Consultant – Water Quality and Technical Standards

Role Overview

• Work closely with the Senior Manager and market shaping team to support water quality management, technical standards development, and advisory services for community water treatment systems.
• Contribute to ensuring safe drinking water access through rigorous quality assurance, technical documentation, and stakeholder engagement.
• Provide expertise on certification standards and market requirements for TCCA90 chlorine tablets, chlorine dose check devices, and NABL certified labs.
• Enhance ISW efforts, drive down costs, and promote local manufacturing under the 'Make in India' initiative.
• Conduct due diligence on certification requirements and guide on applicable standards for drinking water applications.
• Identify and validate relevant national and international certifications for local manufacturers.
• Verify the authenticity of certifications submitted by suppliers and ensure compliance.
• Assess and improve the quality assurance process for chlorine tablets.
• Vet and validate laboratory reports to confirm product safety and efficacy.
• Provide actionable recommendations to address challenges in establishing BIS standards for TCCA90 tablets.
• Develop guidelines, policy documents, and materials to meet program needs through chemical certifications and standards.
• Provide technical support to state and district governments in implementing water treatment programs.
• Assist in capacity building of government officials on water quality monitoring and practices.
• Prepare and deliver technical presentations and training materials for government stakeholders.
• Document best practices and case studies from program implementation.
• Contribute to technical reports and publications documenting program learnings.

Requirements

• PhD in chemistry, chemical engineering, environmental engineering, or a related technical discipline
• 8+ years of progressive technical experience with demonstrated leadership capabilities
• Proven track record of producing high-quality technical documentation and policy materials
• Strong understanding of water treatment processes, including chlorination and other purification technologies
• Experience with water quality testing, analysis, and interpretation of results
• Familiarity with Indian and international drinking water quality standards (IS 10500, WHO guidelines)
• Proficiency in technical writing and documentation
• Strong analytical and problem-solving skills with attention to detail
• Excellent written and verbal communication skills in English, including ability to explain technical concepts to diverse audiences
• Proficiency in MS Office Suite (Excel, Word, PowerPoint)
• Ability to manage multiple tasks and prioritise effectively
• Self-motivated with ability to work both independently and as part of a team
• Willingness to travel to field sites as required (up to 25%)
• Experience working with government agencies, the Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS), or other regulatory bodies (desirable)
• Prior involvement in technical standards development or revision (desirable)
• Publication record in peer-reviewed journals or technical reports (desirable)
• Familiarity with certification processes for water treatment equipment and chemicals (desirable)
• Experience in capacity building and training delivery (desirable)
• Prior experience working with public health or sanitation programmes in India (desirable)
• Experience working with community-based water supply systems (desirable)
• Research experience during graduate studies or professional career (desirable)
• Professional certifications related to water quality or environmental management (desirable)
• Fluency in Hindi or Telugu (desirable)