contacted.
