Senior Specialist, Climate Health & WASH

INTERNATIONAL RESCUE COMMITTEE

Senior Specialist guiding IRC’s climate-resilient WASH and infectious-disease programming across fragile settings. Leading technical strategy, research, quality strengthening, and business development for a global humanitarian organization.

Posted 8/7/2026full-timeNew York City • New York • 🇺🇸 United StatesSenior💰 $104,000 - $120,000 per yearWebsite

Core Competencies

Role fit

Core Competencies

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Demonstrates expertise in Climate Resilient WASH, integrating technical delivery with strategic project management across humanitarian and development contexts. Proficient in capacity strengthening, stakeholder engagement, and data-driven decision-making to enhance program effectiveness.

Highest-signal resume keywords

Climate Resilient WASH ExpertiseTechnical Delivery in Infectious Disease PreventionCapacity Strengthening and CoachingBusiness Development and Proposal DesignAnalytical Skills and Evidence-Based Practice

ATS Keywords

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Applicant Tracking System Keywords

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Hard Skills

Program Design and LeadershipWASH Infrastructure DevelopmentData Analysis and Research EvidenceTechnical Guidance and Implementation ToolsMonitoring and Evaluation (MEAL)Climate Forecast IntegrationEpidemiological Data UtilizationGeo-Spatial Data AnalysisProposal DevelopmentBudget Management

Soft Skills

Outstanding Business AcumenCritical ThinkingProblem SolvingDecision-MakingInterpersonal Communication

Certifications & Qualifications

Master’s Degree in Public Health EngineeringMaster’s Degree in Environmental Management

Industry Keywords

WASHWater SecurityClimate ResilienceHumanitarian-Development NexusEmergency ResponseCapacity StrengtheningPolicy AdvocacyCommunity of PracticeStakeholder EngagementGlobal Strategy

About the role

Key responsibilities & impact

Lead a global portfolio of strategic projects across climate-resilient WASH, water security, and the water-energy nexus
Drive technical delivery of the Infectious Disease Prevention & Control Impact at Scale priority
Provide remote and in-country technical support, implementation tools, technical guidance, coaching, and capacity strengthening
Identify and lead research opportunities in climate-resilient WASH and infectious disease prevention
Collaborate with the Emergency Unit to strengthen WASH-in-emergencies technical quality and guidance
Monitor technical program implementation, budgets, and expenditures and drive course corrections
Collaborate with Health Unit, Technical Units, Global Practice Areas, regional advisors, and country programs
Support partner and donor engagement and contribute to global strategy and delivery planning
Lead finalization and rollout of CR-WASH indicators and the Climate Resilient WASH MEAL package
Convene and sustain a CR-WASH community of practice across countries and regions
Synthesize and disseminate technical standards, methodologies, implementation tools, and lessons learned
Contribute to competency frameworks, capacity-strengthening priorities, learning agendas, and MEAL data interpretation
Collaborate with policymakers, implementing partners, humanitarian responders, UN agencies, donors, and research networks
Represent IRC in technical, policy, and advocacy forums
Lead strategic business development opportunities and serve as technical lead on large, complex, high-value opportunities

Requirements

What you’ll need

6-8 years of progressive experience designing and leading programs relevant to Climate Resilient WASH in fragile and conflict-affected settings and/or across the humanitarian-development nexus
Master’s degree in public health engineering, environmental management, and/or related fields, or equivalent professional experience
Established or growing recognition as an expert in WASH, water security, environmental management, or a closely related field
Experience connecting WASH infrastructure development to service models, sustained operations, financing, policy, and systems strengthening
Experience collaborating across health, nutrition, climate resilience, and related domains
Knowledge of climate forecasts, epidemiological data, and geo-spatial data, and ability to integrate them into program targeting and intervention design
Rigorous analytical skills and demonstrated use of data and research evidence for programmatic decisions
Track record of driving uptake of evidence-based practice
Technical skills in coaching, mentoring, and capacity strengthening
Ability to design technical approaches for proposals and identify business development opportunities
Ability to work, manage, and meet deadlines in a fast-paced, highly matrixed environment
Outstanding business acumen, critical thinking, problem solving, and decision-making skills
Superb interpersonal, written, and verbal communication skills
Excellent communication, influencing, and storytelling skills
Proficiency in English and French required
Knowledge of Spanish or Arabic is an asset
Ability to travel globally up to 30% of the time, occasionally on short notice

Benefits

Comp & perks

10 sick days
10 US holidays
20-25 paid time off days depending on role and tenure
Medical insurance starting at $163 per month
Dental insurance starting at $6.50 per month
Vision insurance starting at $5 per month
FSA for healthcare and commuter costs
403b retirement savings plan with immediately vested matching
Disability and life insurance
Employee Assistance Program available to staff and their families for counseling and care
Continuous learning and development programs
Opportunities for personal and career advancement
Comprehensive safety and security initiatives
Supportive and inclusive workplace environment