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National Project Field Engineer for Lautem and Viqueque

Viqueque

  • Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
  • Location: Viqueque
  • Grade: Junior level - NPSA-8, National Personnel Services Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Engineering
    • Project and Programme Management
  • Closing Date: 2024-12-13

Background

 
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP:  we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

 
UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

 

Timor-Leste is a small half-island country, one of the top ten counties most vulnerable to climate change. Approximately 70% of Timor-Leste's rural population (840,000 people) is highly vulnerable to climate changes, particularly increasing rainfall variability and extreme weather events. Lives and livelihoods are highly exposed in the country's remote interior and coastal regions. Impacts of intensified extreme events include damage and degradation of decentralized small-scale critical infrastructure, particularly water supply and drainage structures, embankments, and feeder roads and bridges. Damages leave rural populations isolated, lacking basic services. According to climate change scenarios and risk models, occurrences of climate extremes and related damages will at least double towards mid-century. 

 

The project objective is to safeguard vulnerable communities and their physical assets from climate change-induced disasters. It aims to address existing institutional, financial, and legislative barriers, increasing the climate resilience of vulnerable small-scale rural infrastructure. Six municipalities, mainly Baucau, Ermera, Aileu, Viqueque Lautem, and Liquica, were selected for the project interventions. The project has the two interrelated outputs below that aim to achieve the impact potential and create an enabling environment/condition for scaling up/replicating the impact beyond the immediate target areas. 

  • Output 1: Climate risk information is developed, monitored, and integrated into policies, regulations, and institutions to inform climate-resilient small-scale rural infrastructure planning and management
  • Output 2: Climate risk reduction and climate-proofing measures for small-scale rural infrastructure are implemented to build the resilience of vulnerable communities in six priority municipalities.

 

UNDP helps Timor-Leste honor its Paris Agreement commitments by supporting expanding the "green economy" to tap into new opportunities for jobs and businesses. It partners with other United Nations agencies to provide technical expertise to translate strategies into action, establish a monitoring framework for climate change adaptation and mitigation, and develop plans for transition to sustainable land management, climate-proof agriculture, biodiversity, reforestation, disaster risk reduction, and waste management. By catalyzing SDG and Paris-aligned investments (public and private), UNDP delivers client-focused solutions that respond to immediate, mid and long-term recovery and socio-economic development priorities, and by leveraging on-the-ground presence and networks, we unlock bottom-up solutions towards lasting impacts at the country level, benefitting most disadvantaged and leaving no one behind.


 
Duties and Responsibilities


Summary of function: 

  1. Technical support, planning, and implementation of the project activities 
  2. Monitoring, verification, and reporting 
  3. Build partnerships with key stakeholders
  4. Knowledge management and capacity building 

A. Technical support, planning, and implementation of the project activities:

  • Conduct site visits to identify the projects, conduct feasibility studies and detailed engineering surveys, collect required information, and prepare design drawings, BOQs, and technical specifications. 
  • Present technical designs in public consultation and support the collection of information as per approved ESIA/ ESMP and preparation, submission, and approval of project documents for ANLA license. 
  • Ensure that all FPIC requirements are fulfilled and documented. 
  • Support the municipal procurement teams in the procurement process, including bid document preparation, bid evaluation, contract document preparation, and contract award, as necessary. 
  • With support from/coordination with the national engineers, ensure the overall implementation management to ensure that physical construction works are completed on time, within budget, and to quality standards, including taking timely action to prevent potential delays and/or cost overruns that can be avoided. 
  • With support from/coordination with the national engineers, ensure that the contractor fully follows all the risks and proposed mitigation measures mentioned in the ESIA/ESMP, such as health and safety. 
  • Check and verify quantities of work done and provide a report to UNDP for each payment certificate. 
  • Report on the quantities of work prepared by the contractors. Local NGOs/CBOs review payment certificates and financial progress reports and assist in verifying the quantities and measured works. 
  • Collate all documentation for the payment requests for each statement (interim/final) for contractors and tranche/milestone disbursements for local partners such as NGOs/CBOs. 
  • Assist in the inspection preparation for the project's substantial completion and snag list. 
  • Assist in preparing the completion/handover event and technical site visit. 
  • Ensure that the daily records are kept on the site workbook sign on the site workbook. 
  • Inform the Project Manager of any problem that may arise on-site and with stakeholders, including contractors and local partners (such as NGOs/CBOs). 
  • Attend weekly and monthly site/office meetings and take minutes of meetings to be given to the Project Manager. 
  • Support the project manager in refining standards to enable climate-proofing small-scale rural infrastructure and ensure that climate risk reduction measures for small-scale rural infrastructure are fully integrated into the planning and budgeting cycles of village and municipal development plans.
  • Coordinate with other project components, such as agroforestry and DRM, to ensure an integrated approach. Coordinate with other project staff: Field Coordinators, Climate Change/ Environment Officers, GIS Officers, and Gender Officers and provide support as needed. Give backstopping support to the engineering team as required. 

B. Monitoring, verification, and reporting on activities:

  • In coordination with M&E specialist, prepare a monitoring plan for the ongoing schemes and ensure joint monitoring through the involvement of the relevant government departments 
  • In collaboration with the Safeguard Officer/climate change and environment officer, monitor construction works per the contractual provisions and design specifications, given schedule/ timeline, and under established procedures, including ESIA/ ESMP, gender-sensitive approaches, and climate-proofing standards. 
  • Ensure that the contractors follow all quality control measures per the specifications, including the field and laboratory tests. 
  • Verify that the works are consistent with the designs, technical specifications, and budget and promptly inform them of eventual deviations. 
  • Regularly take progress photographs and collate these in digital formats for the contract records. Duly maintain an electronic library of photos of the works' progress. Collate the quality and operational documents in digital formats for the contract records and maintain an electronic archive of the works' progress. 
  • Maintain a filing system for all site memos and instructions, measured quantities of work and materials on site, reports, and other documents and correspondence pertaining to the construction activities. 
  • Timely preparation and submission of required reports, including technical and financial reports to PMU and presentation to national and municipal stakeholders. 
  • Regular follow-up and monitoring of activities implemented and reporting on risks and mitigation measures. 
  • Support preparing periodic progress reports, site monitoring reports, stakeholder meetings, client handover documents, and contract close-out reports.

C. Build partnerships with key stakeholders: 

  • Engage and maintain direct dialogue with national and local authorities, local community leaders, and stakeholders, including the respective line ministries and departments, to support the implementation of the project activities. 
  • Contribute to maintaining and strengthening effective coordination and collaboration with key national and local counterparts (government and civil society) and other involved development partners to explore complementarity. 
  • Work closely with local authorities and communities to affect the implementation of specific project activities, including the training, bioengineering demo, and climate-proofing measures applied to the selected infrastructure units. 

D. Knowledge management and capacity building:

  • Support on the capacity build, guidelines development, and policy strengthening activities as proposed under activities 1.3 and 2.1 of the project. 
  • With the coordination and support from the national engineers, train relevant staff and key stakeholders (including local contractors, municipal staff, local development organizations, and groups) on designing and implementing climate-resilient rural infrastructures, ESIA/ ESMP guidelines, and gender-sensitive approaches. 
  • With the coordination and support from the national engineers, plan and implement capacity-building and awareness-raising activities for technical staff at the municipalities and administrative posts, as well as representatives of local NGOs/CBOs and other key stakeholders, on topics covering climate resilient infrastructure planning and prioritization, climate change hazards, and disaster risk management. 
  • With the coordination and support from the national engineers, contribute to disseminating and sharing best practices and lessons learned for development planning and knowledge building, including ESIA/ ESMP, gender-sensitive approaches, and climate-proofing standards. 
  • With the coordination and support from the national engineers, provide training and technology to personnel and advice on good construction practices, sound environmental management practices, and appropriate health and safety standards during construction. 
  • With the coordination and support from the national engineers, collaborate and coordinate with MSA/DGDGL and other stakeholders on engineering issues. Participate in the Professional Engineering Community, remaining abreast of the latest developments and professional norms, standards, tools, and methodologies. 
  • Participate in meetings and related technical events, TWGs, and contribute to discussing climate-proofing measures for rural infrastructure at national and sub-national levels. 
  • The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

            

Institutional Arrangement

National Project Field Engineer will report directly to the Project Manager in coordination with the GCF Project, UNDP Timor-Leste. National Project Field Engineer is expected to work closely with the engineering team, GIS officer, and climate change and environment officers, as well as with close coordination with the field coordinators in the respective municipalities. Extensive in-municipality field visits, consultations, and travel will be required to all the Sucos and post administrations to assess and monitor civil work construction. 

Frequent communication and collaboration with the project team and staff from relevant national counterparts are required. 

According to this TOR, National Project Field Engineer will facilitate consultation and discussion with key counterparts (national and sub-national authorities), partners, and community, including relevant organizations in Timor-Leste.

 
Competencies
 
Core
 
Achieve Results::
LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline
 
Think Innovatively:
EVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements 
 
Learn Continuously:
LEVEL 1: Open minded and curious, shares knowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback
 
Adapt with Agility:
LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible 
 
Act with Determination: 
LEVEL 1: Shows drive and motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident
 
Engage and Partner:
LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships
 
Enable Diversity and Inclusion:
LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination 
 
Cross-Functional & Technical competencies 
Thematic Area Name Definition
Business Direction & Strategy Strategic Thinking Develop effective strategies and prioritised plans in line with UNDP’s mission and objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, opportunities and potential risks; link the general vision to reality on the ground to create tangible targeted solutions; learn from a variety of sources to anticipate and effectively respond to both current and future trends; demonstrate foresight.
Business Development Collective Intelligence Design
  • Ability to bring together diverse groups of people, data, information, ideas, and technology to solve problems and design solutions or services. 
  • Knowledge and understanding of Collective Intelligence Design principles, methodology and practices.
Business Management Partnerships Management Build and maintain partnerships with wide networks of stakeholders, Governments, civil society and private sector partners, experts and others in line with UNDP strategy and policies.
Communications Campaign management Ability to produce and implement communications and advocacy campaigns which lead to impactful change
Partnership management Relationship management Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding
Administration & Operations Documents and records management Overall document (hard or electronic) management; registry and retention policy including storing and archiving
Ethics Ethics Advice & Guidance Ability to quickly analyse complex fact patterns and provide comprehensive, sensitive, and confidential ethics advice and guidance
 
Required Skills and Experience

 
Education:
  • Advanced university degree (Master´s degree or equivalent) in Civil/Construction Engineering, Agriculture Engineering, Water Supply and Sanitation/WASH, and Bioengineering is required, or
  • A first-level of university degree (Bachelor’s degree) in Civil/Construction Engineering, Agriculture Engineering, Water Supply and Sanitation/WASH, and Bioengineering and process in combination with 2 additional years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of Master’s degree.
Experience:
  • Applicants with a Master’s degree (or equivalent) in a relevant field of study are not required to have professional work experience. Applicants with a Bachelor’s degree (or equivalent) are required to have a minimum of two (2) years of relevant professional experience in Civil/Construction Engineering, Agriculture Engineering and Water Supply and Sanitation/WASH and Bioengineering.

Require skills:

  • Experience in AutoCAD or other MS Project and Excel design software. 
  • Experience using computers, office software packages (MS Word, Excel, etc.), database packages, and web-based management systems such as ERP.

Desire skills in addition to the competencies covered in the Competencies section:

  • Experience working with UN organizations INGOs in Lautem and Vequeque municipalities is an asset. 
  • Demonstrated knowledge and experience of climate-proofing infrastructure and bioengineering/ applicable standards for design and construction is an asset. 
  • Demonstrated experience working with national and sub-national stakeholders, preferably with Ministry of State Administration is an asset. 
  • Experience in the PDIM/PNDS process, including engineering works, technical inputs/specifications, and tender documents for procurement, is an asset. 
  • Experience in rural infrastructure types (rural roads, rural water supply, on-farm water management). Preference will be given to candidates having experience in more than 2 infrastructure types mentioned above as an asset. 
  • Understand more advanced aspects of the primary area of specialization and the fundamental concepts of related disciplines. 
  • Demonstrates in-depth understanding and knowledge of the current guidelines and project management tools and utilizes these regularly in work assignments if desired.

Required Language(s):

Fluency in Tetum and English is required.

 

Disclaimer

 

 
Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment. 

 
UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

 
Applicant information about UNDP rosters

 
Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement.  We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

 
Non-discrimination

 
UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.  

 
UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status. 

 
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