SWC Engineer (Rural Development Advisor) 

Capacity Development to Strengthen Drought Resilience (CDSDR III) Project

GIZ- Internal/External Vacancy Announcement ‘‘#109/2024’

Contract duration: 01.11.2024

Application deadline: 30.10.2025

Duty station: Addis Ababa

Brief Description of the project

Our approach: 80% of Ethiopia's population lives in rural areas, of which more than 18,000,000 are (agro-) pastoralists in the lowlands, which account for nearly 60% of Ethiopia's land area. The lowlands include the Afar region in northeastern Ethiopia, as well as Somali and parts of Oromia and the Southern Ethiopia Regional State. Due to population growth and the increasingly frequent occurrence of extreme weather events, the system is increasingly put at risk and the people, and their livestock have become increasingly vulnerable. Extensive resource use like overgrazing and deforestation causes food insecurity, soil degradation, and erosion. Dry valleys are the result, through which rainwater is quickly directed out of the area without being able to infiltrate into the soil, which intensifies desertification and food insecurity. To address this issue the Dry Valley Rehabilitation and Productive Use (DVRPU) approach was developed. The DVRPU approach is systemic with a series of technical, biological, economic, social, institutional, and managerial measures applied to rehabilitate entire dry valleys for the benefit of the inhabitants and their animals, considering the existing political-administrative and traditional management system.

Responsibilities and Duties

The SWC Engineer is responsible to support the project’s objectives by:

• Developing integrated soil and water management approaches in collaboration with government services and local communities.

• Studying, designing, and constructing of physical soil and water conservation measures in selected weredas of Afar, Somali, Oromia and South Ethiopia regions

The SWC Engineer performs the following tasks:

• Supports on technical aspects of project implementation (water harvesting, irrigation, soil and water management); 

• Supports the local communities for the implementation of land rehabilitation measures. 

• Site identification, study and design of physical soil and water conservation measures.

• Development of bill of quantity and preparation of ToRs; 

• Reports on output/outcomes of technical measures implemented. 

• Keeps regular contact and exchange with at woreda level in Somali, Afar, South Ethiopia and Oromia;

Other duties/additional tasks

• The SWC Engineer performs other duties and tasks at the request of the management.

• Will participate in different meetings and take over the moderation and documentation (minutes).

• Advisory role in finance and admin issues related to the job.

• Will perform other duties & tasks assigned by the line- manager.

Job Requirements

Required qualifications, competences, and experience

Qualifications

•  Bachelor’s degree in soil and water conservation engineering, soil and water management engineering, civil engineer, irrigation engineering or hydraulic engineering. 

Professional experience

• 3 years practical field experience of working with soil conservation and water resources management in arid and semi-arid lowlands,

• Proven ability of study, design and construction of context-specific soil and water conservation measures in lowland areas like Water Spreading Weirs. 

• Experience with pastoral and/ or agro-pastoral communities in arid and semi-arid lowlands, preferably in Afar, Oromia or Somali regions. 

• Understanding of impacts of environmental degradation and alternative natural resource management approaches. 

• Experience in working with governmental structures, international organisations, NGOs and/or research institutes.

Other knowledge, additional competencies

• High level of motivation, proactivity, self-discipline, integrity, and accountability.

• Readiness to work in rural circumstances.

• Very good English and Amharic language skills

• Computer skills in software application MS-Office

• Somali/Afar/Oromo language skills are an advantage. 

Note: Female applicants are highly encouraged

How to Apply

Application procedure:

Interested and qualified candidates shall submit their motivation letter along with their non-returnable recent CV via hreth@giz.de 

Note: 

Please make sure you mention the vacancy number and position title ‘Applicant full name_ SWC Engineer (Rural Development Advisor) #109_2024’ in the subject line of your email application.

Due to large number of applications, we categorise applications with the vacancy numbers.

Applications without vacancy numbers in subject lines might not be categorized in the appropriate folder and could be disqualified.

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted.

We encourage persons with disabilities to apply for the position. In case of equal qualification, persons with disabilities will be given preference.

Applications from qualified women are encouraged.

“Please refer to our brochure to learn more about GIZ’s attractive benefit package.”