Local recruitment: Lead Hydraulic Engineer- Retainer Homebased

• Job categories: Engineering, Water Management
• Vacancy code: VA/2024/B5333/28976
• Department/office: AFR, ETMCO, Ethiopia MCO
• Duty station: Home based
• Contract type: Local ICA Specialist
• Contract level: LICA Specialist-10
• Duration: One year initially, renewable subject to satisfactory performance and funding availability’
• Application period: 01-Oct-2024 to 14-Oct-2024

Applications to vacancies must be received before midnight Copenhagen time (CET) on the closing date of the announcement.

Please note that UNOPS will at no stage of the recruitment process request candidates to make payments of any kind.

 Background Information – Job-specific

UNOPS ETMCO is recruiting for this position: Lead Hydraulic Engineer – Homebased Retainer.

Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply.   These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

 UNOPS strategy for Ethiopia Multi Country Office is aimed at providing support to the Government and people of Ethiopia, Sudan and Djibouti through the delivery of projects and services in line with the governments’ own priorities and under the UN Delivery as One initiative. The UNOPS Ethiopia Multi Country Office (ETMCO) has been established as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been appointed as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS ETMCO  is implementing and negotiating a number of projects in a range of sectors including infrastructure development, Procurement Support to Government Ministries and other UN agencies and HR support to UN agencies. The functional objective of UNOPS ETMCO is to deliver projects in an efficient and effective manner, to achieve the development outcomes sought by the Government of Ethiopia and the donor community, where capacity building is always considered and encouraged.

UNOPS Ethiopia Multi-Country Office (EMCO) establishing a team of WASH experts to support the design, construction, and management of hydraulic and sanitation infrastructures within various project portfolios. Hence, a Lead Hydraulic Engineer is required to provide remote technical guidance to the team on design requirements or specific operations of targeted water systems. The Lead  Hydraulic Engineer will report to the Portfolio Senior Manager, who will establish the project strategy, deliver the project objectives and manage the entire operation.

Contractual Arrangement

Contract Duration: 12 months, 200 days with possibility of extension depending on performance and on availability of funds.

This is a retainer home-based position, and therefore the individual will need to use their own laptop and software.

 Functional Responsibilities

The Lead Hydraulic Engineer will be responsible for the below tasks.

• Technical expertise
• Monitoring and reporting
• Knowledge sharing and knowledge building
• Personnel management

Technical Expertise

• Provide specialist technical advice and design support in the hydraulic and sanitation sectors.
• Assist, guide, and verify the hydrological and hydraulic calculations delivered by the UNOPS local team on the targeted objectives.
• Provide the UNOPS team with information on innovations in the water and sanitation sector.
• Guide the team on the use of tools for calculations and share knowledge.
• Propose quick technical solutions for the realization of water and sanitation systems with components (possibly) available in the local market.

Monitoring and Reporting

• Actively engage with the WASH team and all relevant stakeholders on data collection and modeling.
• Ensure accurate and timely reporting of implementation plan progress.
• Prepare and submit to the Project Executive, as requested, reports summarizing the progress of tasks, risks, issues, and any other pertinent facts as required.
• Work closely with the Project Executive in responding to emerging project needs.

Knowledge Sharing and Knowledge Building

• Coach/train the project personnel in the field on data collection and elaboration for design and/or monitoring purposes.
• Ensure the highest standards of knowledge management, ensuring quality and complete archiving of work.
• Contribute to the implementation phase of the projects; highlight challenges associated with the projects and provide feedback into a continuous improvement cycle.
• Provide training and knowledge transfer to national personnel.
• Contribute to the dissemination and sharing of best practices and lessons learned for development planning and knowledge building.

Personnel Management

• Assist the Project Executive from a technical viewpoint to deliver projects that include hydraulic or sanitation components.
• Assist the Project Executive in coordinating the technical work of the team; technically supervise and coach the team during the implementation phase.
• Attract, retain, and develop talent with the skills and competencies needed to ensure optimum performance, offering guidance to enable responsible, effective, and efficient performance.
• Ensure principles of human rights, gender equity, peace, voice, accountability, ‘doing no harm,’ and aid effectiveness in all activities.
• Create, foster, and role model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation and abuse. Ensure accountability for actions and perform duties in accordance with protection mechanisms and action plans, as expected by UNOPS policies, standards, and commitments.

 Education/Experience/Language requirements

Education

• An advanced university degree (e.g. Masters) in Hydraulic Engineering or related fields is required.
• A first-level university degree (e.g. Bachelor) with 2 additional years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advanced degree requirements.
• A Ph.D. in Hydraulic Engineering is an asset

 Work Experience

• A minimum of five  (5) years of work experience in designing/verifying hydraulic and sanitation infrastructures is required.
• Experience in risk assessment of hydraulic systems is an asset.
• Experience in teaching, conducting applied research and/or capacity building in the hydraulic and hydrological  engineering sectors is considered an asset.

• Demonstrated knowledge of hydraulic components and machinery is required .
• Author or Co-author of Articles published in International Journals or Proceedings of International Conferences in the  hydraulic and or hydrological  sectors  is an added value.

 Language 

• Fluency in written, spoken and reading English is required.
• Knowledge of another UN official language is an asset.

 Contract type, level and duration

Contract type: ICA/ ICS 10 retainer – homebased
Contract level: Local ICA 10
Contract duration: 12 months with possibility of extension depending on performance and on availability of funds

For more details about the ICA contractual modality, please follow this link:
https://www.unops.org/english/Opportunities/job-opportunities/what-we-offer/Pages/Individual-Contractor-Agreements.aspx

 Additional Information

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.
• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 
• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.
• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

Terms and Conditions 

• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post. 
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few mandatory courses ( they take around 4 hours to complete)  in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. Refreshers or new mandatory courses may be required during your contract. Please note that you will not receive any compensation for taking courses and refreshers. For more information on a retainer contract here.
• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.
• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.