AREA WASH CHIEF ENGINEER – BAIDOA; SOMALIA

Position: Area WASH Chief Engineer

Department: Project Implementation Unit

Location: Baidoa, Somalia

Contract Duration: 31st December 2023

Direct Hierarchy: Area Coordinator & WASH Technical Coordinator

Starting date: May 2023

Background on ACTED

Created in 1993, ACTED is an international non-governmental organization pursuing a dual mandate of emergency response and development interventions in 40 of some of the world’s most vulnerable countries affected by conflicts, disasters, or socio-economic hardship. With a team of 7,000 national staff and 400 international staff, ACTED implements 500 projects a year to support more than 20 million beneficiaries, notably in hard-to-reach areas.

ACTED goes to the last mile through programs and approaches that look beyond the immediate emergency towards opportunities for longer term livelihood reconstruction and sustainable development. Guided by the motto “Think Local, Act Global” and its 3Zero –Zero Exclusion, Zero Carbon, and Zero Poverty – strategy, ACTED puts local territories at the centre and provides a tailored support to local needs.

ACTED is looking for professionally confident, self-motivated, experienced, and committed team player to fill the Area WASH Chief Engineer position in BAIDOA, Somalia.

Position Profile:

Chief Engineer will be responsible for providing technical input to guide planning, implementation, monitoring, evaluation of (WASH) service improvements in SWS State –Baidoa to ensure access to safe/drinking water to target community. And to supervise, conduct design, studies and review water resource, sanitation, and hygiene development projects. And closely follow up and ensure the implementation of water resource development project is in line with the plan, design, available standards, and community needs in project areas. He will maintain a professional working relationship with key actors in the project areas to ensure efficient delivery of the project results and provide timely reporting on activities. He/She will be under operational guidance of the Area Coordinator and technical guidance of the WASH Technical Coordinator.

Duties and Responsibilities

1. Programme development and planning

• Draft the WASH inputs for the situation analysis. Provide timely, comprehensive, and current data to inform WASH policy and program development, planning, management, and implementation. Keep abreast of WASH sector development trends, for maximum efficiency and effectiveness in programme design, management, and implementation.
• Participate in strategic WASH program planning discussions. WASH donor proposals, ensuring alignment with ACTED’s Strategic Plan.
• Assist in the formulation of the WASH outcome and output results, related indicators, baselines, targets and means of verification. Prepare required documentation for program reviews.
• Work with colleagues and partners to discuss strategies and methodologies for the achievement of WASH output results in the country program.
• Provide technical and operational support throughout all stages of programming processes and ensure integration, coherence and harmonization of WASH with other ACTED sectors, for the achievement of the WASH output results.
• Draft assigned sections of the annual work plan, in close cooperation with government and other counterparts.
• Ensure effective implementation of acted WASH programming in accordance with the project requirement and in line with donor regulations, WHO, and international standards
• Coordinate and work closely with the program team throughout program planning, designing, implementation, monitoring, and evaluation.
• Oversee selection and repair of selected water sources.
• Assist in capacity building for community groups and wash staff in water resource management, hygiene, and sanitation.
• Be responsible for providing technical guidance in all WASH components of the project, supporting the program team and implementing partners during planning, designing, and implementing wash activities.
• Provide technical leadership and support program staff in the design of medium and long-time interventions that address current emergency needs but which take into account the long-term view in enhancing mitigation to future uses and accountable management resources for WASH facilities
• Supervise all WASH construction facilities and certify that the work is done according to the design and requirement.
• Develop, negotiate, and manage contracts with service providers (may include preparation of tender documents for purposes of soliciting bids/tenders from contractors.
• Initiate completion certificates upon work completion.
• Generate bill of quantities and designs for proposal development.
• Conduct water quality tests and chlorination to newly constructed water facilities.
• Monitoring of WASH service provision by partners at style level.
• Support partners to achieve agreed minimum standards and service delivery quality.
• Timely reporting gaps and duplication in service delivery and advocating through the appropriate mechanism for achieving agreed minimum standards.
• Supervising regular and assess of site infrastructure and physical service delivery in the camp (e.g., drainage, roads, water supply, Community infrastructure)
• Support CCCM projects in preparing plans for site works and overseeing implementation by site infrastructure team/contractors as needed.
• Considering the environmental impacts of infrastructure works from planning to implementation and taking all the necessary measures to mitigate the effects as much as possible.
• Propose innovative WASH approaches relevant to the context, including climate change, water resource management, water quality, etc.
• Provide technical expertise to staff in (for example, but not limited to) assessment, monitoring, evaluation, reporting (internal and donor reports) proposal development, the technical design of water and sanitation facilities, and the exercise of judgment skills.
• Participate and contribute proactively to WASH cluster meetings if needed.
• Ensure that a creative, holistic approach to WASH programming assists the team in finding ways to integrate/link hygiene & health promotion water and sanitation facility design, construction and maintenance, health, nutrition, livelihood, and food security, ACTED Somalia.
• Undertake regular development inspections highlighting potential area of concern.
• Ensure that all WASH infrastructure data is well managed and provides an accurate representation of the reality on the ground.
• Validate the accuracy of the data, and the quality of the WASH Infrastructure.
• Compile project reports highlighting project impact against indicators.
• Contribute to field-based reports to Coordination/or external donors.
• Full management of technical temporary shelter construction including all phases of tasks and activities that go into the construction of T-shelters.
• Prioritize IDP sites for the construction of temporary shelters.
• Coordinate registration with alt relevant stakeholders.

1. Partner coordination and Service Delivery monitoring

• Conduct regular service and Infrastructure monitoring for the site in close cooperation with the Information Management Assistant and map partner’s and community infrastructure in the sites.
• Timely report to the Site Manager any gaps and duplication in the service delivery and any site upgrading/maintenance intervention needed.
• Support to partners to achieve agreed minimum standards and service delivery quality.

1. Innovation, knowledge management and capacity building

• Lead the development, implementation, monitoring and documentation of WASH action research and innovation (technical or systems).

• Prepare learning/knowledge products, covering innovative approaches and good practices, to support overall WASH sector development.

• Create and deliver learning opportunities for ACTED WASH staff, to ensure our sector capacity remains up to date with latest developments.

• Contribute to the systematic assessment of WASH sector capacity gap analysis, in collaboration with government and other stakeholders, and support the design of initiative to strengthen capacities systematically.

• Participate as a resource person in capacity building initiatives to enhance the competencies of clients/stakeholders.

• Supporting and promoting participation of women, youth, people with specific needs and marginalized groups in camp governance mechanisms and CCCM and WASH Activities.

• Consult the community prior to conduct any site maintenance and infrastructure work so that the activities are implemented in a participatory manner, with active involvement of community members, particularly vulnerable groups, and people with specific need.

Qualifications/Skills and Experience

Required

• Completion of university Master’s Degree in civil engineering, architecture, urban planning, Structural or engineering
• Minimum four years of experience in international and/or local NGO; ideally involved in the direct implementation of field level humanitarian assistance to refugees or IDPs.
• Technical skills such as using AutoCAD, ArcGIS, ODK and Microsoft Office.
• Experience in community services, women empowerment, youth activities, protection, distribution, or registration.
• Experience in working with national partners, local/government authorities, and UN organizations.
• Experience in creating shelters/small-medium scale infrastructure.

Essential knowledge and skills:

• Excellent communication skills.
• Excellent interpersonal and team-playing skills.
• Highly flexible, with the ability to use initiative.
• Ability to work in a multi-cultural environment.
• Commitment to humanitarian principles and values.
• Understanding of gender, protection, and human rights.
• Commitment to promoting gender equality.

Preferred experience:

• Proficiency in English and local language, both oral and written.
• Managerial experience, including leading/supervising subordinate staff, organizing activities and report writing.
• Experience in training and capacity-building of staff.
• Preferable experience operating in a refugee/IDP camp environment.
• Knowledge of logistics and procurement processes.