Employment Term: Fixed Term (1 Year Contract)
Level: National, C1
Location: Nyaung Shwe, Southern Shan State, Myanmar
Closing Date: 1 September 2026
“This role is opened for national applicant only.”
The Role:
Oxfam GB in Myanmar is looking for Programme Mangaer (WASH).
Job Purpose:
The Programme Manager (WASH) will provide strategic leadership, technical oversight and operational management of a UNICEF-funded Total WASH Programme serving floating and lakeshore communities in Inle Lake, Nyaung Shwe Township, Southern Shan State.
The post holder will be responsible for ensuring the delivery of high-quality, inclusive, climate-resilient and sustainable WASH interventions, encompassing both hardware and software components. This includes oversight of water supply systems, sanitation infrastructure, faecal sludge management, water quality monitoring, hygiene behaviour change, community engagement and institutional capacity strengthening.
The Programme Manager will lead programme planning, implementation, quality assurance, grant and budget management, donor compliance, partnership management, stakeholder engagement and risk management to ensure achievement of programme objectives and sustainable impact. The role will provide leadership to engineers, Public Health Promotion staff, partner organisations and field teams, while maintaining effective coordination with UNICEF, government authorities, local communities and other key stakeholders.
The position is also responsible for integrating MEAL, safeguarding, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), accountability and other cross-cutting priorities throughout the programme cycle, while strengthening partner capacity, promoting learning and accountability, and contributing to improved public health, community resilience and long-term community ownership of WASH services.
This Role Report To: Head of Programmes
Staff Reporting to this Post: Engineer, PHP, MEAL Coordinator; Finance coordinator. This post will also have consultancy support reporting to her/him once contracted.
Key Relation/Interaction: This position is expected to closely work with Deputy Head of Programmes, Humanitarian Programme Manager and Senior Programme Manager The Programme Manager is expected to have close relationship with the donor, relevant affiliate team, and the programme’s Steering Committee – as well as a key focal point of partners.
Key Responsibilities: (Technical, Leadership, People and Resource Management)
Programme Leadership, Management and Partnership Development
- Provide overall leadership, strategic direction and management of the Total WASH Programme, ensuring quality implementation, timely delivery and achievement of programme objectives, outcomes and donor commitments.
- Lead programme planning, start-up, implementation, monitoring, review, adaptation and close-out processes in accordance with approved proposals, workplans, budgets and organizational standards.
- Ensure programme implementation aligns with UNICEF requirements, government priorities, sector standards and organizational policies.
- Develop and oversee programme operational plans and ensure effective coordination across all technical workstreams, including WASH infrastructure, public health promotion, community engagement and capacity strengthening.
- Lead regular programme review and coordination meetings with partners and internal teams to assess progress, address implementation challenges, agree corrective actions and strengthen learning and accountability.
- Ensure programme interventions are informed by context analysis and integrate gender equality, disability inclusion, conflict sensitivity, safeguarding, accountability and other cross-cutting priorities throughout the programme cycle.
- Promote meaningful participation and leadership of women, youth, persons with disabilities and marginalized groups in programme planning, implementation and monitoring.
- Provide regular programme updates, analysis, forecasts and strategic recommendations to senior management, donors and other key stakeholders.
- Ensure programme interventions contribute to sustainable, community-led and climate-resilient WASH services, enhanced public health outcomes and increased community resilience.
Technical Leadership and Quality Assurance
Water Supply
- Provide technical oversight for design, construction, rehabilitation and improvement of water supply systems.
- Ensure compliance with national standards and UNICEF technical guidelines.
- Lead water safety planning and water quality monitoring systems.
- Support innovative solutions suitable for floating and hard-to-reach communities.
Sanitation
- Oversee sanitation facility design and construction for floating and lakeside communities.
- Promote safe management of wastewater and faecal sludge.
- Ensure sanitation interventions are inclusive, gender-sensitive and environmentally sustainable.
Hygiene Behaviour Change and Public Health Promotion
- Lead development of evidence-based Public Health Promotion and Social Behaviour Change strategies.
- Ensure effective implementation of hygiene promotion activities.
- Promote community ownership and sustained behaviour change approaches.
- Ensure meaningful participation of women, children, persons with disabilities and vulnerable populations.
Climate Resilience and Environmental Management
- Integrate climate adaptation and environmental sustainability considerations throughout programme delivery.
- Promote environmentally responsible WASH solutions that protect the Inle Lake ecosystem.
- Support community preparedness for climate and disaster-related risks affecting water and sanitation services.
Partner Management and Capacity Strengthening
- Lead engagement and performance management of implementing partners.
- Ensure partners comply with programme quality standards and donor requirements.
- Strengthen technical and management capacities of local partner organizations.
- Conduct regular partner reviews and support continuous improvement.
- Foster localization and community-led approaches throughout programme implementation.
Grants, Compliance and Financial Management
- Lead overall grant management and ensure compliance with donor agreements, organisational policies, and relevant donor regulations, including UNICEF requirements.
- Manage programme budgets and financial performance working closely with finance team and partners to ensure accurate budget planning, expenditure tracking, forecasting, variance analysis, and financial risk management.
- Monitor spending trends and budget utilisation, ensuring effective resource allocation, value for money, and timely corrective actions where required.
- Oversee partner and sub-grant management, including due diligence, contract management, budget review, financial monitoring, reporting, and grant closure processes.
- Review partner financial and narrative reports to ensure compliance, accuracy, quality, and accountability.
- Lead the preparation and submission of high-quality donor reports, programme documentation, and other compliance requirements.
- Support audits, donor reviews, financial verification exercises, and compliance assessments, ensuring that programme records are accurately maintained and auditable.
- Identify and mitigate financial, operational and compliance risks, and promote strong financial stewardship, transparency and accountability across all programme activities and partnerships.
Emergency Preparedness and Response
- Support emergency preparedness planning for floods, disease outbreaks and climate-related emergencies.
- Lead rapid WASH needs assessments when required.
- Support emergency response activities in coordination with local authorities and humanitarian actors.
- Ensure programme systems can effectively scale during emergencies.
Staff Management and Leadership
- Establish clear work plans, performance objectives and accountability mechanisms, and conduct regular performance reviews.
- Foster a culture of accountability, teamwork, learning, inclusion, and continuous improvement.
- Develop Terms of Reference and manage consultants, technical advisors, and short-term specialists as required.
- Promote effective coordination between programme, technical, MEAL, finance, and operations teams
- Provide coaching, mentoring and technical guidance to line managed assigned program staff and consultants to strengthen capacity and performance.
- Support recruitment, onboarding, staff development and wellbeing in line with organisational policies.
Programme Quality, MEAL and Knowledge Management
- Oversee the effective integration and implementation of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) systems and processes across assigned programmes.
- Ensure programme implementation is aligned with project log frames, theories of change, results frameworks, donor requirements, and organizational quality standards.
- Lead use of program data and monitor programme performance using data and evidence to support adaptive management, decision-making, and continuous improvement.
- Ensure accountability mechanisms are accessible, safe, inclusive, and responsive to communities, particularly women, vulnerable populations, and persons with disabilities.
- Promote evidence generation, documentation of lessons learned, best practices and programme innovations.
- Support and Coordinate evaluations, reviews, assessments, learning events, and research activities as required.
- Support advocacy, influencing, communication and visibility efforts related to programme objectives and impact, ensuring compliance with donor and organizational guidelines.
- Ensure programme data quality, reporting accuracy, and compliance with internal project management systems and donor reporting requirements.
- Work closely with MEAL and technical teams to mainstream learning, reflection, adaptation, and knowledge management throughout the programme cycle.
Representation, Coordination and Networking
- Serve as the primary programme focal point for UNICEF and other key stakeholders.
- Establish and maintain strong working relationships with government departments, local authorities, donors, UN agencies, clusters, networks, civil society organizations, OPDs, and other relevant stakeholders.
- Represent the organization and assigned programmes in relevant coordination forums, technical working groups, sector meetings, and partnership platforms.
- Support donor engagement and maintain regular communication with donors regarding programme progress, challenges, achievements, and opportunities.
- Contribute to programme development, proposal design, fundraising initiatives, and donor engagement processes.
- Support evidence-based advocacy related to equitable WASH service delivery in Inle Lake communities.
- Work closely with the Head of Programmes, Head of Programme Quality, and senior management team to ensure strategic alignment with country strategy and organizational priorities.
- Identify opportunities for programme integration, scaling, learning, and strategic partnerships.
- Coordinate effectively with finance, operations, logistics, procurement, HR, safeguarding and programme quality functions to ensure integrated programme management, compliance and efficient utilization of resources.
GEDSI, Disability Inclusion and Cross-Cutting Themes
- Ensure Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI) principles are integrated throughout programme design, implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and learning processes.
- Promote disability-inclusive programming approaches and support meaningful participation and leadership of persons with disabilities, including OPDs, in programme governance and implementation.
- Ensure safeguarding, protection, conflict sensitivity, social cohesion, climate resilience, and localization principles are mainstreamed across all programme activities.
- Monitor programme performance against inclusion and protection objectives and support corrective actions where necessary.
- Champion inclusive programming practices across partners and stakeholders.
Risk Management and Compliance
- Lead the identification, assessment, monitoring and mitigation of programme, operational, financial, partnership and compliance risks throughout the programme cycle.
- Ensure effective risk management systems and action plans are in place and regularly reviewed to support timely decision-making and adaptive programme management.
- Ensure compliance with donor requirements, contractual obligations, organisational policies and procedures, and applicable legal and regulatory requirements.
- Monitor partner compliance with donor and organisational standards and support partners to address identified compliance gaps through corrective action plans and capacity strengthening.
- Establish and maintain effective internal controls and accountability mechanisms to minimise programme and financial risks.
- Regularly review programme performance, delivery progress, risk registers and compliance status, ensuring that emerging issues are escalated and addressed in a timely manner.
- Support internal and external audits, donor reviews, assessments and compliance monitoring processes, ensuring that recommendations are implemented and tracked.
- Promote a culture of accountability, transparency, ethical conduct and responsible risk management across programme teams and partner organisations.
- Ensure programme documentation, records and reporting systems are complete, accurate and maintained in accordance with donor and organisational requirements.
- Provide regular risk and compliance updates to senior management and contribute to organisational learning and continuous improvement initiatives.
Safety and Security
- Complying with all security policies, procedures, directions, instructions, regulations or plans.
- Taking care of their own safety and security.
- Actively contributing to the development and maintenance of security management policy and procedures.
Safeguarding
- Ensure adherence to safeguarding policies by protecting the safety and dignity of all individuals.
- Ensure completing all annual core compliance courses.
- Must report any concerns or witness or suspect any behaviour that could be in breach of the one Oxfam safeguarding policies (PSEA, Child Safeguarding etc) or Oxfam Code of Conduct.
Other
- Eager and required to adhere to Oxfam’s principles and values as well as the promotion of gender justice and women's rights.
- Understanding of and commitment to adhere to equity, diversity, gender, child safety and staff health and wellbeing principles.
- In case of emergency response, perform assigned tasks to contribute to an efficient and timely emergency response activities.
What we are looking for:
ESSENTIAL
For this role, you will be expected to role model Oxfam's feminist leadership approach and we have selected the most relevant feminist leadership practices which we will use for assessment purposes (which you can read more about here ).
- Master’s or bachelor’s degree in civil engineering, Water Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Public Health Engineering, Environmental Health, Public Health, Development Studies or related discipline.
- Minimum 6-8 years of progressively responsible experience managing WASH programmes.
- Demonstrated experience managing large-scale development and/or humanitarian WASH programmes.
- Strong technical expertise across water supply, sanitation, hygiene promotion and public health programming.
- Proven experience managing multidisciplinary teams including engineers, public health promotion staff and partner organizations.
- Demonstrated experience working with UNICEF funded programmes.
- Strong understanding of UNICEF programme management, reporting and compliance requirements.
- Experience managing substantial programme budgets and multiple workstreams.
- Experience working directly with government institutions, communities and civil society organizations.
- Strong skills in project-cycle management, MEAL, risk management and adaptive programming.
- Excellent communication, representation and negotiation skills.
- Demonstrated commitment to gender equality, inclusion, safeguarding and accountability.
- Excellent written and spoken English; knowledge of local languages is an asset.
- Commitment to safeguarding, accountability, inclusion, and the organization's values and principles.
LEADERSHIP COMPETENCIES
- Strategic Thinking and Judgement
- Vision Setting
- Relationship Building
- Influencing
- Decisiveness
- Mutual Accountability
- Systems Thinking
- Agility, Complexity and Ambiguity
- Enabling Others
- Listening
- Humility
- Self-Awareness
In addition:
- Minimum 7 years of relevant experience in humanitarian, development, resilience, peacebuilding, or nexus programming, including at least 3 years in a programme leadership or management role.
- Demonstrated experience managing complex, multi-sectoral and multi-partner programmes in fragile, conflict-affected, or humanitarian contexts.
- Proven experience in programme cycle management, grant management, budget oversight, donor compliance, and partner management.
- Strong experience working with local partners, civil society organizations, community-based organizations, and other stakeholders, including capacity strengthening and localization approaches.
- Sound knowledge of Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL), safeguarding, Gender Equality, Disability and Social Inclusion (GEDSI), protection mainstreaming, and conflict-sensitive programming.
- Strong understanding of risk management, financial management, and donor regulations.
- Excellent leadership, planning, coordination, problem-solving, and decision-making skills.
- Demonstrated ability to build effective partnerships, manage diverse stakeholders, and represent programmes with donors, government, and coordination platforms.
- Strong facilitation, coaching, mentoring, and team management skills.
- Excellent analytical, communication, report writing, and proposal development skills.
- Good understanding of Myanmar's humanitarian, development, and civil society context.
We offer:
We offer a competitive salary and a range of additional benefits to staff including flexible working options, generous pension scheme, annual leave, additional leave allowances, company sick pay, life assurance and a range of other benefits.
From the day you join Oxfam we invite you to stretch and learn in your role. Our wide range of Learning & Development opportunities includes in-house courses, e-learning modules, on-the job learning opportunities, coaching and mentoring, and much more.
You can read more about all Oxfam has to offer here.
Flexfam:
We believe flexible working is key to building the Oxfam of the future, so we’re open to talking through the type of flexible arrangements which might work for you.
How to apply:
As part of your online application, please upload your up to date CV and Cover Letter explaining your suitability against the essential criteria in the job profile.
If you have any questions about this role, we'd love to hear from you. Please email us at recruitmentteam@oxfam.org.uk , making sure you include the job title of the role you're asking about.
New York (United States)