NRC is currently working in Burkina Faso, with staff dedicated to assisting people affected by conflict. Its humanitarian interventions are based on its programming expertise in the Core Competencies of Shelter, Site Management, Education, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene, Protection from Violence, along with Information Counselling and legal Assistance (ICLA) to vulnerable displaced people.  
Since 2014, Burkina Faso has faced significant challenges, including political instability, escalating insecurity, and economic shocks. Despite these hurdles, the country has maintained modest economic growth, primarily driven by the agriculture and services sectors. In 2024, Burkina Faso, Mali and Niger formalized the confederation of Sahelian states, building on the alliance created in 2023; the three countries also decided to leave the ECOWAS, but not the UEMOA.
According to the Humanitarian Needs and Response Plan (HNRP), in 2025 an estimated 5.9 million people in Burkina Faso are projected to need humanitarian assistance, including both IDPs and nearly 57% non-IDPs. Planning figures are based on late-2024 conditions, assuming no major structural changes. Insecurity—marked by IEDs, irregular checkpoints, and convoy attacks—continues to restrict humanitarian access and civilian movement, affecting 39 localities across six regions. 
Between 2016 and 2024, the number of people in need and those targeted for assistance nearly quadrupled. For 2025, 5.9 million people are estimated to be in need, with 3.7 million targeted—25% women, 55% children, 15% persons with disabilities. This reflects a 4.5% decrease from 2024, mainly due to stricter application of the JIAF methodology, which focuses strictly on multisectoral humanitarian needs.
The humanitarian response in Burkina Faso has been undermined by violence targeting aid workers and assets. In 2024 alone, at least 10 incidents affected humanitarian actors, resulting in 2 deaths, 1 injury, 5 abductions/arrests, and the loss of food supplies and vehicles. Despite these challenges, the revitalization of civil-military coordination (CMCORD) and the GTA has supported alternative access strategies and bolstered humanitarian operational capacity.
Consultations for the 2025 HNO reveal that gender, age, disability, social status, and inequality shape the impact of the crisis. Adolescents, girls, women, children, people with disabilities, and the elderly are among the most affected. Notably, 82% of IDPs are women and children, with 38% of the women heading households. Persistent insecurity, restricted humanitarian access, and resource limitations are increasing the risk of sexual exploitation and abuse (SEA) among affected populations.
In 2025 and beyond NRC expects the overall situation to remain challenging, with contracted humanitarian space, increased demand for bureaucratic and administrative compliance and a growing need for humanitarian and access advocacy, both public and private. This is compounded with significant changes in the funding for the humanitarian aid globally (drastic restructuring of USAID / BHA, many traditional donor countries reducing development and aid budgets as of 2025), which already has an impact on how NRC can resource its response in Burkina Faso.

Shelter and Settlements: NRC is currently focused on expanding its Shelter portfolio in Burkina Faso. In addition to offering temporary shelters equipped with emergency Non-Food Item (NFI) kits, lighting and alternative cooking solutions, for newly displaced families; NRC is expanding its transitional shelter response, its innovative market-based programming and cash response modalities. Additionally, NRC shelter team builds temporary, transitional, and permanent classrooms in close coordination with the NRC education team.
Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene: WASH interventions are seamlessly integrated with other Core Competencies to maximize impact and efficiency. NRC provides comprehensive WASH assistance, addressing access to water, sanitation, and hygiene promotion. Water access is facilitated through the construction of boreholes with human-powered pumps, small drinking water supply systems (PEA or AEPS), conversion of hand pump-equipped boreholes into small drinking water supply NRC is also working to strengthen direct solar pumping system as an alternative to prolonged water trucking if needed to besieged areas. 
To achieve its country objectives, NRC is looking for an experienced and dedicated Shelter & Wash Specialist.

The WASH & Shelter Specialist will provide technical oversight and strategic direction to Country and Area offices to further the development of the WASH - Shelter Core Competency (CC). The Specialist will provide quality assurance for all projects, develop a collaborative country strategy, capacity build staff through mentoring and training to increase the technical capacity of the staff, and develop a donor strategy to further grow the program.

 

Generic responsibilities 

• Develop WASH and Shelter CC strategies, technical guidance and Macro LFAs 

• Compliance with and adherence to NRC policies, guidance and procedures 

• Contribute to fundraising, develop and revise funding proposal, budgets and donor reports. 

• Identify trends, technical standards and donor priorities. 

• Follow up on compliance with contractual commitments within CC, ensure high technical quality and synergies in project implementation. 

• Provide technical direction and project implementation support to the implementation team. 

• Ensure that key learnings are extracted from CC implementation and incorporate them in CC and staff development processes. 

• Provide systematic training and build capacity of WASH and Shelter staff.

• Represent NRC in relevant forums/clusters, including with national authorities and donors

• Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy.

 

Specific responsibilities 

• Responsible for technical innovative development and quality of WASH-Shelter CC in country, holistic programming (with other CCs) and to ensure harmonisation and consistency across CC projects in line with NRC Programme Policy

• Develop Shelter and WASH strategies, technical guidance and Macro LFAs that are aligned with regional and global strategies and priorities and promoting and operationalizing integrated programming (focus on Education, LFS, Protection from Violence and ICLA)

• Take the lead on quality project deliverables to ensure high technical outputs strengthening the organisational learning from programme implementation, sharing of best practice and capacity building.

• Provide strategic leadership on the development of programming that recognizes the WASH and Shelter challenges faced by displacement affected population and leading implementation of Safe and Inclusive Programming Minimum Standards throughout programmes, with capacity building, guidance and interdepartmental engagement.

• Support the consideration and inclusion of cash-based interventions and market-based approaches within (and across) the Shelter and WASH core competencies and contribute to the institutionalization of cash-based interventions through capacity building, guidance and SOP development and inter-departmental engagement.

• Lead the process on proposals, budgets, modifications, project reviews and reporting and ensure high technical quality ensuring that SIP elements are introduced into technical documents (e.g assessments, guidance notes, tools etc)

• Support programmatic M&E and indicator tracking in conjunction with project teams and M&E department.

• Develop and lead on conducting needs assessments (in collaboration with Area Program teams, Protection team and M&E team), baseline, mid-and end-evaluations.

• Represent NRC with relevant donors, government ministries, and in relevant humanitarian coordination meetings in country.

• Provide support and input to the recruitment processes for all WASH and Shelter staff.

 

1. Professional competencies 

• Minimum 5 years of experience within technical expertise area in a humanitarian/recovery context;

• Minimum 2 years of WASH and/or Shelter expertise (as Specialist or Project Manager)

• Experience from working in complex and volatile contexts.

• Expertise in Shelter programming.

• Expertise in WASH programming.

• Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities.

• Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile.

• Humanitarian coordination experience

• Fluency in English and French, both written and verbal

• This position requires 50% travel in field offices, where security condition is volatile (Central North, Sahel, East and Boucle de Mouhoun region in Burkina), our ideal candidate should be able to travel in those areas

Context/specific skills, knowledge and experience:

• Knowledge of Burkina Faso and the regional Sahel conflict dynamic

• Experience of programming in the region.

• Experience of programme scale-up and scale-down.

• Preferred experience of working in matrix management structure.

• Experience of collaborative working with remotely based colleagues.

 

Behavioural competencies 

• Working with people
• Handling insecure environments
• Strategic thinking
• Empowering and building trust
• Initiate action and change
• Analyzing

 

1. Performance Management

• The Job Description

• The Work and Development Plan

• The Mid-term/End-of-trial Period Performance Review Template

• The End-term Performance Review Template

• The NRC Competency Framework

 

At NORCAP, we work to better protect and empower people affected by crises and climate change. With expertise in the humanitarian, development and peacebuilding sectors, we collaborate with local, national and international partners on finding solutions to meet the needs of people at risk. NORCAP is part of the Norwegian Refugee Council.