Lead Water Engineer

BACKGROUND INFORMATION - UNOPS

BACKGROUND INFORMATION - JOB-SPECIFIC

• Improve quality and reach of water supply services and increase access to community and household sanitation (Infrastructure);
• Provide more effective, gender-responsive and transparent WASH services through enhanced capacity of government and communities (Capacity Building);
• Reduce waterborne diseases and improve resilience of communities through improved community and household hygiene practices (Behavioral Change).

FUNCTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES

1. Technical assessments of WASH infrastructures;
2. Design of WASH infrastructure works;
3. Costing of WASH infrastructure works, services or equipment;
4. Planning of WASH infrastructure works;
5. Procurement of WASH infrastructure works, services or equipment;
6. Supervision of WASH infrastructure works;
7. Contract management of WASH infrastructure works;
8. Reporting on project’s infrastructure components;
9. Handover of WASH infrastructure works and DNP management;
10. Personnel management.

• Conduct technical assessment of existing water supply, sanitation and solid waste management infrastructures.
• Prepare concise and structured reports on the current state of the infrastructures assessed and on the works required to upgrade them to acceptable (inter)national standards and best practices.

• Identify and summarize all national legal prescriptions applicable to water supply, sanitation and solid waste management renovation/construction works (building code, electrical code, environmental laws, labor laws, etc.). Record, organize and disseminate those documents to the concerned stakeholders (e.g. design firms, international retainers, etc.).
• Prepare/review detailed design packages (specifications, BOQs and drawings) and documentation, in compliance with all relevant national and international design codes and standards, UNOPS Design Manual, project requirements and in line with available budgets.
• If the detailed design is outsourced, coordinate and follow up with the design firm(s) and all stakeholders involved in the design (internal and external) to complete the preparation of the design packages (specifications, BOQs and drawings).
• Submit the design packages to the IPMG Design Review Unit, coordinate the responses to the queries raised by all stakeholders during the design review, and conduct all necessary due diligence in view of obtaining the Design Review Certificate in the best possible timeframe.

• Conduct researches, costs analyses and market surveys to estimate the costs of water supply, sanitation and solid waste management works, services or equipment.
• Develop, maintain and disseminate cost databases related to those works, services or equipment, based on thorough research and cost analysis.
• Prepare/review budgets for water supply, sanitation and solid waste management renovation/construction works at different levels (from preliminary estimates to detailed budgets) based on the stage of the project, the time available and the level of accuracy required.
• In collaboration with the HSSE Associate, include the cost of the Health, Safety, Environmental and Social (HSSE) requirements in the cost estimates for the works.

• In collaboration with the PM/DPM, the Procurement Associate and the HSSE Associate, prepare  the implementation plans and schedules for the works (including all HSSE requirements and considerations).
• Obtain all permits, licenses and approvals necessary to execute the planned works.
• Advise the PM/DPM on all the resources necessary to implement the works (in case of direct implementation) or the resources necessary to supervise and monitor the works (human resources, site premises, fleet, material, equipment, etc.).

• Participate in the preparation of tender documents for water supply, sanitation and solid waste management works, services or equipment; advising the PM and other team members on the best selection criteria (including HSSE criteria), and drafting documents in UNOPS e-sourcing procurement system.
• Participate in the related tender processes (conduct pre-bid meetings, provide clarifications to bidders, coordinate site visits, participate in bids opening, etc.), always acting in compliance with the provisions of the Procurement Manual.
• Participate in the evaluation of the related bids (conduct detailed and substantiated technical evaluations, verify and assess the references submitted by the bidders, etc.), always acting in full compliance with the provision of the Procurement Manual.

• The Lead Water Engineer directly impacts the success of the project’s infrastructure components of the project by ensuring the quality of the technical assessments and the designs, the accuracy of the costing, the soundness of the planning, best value for money in procurement, vigilance in the supervision of the works, rigor in contract management, accuracy in reporting, systematism in handover, proactivity in the DNP management and leadership and motivation of all the infrastructure team.

• Master Degree in Water Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering or equivalent.
• Bachelor Degree in Water Engineering, Civil Engineering, Electrical Engineering or equivalent plus 2 additional years of relevant experience in lieu of a master's degree.