Director Engineering (Roads) at Kenya Rural Roads Authority

JOB REF: KeRRA/DER/03/2024
Job Description.

An officer at this level may be deployed to any Technical Directorate within the Authority and will be responsible to the Director General for the coordination of activities in the Directorate.

Duties and responsibilities at this level entail: -

Planning, Design and Environment

• Overseeing road Planning and preparation of Road Investment programs;
• Carrying out traffic surveys and management of traffic data;
• Collecting and collating economic, environmental and social data for road investment programmes and strategies;
• Providing training on road safety audits, accident data analysis, design reviews and implementing road accident counter -measures;
• Partnering with other agencies for improved highway emergency response;
• Undertaking public sensitization on road safety;
• Reviewing roadside development applications and field reports;
• Liaising with external financing agencies for resource mobilization; and capacity building and performance management;
• Overall responsibility for implementation of the Directorate strategic objectives;
• Training and developing of staff of the department;
• Oversee surveying and mapping of road corridors;
• Formulate environmental and social sustainability initiatives;
• Overseeing preliminary and detailed road and structures design and design reviews; and
• Overseeing the materials testing function in liaison with relevant institution 

Development.

• Overseeing preparation of short, medium- and long-term road works programmes;
• Overall responsibility for developing and monitoring bridge construction programmes;
• Coordinating preparation and finalization of road works tender;
• Overseeing preparation of procurement plans for road work programmes;
• Liaising with external financing agencies for resource mobilization;
• Reviewing standards and specifications for road works;
• Supervision of roads and structures works contracts;
• Coordinating preparation of directorate budget;
• Ensuring expenditure controls and measures within the directorate;
• Enhancing resource mobilization from government and development partners;
• Enhancing resource mobilization through public private partnerships;
• Enhancing efficiency in utilization of financial resources including aid;
• Enhancing knowledge transfer and capacity building by encouraging partnershipmof foreign consultants and contractors with local firms in undertaking projects/consultancies;
• Building capacity of young professional graduates through internship in projects;
• Undertaking regular road safety audits during road development
• Overall responsibility for implementation of the directorate strategic objectives; and
• Capacity building and performance management.

Road Asset Management

• Overseeing the preparation of roadside development and control;
• Overseeing the formulation of road asset management policies;
• Coordinating the undertaking of annual road inventory and condition surveys;
• Overseeing the preparation of engineering design of road and structures maintenance works;
• Coordinating the compilation and analysis of annual road maintenance work programmes;
• Liaising with Kenya Roads Board (KRB) and other stakeholders on management of Roads Maintenance Levy Fund (RMLF);
• Overseeing the preparation of annual procurement plans;
• Coordinating the operations of the Authority’s regional offices;
• Preparation of Directorate budget;
• Ensuring expenditure controls and measures within the directorate;
• Overseeing the implementation of road works emergency response programmes;
• Preparation of tender documentation for road maintenance works;
• Coordinating the processing of road works tenders and monitoring supervision of road maintenance works;
• Ensuring the implementation and conformance of road management systems and periodic reviews of the performance standards;
• Overseeing activities of axle load control and review the reports on axle load control programmes;
• Representing the authority in local and regional axle load stakeholder forums;
• Ensuring road maintenance contracts are prepared and implemented in accordance with set standards and specifications;
• Re-possessing illegally acquired road reserves;
• Participating in the planning of roadside developments through institutional consultations and collaboration;
• Managing road reserve boundary and usage and maintaining road markers system;
• Managing roads inventory and survey data;
• Undertaking public sensitization on protection of road reserves;
• Overall responsibility for implementation of the directorate strategic objectives;
• Capacity building and performance management
• Coordinating programmes under the Roads 2000 maintenance strategy;
• Coordinating research and implement new innovations on maintenance in liaison with other institutions (Dou Nou technology, use of cobblestones);
• Overall responsibility for developing and monitoring bridge maintenance programmes;
• Liaise with the County Governments and other stakeholders on road development and maintenance programmes;
• Enhance collaboration mechanisms with other Roads Authorities and stakeholders;

Policy, Research, and Compliance

• Coordinating the preparation, monitoring and evaluation of performance contracts, the strategic plans and projects;
• Leading research, innovation and business re-engineering initiatives including enhancement of knowledge transfer;
• Coordinating the preparation of quality assurance plans;
• Coordinating the undertaking of technical audits for works and services;
• Preparing reports on quality assurance findings and recommendations;
• Formulating the Authority’s risk management policies, programmes, strategies and procedures;
• Coordinating preparation of risk assessment and classification system/criteria;
• Overseeing identification of priority areas for risk assessment and mitigation planning;
• Overseeing risk assessment processes, compilation and consolidation of periodic reports;
• Providing custody to risk methodologies and templates including risk registers, corporate risk profile, risk assessment criteria and business process documentation;
• Overseeing the monitoring and evaluation of risk management function;
• Coordinating the development of risk management education and training programmes; and
• Facilitating the development of effective networks for risk management information sharing.

Person Specifications.

For appointment to this grade, a candidate must have: -

• Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering or its equivalent from a university recognized in Kenya;
• Master’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Business Administration, or equivalent qualification from an institution recognized in Kenya;
• Professional qualification and membership to Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK);
• Membership of the Institution of Engineers of Kenya (IEK) or other recognized professional body;
• Leadership Course lasting not less than four (4) weeks from a recognized institution;
• A minimum period of twelve (12) years relevant work experience with at least five (5) years’ experience in a management position;
• Fulfilled the requirements of Chapter Six (6) of the Constitution;
• Proficiency in computer applications;
• Demonstrated competence in work performance and results;
• Valid Annual Practicing License from the Engineers Board of Kenya (EBK) and any other qualifications as may be adjudged by the Board.