Expert in Water and Irrigation at European Committee for Training and Agriculture

Detailed assignments:

• (S)he ensures the proper planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the Irrigation component for CEFA programs in Somalia and Kenya;
• (S)he will study and design the construction and operation of WASH components, including but not limited to works of water resources, treatment, pumping, water supply and distribution and storage; surface water and stormwater drainage including highway and land drainage, flood studies and flood prevention, sewerage systems and treatment, sanitation facilities;
• (S)he undertakes feasibility studies including preliminary investigations, data collection and site identification for potential irrigation development under the project especially;
• (S)he facilitates the synergies, collaborations and sharing of best practices among FSSFS project to effectively and efficiently implement CEFA’s water-related activities;
• (S)he ensures the development of accurate Bill of Quantities (BoQs) and detailed technical drawings for all the Water and Sanitation Infrastructure interventions in liaison with relevant technical staff from the government authorities and implementing partners;
• (S)he supervises and is responsible for all the technical aspect for project implementation, make sure that contractors complete project work in a timely, efficient and accurate manner with respect to standard engineering;
• (S)he ensures community involvement at all phases of the project and the development of community ownership of the project;
• (S)he guarantees the respect of construction standards as well as the security practices at the project site;
• (S)he supports the Procurement Officer and the Project Manager in designing and following the procurement plan, and procurement documents at all stages, according to the donor and NGO procedures;
• (S)he provides feedback to the monitoring and evaluation system in order to assess the effectiveness and the impact of the projects and propose recommendations for improvement;
• (S)he contributes to the development of constructive solutions to challenges identified by the community and contractors;
• (S)he facilitates and maintains a good professional relationship between, communities and contractors;
• (S)he provides technical reports on the component on a monthly basis and plans with comprehensive records of engineering work undertaken in the project including site visits and reporting of work progress;
• (S)he coordinates and supervises masonry and concrete construction works at all water and sanitation facilities (Earth dams, sand dams, institutional latrines, Household latrines, shallow wells, Water pans, boreholes, etc.);
• (S)he assists the formation and train on water and sanitation committees for specific water/sanitation facilities to be developed;
• (S)he follows up, inspects and ensures project materials are delivered measure to specified deliveries at field level in a timely way;
• (S)he documents Impact, Sustainability and best practices for Water projects in the area for learning, sharing and future replication.;
• (S)he supports the PM and the RC in writing new project proposals and concept notes.

Duties and Responsibilities:

• (S)he is responsible of the:
  • Design and preparation of water infrastructures plans (irrigation system, storage structures/reservoirs, wells) for their construction and rehabilitation, including preparation of the estimated costs, developing operations and maintenance plan;
  • Assessment of the irrigation performance of the selected sites;
  • Technical assessment of condition of the existing infrastructures as well as new potential areas and infrastructures;
  • Support to the sustainable management of the water infrastructure;
  • water demand and need analysis and capacity assessment survey of committees managing water infrastructures;
  • Delivery of ToT to staff and trainings to community-based organizations (water users’ groups) and to professional associations on water infrastructures maintenance and management;
  • Research and application of climate-smart technologies for water infrastructures (such as solar-powered kits, water distribution and drip irrigation systems);
  • Assess the presence of specialized technicians in the area to provide technical training or alternatively train some of the local workers;
  • Train members of water users groups on climate-smart technologies;
  • Finalize and submit timely based reports;
  • Any other activity that might be required.

Mandatory Requirements:

• University degree (Masters or Bachelor) in Civil Engineering / Construction Management / Environmental Engineering / Water Engineering / Water and Sanitation or a related field;
• Minimum 4 years experience of management of natural water, management of hydrology, environmental, geology, and meteorology issues in a humanitarian/recovery context
• Previous experience in managing projects in the field of food security, livelihood and agriculture ;
• Fluency in both oral and written communication in English;
• Excellent analytical and self-motivation skills, excellent advocacy and persuasion skills, able to think critically and motivate the team;
• Ability to work independently with minimal supervision;
• Willingness to travel regularly to field locations in Kenya and Somalia (mainly Puntland) for 40% of the time;
• Prior experience successfully managing culturally-diverse teams to achieve project outcomes;
• Ability to work under tight deadlines and with minimal support;
• Good command of AutoCAD, Project Design programs, MS Office applications and other computer programs;
• Previous experience working in complex and volatile environments;

Desired skills and experiences:

• Master’s degree in a relevant field;
• Good technical knowledge in the fields of renewable energies applied to the water sector, better if at university level is a strong plus;
• Member of an engineering body;
• Previous experience in NGOs, no profit organization, humanitarian and international cooperation sector;
• Knowledge of Somali languages is an asset;
• Previous experience working in Somalia is an asset;
• Previous experience with International Donors including IFAD, EU, USAID, and AICS.