Program Engineer (Acting Field Coordinator) at Peace Winds Japan

Key Responsibilities

Technical Leadership & Project Implementation

• Lead technical design, supervision, monitoring and implementation of WASH and engineering activities.
• Ensure compliance with technical standards, safety requirements, organizational guidelines and donor specifications.
• Identify technical risks and propose appropriate mitigation measures.
• Take organizational technical lead in engaging partners on matters WASH and constructions in relation to technical assessments and joint implementation of projects.

Project Progress & Quality Monitoring and Management

• Monitor site-level project progress, output and quality against approved activity plans and timelines.
• Identify and communicate implementation delays, constraints, or quality concerns to the Area Manager.
• Support implementation of corrective actions.

Technical Coordination with Partners & Donors

• Serve as the area-level technical focal point for WASH and engineering coordination with partners, government agencies, and donors.
• Participate in technical working groups and coordination forums.
• Support donor engagement including, field visits, and technical briefing and responses to technical queries.

Support & Capacity Building of Staff

• Provide structured mentoring, coaching, and on-the-job training to engineers and technical staff to whom supervision is provided.
• Identify staff capacity gaps and support development of targeted capacity-building plans.
• Promote consistent use of technical SOPs and tools.

Integrated WASH Service Delivery

• Promote technically sound and integrated WASH service delivery across water, sanitation, hygiene promotion, shelter and related services.
• Coordinate with program, MEAL, and community engagement teams to ensure coherence and effectiveness.

Strategic & Technical Contribution to Sector Transition

• Provide technical input to sector transition from a refugee to an integrated model and sustainability strategies, particularly in the WASH sector.
• Support planning for service handover, system sustainability, and capacity of local actors.
• Document lessons learned and best practices and reflect them in the strategies and plans.

Technical Support to Resource Mobilization

• Provide technical inputs to proposals, concept notes, budgets, and BoQs.
• Support identification of innovative technical approaches aligned with organization and donor priorities.
• Contribute to technical documentation and learning products.

Acting Field Coordination (Area Manager Absence Only)

• Act as Field Coordinator only during the absence of the Area Manager.
• Facilitate day-to-day coordination between technical teams and support functions.
• Escalate critical operational, financial, or security issues to the Area Manager and/or Country Office.

Scope Limitations

The Acting Field Coordinator role does not include authority to:

• Approve major budget revisions or contracts
• Approve significant scope changes
• Provide final approval on their own technical designs
• Such decisions must be escalated.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Civil, Water, Environmental, or related field).
• Must be registered with the Engineer’s Board of Kenya, at least as a Graduate Engineer, and must be in Good Standing (2026).
• Minimum 5–8 years of experience in engineering roles within humanitarian or development programs, preferably in WASH or infrastructure projects.
• Working experience in/with water utility companies and water sector transition is a strong asset.
• Proven experience and proficiency in engineering design software (Watergems, CAD, Civil 3-D, Prokon etc)
• Proven experience in field-based project implementation, including supervision of construction works, contractor, technicians/craftsmen and day-to-day site activities.
• Demonstrated ability to monitor project progress, quality, and outputs in line with approved workplans, budgets and technical standards.
• Experience in contributing to basic budget management, including cost estimates, expenditure tracking, and flagging risks to management and finance teams.
• Ability to coordinate site-level operations and act as a focal point in the absence of an Area Manager.
• Experience providing technical guidance and on-the-job support to staff.
• Strong coordination skills with partners, contractors, and internal teams.
• Good written and spoken English, suitable for reports and coordination.
• Experience in refugee or displacement settings is an asset.
• An understanding of the Shirika Plan is required.