Rural Engineer at COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale

Job Summary

• The Rural Engineer will be responsible for designing and implementing infrastructure projects that support agricultural development, design and supervising the construction of macro-water harvesting and micro-water harvesting structures, market stalls, and for improving rural livelihoods.
• The ideal candidate will have a strong engineering background, with experience in rural development projects.

Overall Responsibilities

• Design, supervise, and maintain rural infrastructure (water systems, irrigation, catch dams, feeder roads, soil conservation structures, market stalls) to boost resilience.
• Improve water access and management to mitigate conflicts over scarce resources.
• Promote climate-resilient engineering solutions for agriculture and disaster risk reduction.
• Strengthen community participation in infrastructure projects to foster ownership and social cohesion.
• Ensure technical solutions align with conflict-sensitive and gender-inclusive approaches.

Main Duties and Tasks

• Assess and rehabilitate boreholes, wells, and small-scale irrigation systems to support farming and livestock.
• Design low-cost water harvesting systems (e.g., sand dams, check dams) to combat drought.
• Train Water User Committees (WUCs) on maintenance and equitable water distribution.
• Mitigate water-related conflicts by improving fair access for farmers, herders, and households.
• Construct soil erosion control structures (terraces, gabions, windbreaks) to restore degraded farmlands.
• Support climate-smart irrigation (flood/drip/sprinkler systems) for dry-season farming.
• Design post-harvest storage facilities (grain silos, solar dryers) to reduce losses.
• Implement community-based watershed management plans to prevent flooding/desertification.
• Supervise construction of multi-purpose community assets (e.g., grinding mills, storage hubs).
• Rehabilitate feeder roads and bridges to improve market access and reduce isolation of conflict-prone areas.
• Develop BOQs (Bills of Quantities), designs, and tender documents for rural infrastructure projects.
• Monitor contractor compliance with quality/safety standards in construction.
• Document lessons learned and success stories for scaling up interventions.

Key Deliverables

• Functional water points (boreholes, irrigation schemes) with trained maintenance committees.
• Erosion control and land restoration structures to improve farm productivity.
• Rehabilitated rural infrastructure (roads, bridges, storage facilities) enhancing market access.
• Reduced resource-based conflicts through equitable infrastructure planning.
• Technical reports, maps, and monitoring data on project impacts.

Capacity Building:
Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Support in Development and implementation of robust M&E frameworks to measure program impact.
• Analyze data to inform program adaptations and report on progress against indicators

Proposal Development:

• Contribute to the development of proposals for funding, ensuring the inclusion of cash-based interventions and livelihood components.
• Collaborate with the program development team to align proposals with donor priorities.

Coordination and Collaboration:

• Coordinate with government (Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture), NGOs, and UN agencies (e.g., FAO, IOM).
• Engage with humanitarian actors, government agencies, and local authorities for coordinated response.

Gender and Inclusion:

• Ensure that project activities are gender-sensitive and inclusive, addressing the needs of all beneficiary groups.
• Integrate gender and inclusion strategies into program planning and implementation.

Reporting:

• Prepare timely and accurate reports on civil work activities for COOPI, WFP, and other stakeholders.
• Document lessons learned and best practices for organizational knowledge.

Networking and Partnerships:

• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with NGOs, UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Leverage partnerships to enhance program reach and impact.

Knowledge Sharing:

• Facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and learning within COOPI and the broader humanitarian community.
• Organize workshops and learning events to share insights from the program.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Stay abreast of developments in cash programming and humanitarian response.
• Perform other duties as necessary, commensurate with professional background and experience, as deemed by the supervisor.
• This Terms of Reference outlines the key responsibilities and expectations for the Rural Engineer under the WFP/BMZ-funded project.
• The role is pivotal in ensuring that COOPI delivers high-quality cash assistance to support the resilience and recovery of displaced populations in Northeast Nigeria.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years of experience in rural engineering or infrastructure development.
• Strong knowledge of engineering principles, project management, and construction practices.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
• Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
• Proficiency in engineering software and Microsoft Office Suite.