Senior Technical Specialist, WASH; Equitable and Sustainable WASH Services in Bangladesh Delta Plan Hotspots Project

BRAC is an international development organisation founded in Bangladesh that partners with over 100 million people living with inequality and poverty globally to create sustainable opportunities to realise potential.As part of our ongoing commitment to ensuring safe and sustainable water access for all, BRAC is inviting expressions of interest from passionate and qualified professionals to join as Senior Technical Specialist, WASH for the Equitable and Sustainable WASH Services in Bangladesh Delta Plan Hotspots 2022-2026 project.This role will contribute to a major new initiative aimed at transforming water service delivery in Bangladesh’s coastal belt, home to a fourth of the country’s population and where water insecurity has become one of the most urgent climate challenges. The assignment is expected to begin in late 2025 for a one-year duration.About the Project:The Equitable and Sustainable WASH Services in Bangladesh Delta Plan Hotspots 2022-2026 project, funded by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (EKN), aims to strengthen access to safe and sustainable drinking water for communities most vulnerable to climate-induced water stress. Building on lessons from similar water-insecure contexts, the project draws insights from Bangladesh’s coastal districts, where communities face acute water scarcity due to salinity intrusion, arsenic and iron contamination, and recurring tidal floods.Despite the presence of diverse technologies such as hand pumps, pond sand filters, rainwater harvesting, reverse osmosis (RO), and piped water systems, nearly 30-40% of rural water points remain non-functional due to weak operation and maintenance, limited technical capacity, and low community ownership.To address these challenges, BRAC, in collaboration with TETRA, IRC Netherlands, and Aqua for All, proposes an integrated, market-based model that builds climate-resilient, inclusive, and financially sustainable water services for coastal and water-stressed communities.About the role:The Senior Technical Specialist will support the design and implementation of sustainable reverse osmosis (RO) brine management solutions, integrating WASH, environmental, and climate resilience goals. The incumbent will also foster collaboration with government, private sector, academia, and communities, ensuring gender-sensitive and inclusive approaches, while providing technical guidance, capacity building, and advocacy for resilient WASH and livelihood outcomes.Key Responsibilities:Lead and guide field trials for innovative brine management solutions, ensuring their technical feasibility, effectiveness, and adoption by communities. Design and implement sustainable aquaculture-based models for reverse osmosis (RO) brine reuse and management, particularly in coastal communities. Conduct comprehensive baseline assessments on aquaculture practices, RO brine quality and quantity, and ecosystem impacts to inform targeted interventions. Monitor, document, and report project outcomes through scientific articles, case studies, and knowledge products to share learnings and support policy development. Track and evaluate the environmental, water quality, sustainability, and livelihood impacts of various aquaculture and brine management models. Engage and liaise with government, private sector, academia, NGOs, and communities, ensuring gender-sensitive, socially inclusive, cross-sector collaboration.. Provide technical guidance, oversight, and capacity building on brine minimisation, treatment, reuse, environmental compliance, and WASH implementation. Support research, pilot projects, technical documentation, proposal development, and additional activities aligned with strategic WASH program goals.Safeguarding Responsibilities:Ensure the safety of Programme Participants, people who come into contact with the organisation and team members from any harm, abuse, neglect, harassment and exploitation including sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) to achieve the programme's goals of safeguarding implementation. Act as a key source of support, guidance and expertise on safeguarding for establishing a safe working environment.Practice, promote and endorse the issues of safeguarding policy among team members and ensure the implementation of safeguarding standards in every course of action.Follow the safeguarding reporting procedure in case any reportable incident takes place and encourage others to do so.Qualifications and Experience: Bachelor’s degree (or higher) in Fisheries, Aquaculture, Marine Science, Environmental Science, Environmental Engineering, Agriculture Engineering or relevant field from any recognised university/institution.Minimum 3 years’ experience in fisheries/aquaculture projects, preferably in coastal or saline-prone areas in Bangladesh.Knowledge of water quality management and developing brine reuse solutions.Understanding of brine chemistry, treatment technologies, and environmental impacts. Experience with environmental regulations and international standards for effluent disposal and management. Proven track record in managing multi-stakeholder projects and working with regulatory bodies. Strong analytical, project management, and communication skills. Familiarity with GIS, water modeling, or laboratory analysis is an asset. Experience in community engagement, participatory training, and capacity building.Strong report writing and documentation skills in both Bangla and English.Ability and willingness to travel extensively to field sites.Job Location: Khulna (with extensive coastal area visit)How to Apply: Interested candidates are invited to apply through LinkedIn or submit their updated CV to resume@brac.net, with the position clearly stated in the email subject line, by November 8, 2025. If you have any queries about this position, please write directly to the job poster.Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted. Please note that your submitted CV may be shared with external partners on this project. This position is subject to project award and funding. This position is open for Bangladeshi nationals only.BRAC believes that everyone we work with-including our staff, programme participants, partners, and the communities we serve-has the right to be protected from all forms of harm, abuse, neglect, harassment, and exploitation, including sexual exploitation and abuse. We uphold human dignity and inclusion for all, regardless of age, race, religion, gender, disability, ethnic origin, or socio-economic background. We are an equal opportunity employer. We especially encourage those who have shown resilience-who have faced personal struggles, bounced back, and continued to move forward-to apply.Selected candidates will have to go through a rigorous reference and background checking process which may include police verification.