Construction Engineer

The United Nations Human Settlements Programme, UN-Habitat, is the United Nations agency for human settlements and is mandated  by  the  UN  General  Assembly  to  promote  socially  and environmentally sustainable towns and cities with the goal of providing adequate shelter for all. UN-Habitat’s mandate is further derived from other internationally agreed upon development goals, including the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) approved by UN Member States in 2015. The New Urban Agenda approved at Quito in 2016 sets the standards for achieving SDG 11 which calls to “make cities and human settlements inclusive, safe, resilient and sustainable.”

UN-Habitat in Sudan has developed in recent years a complex but consistent programme that addresses sustainable urbanization, public/basic services delivery, housing development and livelihoods, among other aspects, with activities ranging from policy and strategy making, to studies and assessments, training and capacity development, and implementation of physical interventions at the local level, using participatory approach and alternative construction technologies. Up to now the programme is been implemented in Darfur, Khartoum, Blue Nile and White Nile States, and has the ambition to expand to Eastern Sudan, as well as starting national initiatives.

Since 2007 the United Nations Human Settlements Programme (UN-Habitat) has been carrying out several activities for stimulating a more sustainable urbanisation process in Darfur, Blue Nile and White Nile by introducing seamless construction technologies through direct community involvement, carrying out land studies and delivering institutional capacity development on urban planning and management. In particular, the use of stabilized soil blocks (SSB) for construction was identified and successfully tested as an affordable and environmental-friendly technology for the most vulnerable groups, in addition to support of rule of law and durable solution addressing inter-communal conflicts related to land.

In the context of the ongoing conflict in Blue Nile, UN-Habitat is intensifying its urban planning and human settlement programmes and peace and stability interventions to complement humanitarian assistance and prepare the grounds for an eventual transition to recovery and development. UN-Habitat has established an important presence in the Blue Nile  as the leading UN agency in the areas of Urban Planning, security of land tenure, resettlement of IDPs, Land Management through a variety of projects that are managed from Khartoum and implemented through competent national professional field staff in the Blue Nile.

Under overall supervision of the Head of Country Office and direct supervision of the National Programme Coordinator, The Construction Engineer  covers a broad range of issues ranging from programmatic, technical and general administration, security of premises and staff to effectively advising projects on all matters pertaining to quality and timely completion, such as assessment of needs, technical and managerial guidance to field staff, and financial management in close coordination with UN-Habitat Khartoum Office.

He/she is responsible for the supervision and guidance of field staff in the Blue Nile state and should ensure a client-oriented approach and consistency with UN-Habitat rules and regulations in conformity with the good management practice. He/she advises the field staff on quality control, cost effectiveness and responses to emerging technical and operational challenges in managing UN-Habitat projects.

Summary of key functions:

1. Programme /projects management and implementation.

2. Ensure effective coordination with stakeholders and partners.

3. Monitoring and Reporting.
4. Staff, administration, and Operational matters.

1.Programme/projects management and implementation:

• Ensure proper and efficient implementation of activities according to the Project work plan
• Provide direction and leadership in advocating project objectives and in ensuring that all interested parties are well informed about the project activities and goals
• Provide technical leadership in planning and implementation of the projects’ activities in collaboration with operational partners including state and local authorities, private sector and civil society initiatives, community leaders, CBOs,.
• Prepare and update annual and quarterly work plans, and submits these to the UN-Habitat Office in Khartoum for clearance and approval
• Ensure that the co-implementing partners and implementing agencies/ sub-contractors mobilize and deliver the outputs in accordance with the agreement or contracts, and provide regular progress reports
• Provide advice on community involvement and participation in the process of project activities implementation
• Liaise with the state Ministry of Planning and Physical Development, Ministry of Finance, locality concerned departments, State government line ministries, communities to promote sustainability
• Ensures that the “Stabilized Soil Block” building techniques are adequately understood and applied by all implementation partners
• In collaboration with the Trainers on Stabilized Soil Block (SSB), participate in the training of trainers and of community construction groups during the piloting and mainstreaming of the “SSB” building technologies
• Provide technical advice in the area of design, costing, drawings, Quantity surveying, Quality control, tender processing and contracting to the project and partners
• Carry out any other tasks related to Programme planning, implementation and monitoring.

2. Ensure effective coordination with stakeholders and partners:

• Ensure effective communication and coordination between the Project office and the UN-Habitat Country office in Khartoum and sub-office in Blue Nile
• Establish effective coordination mechanism to ease collaboration and sharing of information among UN-Habitat team in Khartoum and with UN-Habitat partners in Blue Nile
• Establish contacts in view of strengthening partnership with Partners

3.Monitoring and Reporting:

• Oversee the progress against the workplan and establish progress and process monitoring mechanisms
• Monitor implementation progress; prepare regular report to Country Office (CO)
• Prepare donor report.
• Facilitate donor missions and external visitors to project sites

4. Staff, administration and Operational matters:

• Oversees office administration, staff and operational matters
• Undertake outreach activities
• Represent UN-Habitat in all field level coordination matters
• Support, guide, back stopping the field teams
• Ensure safety and security of the field staff in close coordination with the UN security focal persons
• Performs other duties as required assigned by Country Programme Manager and National Programme

• Ability to establish and maintain productive partnerships with client and partners by gaining trust and respect.
•  Has a good personality and reputation, dynamic, committed and dedicated to his/her work
• Relevant work experience with community-based development initiatives, security/stabilization
• Must have very good communication and leadership capacity.
• Understanding of the dynamics of the local culture of Blue Nile state.
• Must have good analysis and drafting capacity;
•  Highly self-directed, motivated and must have team spirit;
• Flexibility and good organization skills;

Education:

• Master’s degree or equivalent in Construction Engineering or Urban Planning or project management, or

 related field.

• A first level university degree in relevant academic field with minimum four years relevant work  experience may be accepted in lieu of the master’s degree.

Experience :

• 2 years with master’s degree, or 4 years with Bachelors' Degree of experiences. of relevant work experience in development, programme, management in low-cost construction and familiarity with alternative building materials and technologies, in particular the SSB
• Experience in interacting with a range of partners including national, international and CBOs groups.
• Experience with a development project and knowledge of the project cycle
• Experience in peacebuilding, conflict resolution and gender equality principles is an asset.

Language Requirements:

• Fluency in both written and spoken English and Arabic

Only short-listed candidates will be contacted. Women Candidates are highly encouraged to apply.