Project Research Scientist – III (Non-Medical) – Water, Sanitation and Hygiene(WASH) Specialist

Number of Position: 1

Project: CHARM-India – Climate and Health Adaptation for Resilience and Sustainable Healthcare Management

Funding agency: Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR); ICMR Project ID: CAR-2025-01-000148

Duration: Five-year project. Appointment will initially be for one year, extendable based on performance and project requirement. The position is temporary and co-terminus with the project.

Institution: Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC), New Delhi

Location: Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar, Odisha. The post holder will be based full-time at this hospital site, with visits to the other participating hospitals for WASH work as per project requirement.

Reporting to: Principal Investigator

Salary: As per ICMR rules.

Upper age limit: 45 years (as on the last date of receipt of applications). Age relaxation as per ICMR guidelines.

Job Description

Overall Purpose

To provide scientific and technical leadership for the planning, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation of Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) interventions under the CHARM-India project. The candidate will lead WASH assessments, support implementation of climate-resilient WASH systems, ensure compliance with national and international standards, and strengthen institutional capacity through training and technical guidance. The post holder will be based at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar. About 50% of the role will cover Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) work for all five participating hospitals (Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences, Kochi; PSG Institute of Medical Sciences and Research, Coimbatore; Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar; Sawai Man Singh (SMS) Medical College and Hospital, Jaipur; and ESIC Medical College and Hospital, Faridabad). The remaining 50% will cover site coordination and all CHARM-India activities at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar.

Responsibilities and Requirements

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Leadership

• Lead the planning and implementation of WASH components within the CHARM-India project.
• Provide scientific and technical guidance on climate-resilient WASH systems in healthcare facilities.
• Develop technical protocols, assessment tools, and standard operating procedures for WASH activities.

2. WASH Assessments

• Lead baseline and follow-up WASH assessments in participating healthcare facilities using standardized methodologies.
• Evaluate water supply, sanitation, hygiene infrastructure, waste management practices, and environmental health systems.
• Identify gaps and recommend evidence-based interventions to strengthen climate resilience.

3. Intervention Implementation

• Support design and implementation of WASH improvement interventions aligned with hospital climate resilience plans.
• Provide technical support for strengthening water safety, sanitation, infection prevention, and environmental cleaning systems.
• Promote sustainable and climate-resilient WASH practices within healthcare facilities.

4. Monitoring, Evaluation, and Compliance

• Develop and monitor WASH performance indicators and implementation milestones.
• Ensure compliance with national guidelines for WASH in healthcare facilities.
• Conduct supportive supervision, monitoring visits, and quality assurance activities.
• Prepare technical reports documenting progress, findings, and recommendations.

5. Capacity Building

• Develop training modules and technical resource materials on WASH and climate resilience.
• Conduct training programmes, workshops, and mentoring sessions for healthcare workers and facility management teams.
• Support capacity strengthening of project staff and implementing partners.

6. Research and Knowledge Generation

• Contribute to research protocols, implementation research, and operational studies related to WASH and climate resilience.
• Analyse assessment findings and prepare scientific reports, manuscripts, policy briefs, and technical publications.
• Present technical findings during stakeholder meetings, workshops, and scientific forums.

7. Coordination and Stakeholder Engagement

• Coordinate with hospitals, government departments, technical agencies, and implementation partners on WASH activities.
• Participate in multidisciplinary project meetings and contribute technical inputs to climate resilience planning.
• Support dissemination of project findings and best practices.

8. Site Coordination at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar (about 50% of the role)

• Serve as the senior project scientist at Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar, leading all CHARM-India activities at the site in coordination with the central project team at the Centre for Chronic Disease Control (CCDC).
• Lead site-level work across all project components, including the hospital Climate and Health Vulnerability Assessment (CHVA), Hospital Climate Action Plan (H-CAP), hospital climate footprint and energy assessments, capacity building, and implementation research.
• Liaise with hospital leadership, the site lead, clinical, engineering and administrative departments, and the Institutional Ethics Committee.
• Supervise site project staff, and ensure data quality, adherence to study protocols, and timely site reporting.
• Represent the site in project review meetings, and support site visits, monitoring missions, and evaluations.

Essential Qualification

• Postgraduate Degree, including integrated postgraduate degrees, in Public Health, Environmental Health, Environmental Engineering, Civil Engineering, WASH, Life Sciences, Environmental Sciences, or a related discipline, with five (5) years of post-qualification experience, OR
• PhD in the above disciplines with two (2) years of post-qualification experience.
• For Engineering / Information Technology (IT) / Computer Science (CS): Four-year Graduate Degree with five (5) years of post-qualification experience, OR Postgraduate Degree with three (3) years of post-qualification experience, OR PhD.
• Must have handled a minimum of five (5) projects relevant to the requirement.

(As per ICMR guidelines on Non-Institutional Project Human Resource Positions, as amended on 18 October 2024. Experience is counted from the date of completion of the minimum essential qualification, preferably in a Government organisation.)

Essential Experience

• Experience in WASH programme implementation, environmental health, or healthcare facility assessments.
• Experience conducting WASH assessments and implementing quality improvement interventions.
• Experience developing training materials and conducting capacity-building programmes.
• Experience in monitoring, evaluation, technical reporting, and stakeholder coordination.

Desirable Experience

• Experience with WASH FIT, Kayakalp Programme, healthcare waste management, or hospital quality improvement programmes.
• Experience in climate change adaptation, disaster resilience, or resilient health systems.
• Experience working with government health facilities and multidisciplinary research teams.
• Scientific publications in WASH, environmental health, or health systems research.
• Working knowledge of Odia (spoken), to communicate with hospital staff and patients.
• Preference will be given to candidates residing in, or willing to relocate to, Bhubaneswar, Odisha.

Key Deliverables

• Comprehensive WASH assessments for participating healthcare facilities.
• Technical recommendations and implementation plans for climate-resilient WASH systems.
• Monitoring reports on WASH indicators and compliance with standards.
• Training programmes and capacity-building materials for healthcare facilities.
• Technical reports, policy briefs, and scientific publications on WASH and climate resilience.
• Technical support for integrating WASH into Hospital Climate Action Plans (H-CAPs) and broader climate resilience initiatives.
• Any other sub-study as determined during the course of the project implementation
• Site-specific outputs for Capital Hospital, Bhubaneswar: completed Climate and Health Vulnerability Assessment (CHVA) and Hospital Climate Action Plan (H-CAP) for the hospital, site trainings and simulation exercises conducted, and timely site progress reports and data submissions.

Application Process Information

Kindly submit your application by mentioning your details and attaching your CV in this form. The last date for sending your application is 10th November 2026. [Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the interview.]