Civil Engineer at Solidarites International

Job Description

• The Civil Engineer participates in the operationalisation of the project cycle phases under the responsibility of their line manager.
• With the help of the team they supervise,the timely execution, quality and compliance of the activities under their responsibility with national, international, SI and donor standards and requirements.

Responsibilities
Strategy:

• In close collaboration with and at the request of their manager, participates in defining the multi-year strategy, its annual review and annual programming based on feedback and evidence collected throughout the project cycle (evidence-based).
• In close collaboration with and at the request of their manager, participates in the development of the relevant sectoral strategy and internal procedures in line with the association's policies.

Assessment and Project Design:

• Participates in the preparation, implementation and drafting of situation analysis reports and needs assessment assessments.
• Participates in the design and financial, human and logistical planning of projects to be implemented.
• Collects and contributes to the analysis of data for the identification of protection risks and proposes and implements measures to mitigate these risks in projects.
• Collects and contributes to the analysis of data for environmental assessments, and proposes and implements environmental mitigation measures in projects, based on the risks identified.
• Writes the technical chapters (including the logical framework) and appendices required for project proposals and amendments.
• Proposes new projects based on identified needs (statement of intent).
• Proposes new approaches, innovative activities, or research initiatives aimed at improving the quality of SI projects.
• Proposes potential partnerships to be established, whether technical, academic, or implementation related.

Implementation and Operational Management:

• Ensures the smooth running of the project cycle in accordance with SI strategy and programming, SI and country requirements, SI procedures and donor criteria.
• Contributes to the planning and supervision of the implementation of the projects concerned, in close coordination with the MEAL, administrative, financial, HR, logistics and security departments (MEAL plan, budget monitoring, cash flow requests, purchasing plan, recruitment, etc.) and the functional manager (FSL Coordinator or line manager).
• Contributes to the systematic integration of cross-cutting themes (environment and climate, cross-cutting protection, public health and market-based approach); and, where relevant, to multisectoral integration (internal and/or external).
• Contributes to consistency and synergies between projects, where relevant.
• Uses SI management and monitoring tools, adjusts them and creates new ones with the aim of ensuring agile implementation and adequate monitoring, in close collaboration with the departments mentioned above.
• Contributes to steering the learning cycle of the projects concerned, in close collaboration with the PM.
• Participates in assessing the relevance of activities carried out, the effectiveness of interventions and their suitability considering changing circumstances and the needs of the population.
• Proposes adjustments and developments necessary to maintain the relevance and quality of programmes.
• Anticipates and communicates difficulties related to implementation and facilitates the resolution of programme-related difficulties, in close collaboration with the PM.
• Makes regular field visits.

Reporting, Communication and Representation:

• Contributes to internal reporting, in accordance with SI formats and requirements.
• Contributes to reports and annexes required by donors.
• On delegation from their manager, acts as focal point (reporting, communication, etc.) in the event of an implementation partnership.
• Participates in identifying and maintaining a local operational communication network with key stakeholders (local authorities, civil society organisations, etc.), in close collaboration with their manager.
• On delegation from the Project Manager, represents SI at meetings and forums concerning programmes at their place of assignment.
• Participates in drafting administrative documents in conjunction with government authorities, communities and partners (MoU, project handover, etc.), in close collaboration with the PM.
• Report, in accordance with the procedure in place, any information on the security context or any event that could have a potential impact on the safety of teams and SI activities.

Capitalisation and Closure:

• Contributes to the dissemination of SI technical documentation and the archiving of all key programme documents.
• Participates in the drafting and sharing of capitalisation documents in accordance with SI tools and established procedures.
• Contributes to the closure of programmes with the assistance of all stakeholders (support departments, partners, target communities, local authorities, etc.), in close collaboration with the PM.
• Drafts and shares their handover report before the end of their employment contract.

Management:

• Responsible for the proper implementation of HR policies and processes to ensure that the number of people and the sum of knowledge required for the activities for which they are responsible are available: 
  • Analyses, quantifies and qualifies the human resource needs of their team. 
  • Recruits and ensures the integration of the team for which they are responsible. 
  • Evaluates the performance of their team members. 
  • Trains and supports team members. 
  • Leads and communicates with their team.

Internal Control:

• Is responsible for ensuring the compliance of the documents they produce.

Filing and Compiling

• Is responsible for filing and archiving the documents they produce in accordance with internal procedures

Fight against Abuse:

• Creates and maintains a work environment that prevents inappropriate behaviour.
• Participates in the promotion of SI's ethical framework.
• At any time, respects the protection of information exchanged within the framework of an abuse notification and its treatment
• Implements abuse risk mitigation measures

Partnership:

• May contribute, in line with their role and responsibilities, to the audit of SI’s implementing partners
• May contribute to the implementation of a plan to support and strengthen SI partners
• May participate in monitoring the activities of partners in line with their role and responsibilities

Contextual Specificities

This role will also be responsible to;

• Hold the WASH Engineering role for the EU SOSAN project, providing technical leadership for all WASH-related activities, including WASHCOM and artisan training on dug well protection, rain harvesting systems and climate-smart latrine models
• Lead the rehabilitation of all water points across the target LGAs, including pastoralist watering points (earth dams, water pans, dugged wells) delivered through cash for work
• Lead the construction of Birkaroon latrines and support advocacy of the Birkaroon model to other actors
• Lead the construction of the Gidan Gona Hub as a model farmhouse, coordinating with the agricultural technical team on its subsequent use for training and market linkage
• Propose and develop technical indicators for monitoring WASH and construction programme activities, in close collaboration with MEAL
• Use SI management, activity and results monitoring tools relevant to WASH and construction activities

Requirements

• Education: Bachelor's Degree (BEng or BSc) in Civil Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, or a related field.
• A relevant professional certification is an advantage.
• Professional experience: At least 2-3 years of relevant field experience in WASH infrastructure, water point construction or rehabilitation, or rural building construction, ideally with an NGO, government agency, or construction firm in northern Nigeria; Demonstrated experience preparing technical designs, bills of quantities, and supervising construction or rehabilitation works, including boreholes, handpumps, dugged wells, and latrine construction.
• Experience with alternative or low-cost sanitation technologies (e.g. Birkaroon or comparable models) is an advantage.
• Experience establishing and supporting Water Management Committees or similar community-based infrastructure management structures is an advantage
• Experience supervising contractors and skilled/unskilled labour on construction sites.

Skills and competencies:

• Strong technical knowledge of WASH infrastructure design, construction supervision, and quality control; Proficiency with technical design and drafting tools (e.g. AutoCAD or equivalent) and cost estimation;
• Good facilitation and training skills, with the ability to adapt technical content for mixed-literacy audiences.;
• Strong analytical, budgeting and report-writing skills; Good organizational skills and ability to manage multiple field-based construction and rehabilitation sites;
• Team spirit and willingness to coordinate closely with other technical staff, contractors and logistics; Sound computer literacy (Word, Excel, and design/drafting software).
• Language skills: Fluency in English, spoken and written, is required; Fluency in Hausa is required;
• Knowledge of other local languages spoken in Kebbi State is an advantage.