Water Infrastructure Management Specialist at Sheladia Associates, Inc

Sheladia Associates, Inc., a US architectural and engineering firm, is seeking a Water Infrastructure Management Specialist for the Kenya Integrated Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (KIWASH) project.

KIWASH is a five-year project funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) to improve the lives and health of people through the development and management of sustainable water, sanitation, and hygiene services in Kenya.

Its mission is to institutionalize catalytic models of sustainable service delivery for accelerated access to water and sanitation in nine target counties and to improve complementary hygiene behaviors.

The overall goal of the project is to enable one million people gain access to improved WASH services.

The position is open to Kenyan citizens only.

Summary of Primary Duties

The specialist will have three primary duties:

• Oversee the management of contracts for the construction of water supply infrastructure (to be supervised by contracted firms acting as the engineers’ representative);
• Ensure the monitoring for quality constructions in accordance with the conditions of the contract, specifications, drawings and Bills of Quantities; and
• Conduct technical reviews of project proposals, feasibility studies, preliminary and final design reports.

The duties will cover urban/peri-urban and rural areas. The infrastructure comprises of urban surface and ground water supply systems and expansion of existing rural supply schemes.

The works are civil and electro-mechanical with the later including the installation of hybrid solar pumps.

Essential Duties

The specialist will:

• Ensure timely completion of infrastructural activities by providing quality assurance and quality control for the design and construction of small to medium scale water projects. This will be implemented in compliance with USAID and Government of Kenya’s environmental and construction codes, reporting, and management requirements and Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) policies;
• Closely monitor the performance of contractors and supervisory firms including regular attendance of monthly progress meetings;
• Ensure that the requirements under the KIWASH construction plan are fully implemented;
• Review and advise on change of contract change (variation) orders as needed;
• Advise on new project site selection, surveys and designs, specifications, cost estimates;
• Assist with the production of detailed SOWs, RFPs, RFQs, or BOQs, and provide input on specifications, deliverables, and contract evaluation criteria;
• Participate in bid evaluation committees to select qualified construction firms (sub-contractors) or vendors for equipment and materials;
• Assist with the review of construction design documents to ensure that they are of high quality and within the context of scope, schedule and budget;
• Assist with, and/or ensure quality Operation and Maintenance training of project owners technical staff such as community members, Water Services Provider (WSPs) and county government staff;
• Liaise and coordinate with other county-based KIWASH staff implementing water/sanitation, education and health, beneficiary communities and WSPs such as water and sewerage companies owned by county governments;
• Prepare reports as required;
• Deputize the Senior Water Infrastructure Specialist as needed, and
• Conduct other project duties as assigned by the Senior Water Infrastructure Specialist.

Supervisory Responsibilities: None.

Base of Operations: Nairobi with frequent travel to eight other project counties for the purpose of contract progress monitoring and inspections.

Reporting: The specialist will report to the Senior Water Infrastructure Specialist.

Qualifications:

The Water Infrastructure Management Specialist will have the following minimum set of qualifications:

• At least 15 years expertise in the water and sanitation sector relevant to the current Kenyan context of the private sector and local government.
• A bachelor’s degree in civil engineering and master’s degree in a relevant field such as construction management.
• Proven experience of at least three years in the management of construction contracts for water supply or sewerage projects, such as FIDIC.
• At least a five years track record in a medium level management function of engineering projects.
• Working experience in the design and supervision of urban water supply systems and community-based water supply program implementation and operation.
• Strong communication skills (interpersonal and written) to fulfill the proposed technical and managerial responsibilities.
• Knowledge and experience working in Kenya’s water supply and sanitation issues in the context of devolution.
• A registered professional with the Engineering Board of Kenya.
• Familiarity with USAID’s environmental and construction codes, reporting and management requirements is preferable.
• Have strong spoken and written English.