Background

The Pharo Foundation is a private foundation committed to the development of Africa.  Our vision is an inclusive and economically vibrant Africa. Our mission is to achieve our vision by investing in the human and physical capital of Africa, with a strong focus on job creation.  We value passion and respect, creativity and entrepreneurship, trust and accountability.

In the last two and half years we carried out a wide range of projects in Ethiopia in the field of education, agriculture and WASH out of which more than 75% of the activities are implemented in BGRS. In the next five years, we are determined to strengthen and expand our interventions in Education, Agriculture, Water Supply at the same time start to invest in health and social enterprise development activities aligned with our vision and as deemed necessary in the context of BGRS. We are committed to scaling up our work; improving the quality and the effectiveness of our programme selection, design and implementation based on evidence; and achieving significant and lasting improvements in the quality of life of the people whom we support.

The Civil and Water works engineer position is a senior leadership role within the Foundation, with key responsibilities of planning, directing and supervising all the construction projects to be directly implemented or subcontracted to external contractors. The position will be based in Asosa, Benishangul-Gumuz Regional State (BGRS) of Ethiopia, with regular travel to programme sites in the BGRS and occasional travel to Addis Ababa and other programme regions in the country. Directly reporting to the program manager based in Assosa, this well-remunerated role will give the right candidate an excellent mix of challenge, motivation and fulfilment.

 Overall responsibility

The incumbent will be responsible for overseeing the construction of different physical infrastructure in BGRS. She/He will coordinate with the program manager, program coordinators and other relevant team members of the Foundation to efficiently plan, manage and monitor construction activities. She/he is expected to be subject-matter expert and shall complete all routine tasks to make sure that standard and legal procedures are followed. 

General constructions’  planning and design

• Undertake technical and feasibility studies including site investigations and use relevant engineering software for reviewing/developing detailed designs
• Lead design works (at times take direct responsibility for designing) of both initial sketches and full plans, of construction projects included in the five years of the foundation under each project.
• Carefully review and inspect all the designs and final drawings prepared by either internal/external sources and make sure they are in line with the desire of the Foundation, they meet the standard for the purpose, and they are commensurate with the available space.
• Manage the overall planning process of construction projects by carefully evaluating the structural, electrical, and sanitary and other designs aspect, quantities and specifications of each construction project.
• Present project details and technical information to colleagues, contractors and stakeholders
• Prepare construction bid/ tender documents, with complete BOQs and lead the biding process

Contract Management and construction supervision

• Make sure construction contracts are developed as per the norm, standard and law of the country.
• Monitor the construction progress to prevent potential delays, quality problems and/or cost overruns and recommend remedial actions accordingly.
• Inform the Foundation’s management body on any alarming points during construction and suggest corrective actions.
• Prepare project related documentations such as periodic progress reports, site monitoring reports, stakeholder meeting minutes, engineer's instructions and variation orders, contractor's bills review reports, certifications, client hand-over documents and contracts   close-out reports.
• Identify and resolve all technical issues in construction process and prepare an effective schedule and prepare appraisal reports.
• Maintain knowledge on all contract terms and legal requirements for all construction projects to avoid any delay in projects and provide support to all work groups and participate in various activities actively to ensure completion for all projects.
• Evaluate all construction projects and recommend various cost/time savings methods.
• Manage final hand over and acceptance report based on technical specifications against the approved project.
• Ensure that the contractor adhere to the national standards, policies and regulations during the construction activity.
• Analyse cost and time variations as per the terms of the contract and the standard practice in the country and make suggestion to the management of the Foundation.
• Maintain regular meetings with contractor or representative on the performance of the implementation.
• Implement corrective measures to ensure the project is properly executed within the agreed standards of quality, time and budget.

Reporting to: 

Program Manger 

Education /Experience /Language requirements and other competencies 

Education

• Advanced/ degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Management or related field is required.
• A combination of Bachelor’s degree with additional 2 years of relevant work experience (9 years in total) may be accepted in lieu of the education requirements outlined above

Work Experience

• A minimum of 7 years of relevant experience as civil engineer, construction supervisor and/or construction site manager is required. Direct involvement in water source development activities development is considered a plus
• Experience in project management and supervision in areas outside of Addis Ababa is an asset.

Language Requirements and other skills

• Full working knowledge of English and Amharic is essential.

• Project management – as the position holder determines the critical path necessary for a project to get done and people at all levels look to them for guidance, proficiency in project management is essential
• Leadership – interpersonal skills are essential for civil and water works engineers to lead a large crew, effectively work with external contractors and successfully influence the outcomes of construction projects
• Creativity – Civil and water works engineer need to use creativity to innovate and improve solutions
• Planning skills – planning and design are essential skills for Civil and water works engineer to execute their responsibilities well
• Communication skills – good verbal and written communication skills are important for Civil water works engineer because they constantly submit reports and share vital information in a clear, concise manner