Water Utility Engineer

• Job Category: Programming
• Requisition Number: 3NGPR006241

Job Details

Description

Water Utility Engineer

Location: Delta or Abia

Position Status: Full-time

 About Mercy Corps

Mercy Corps is powered by the belief that a better world is possible. To do this, we know our teams do their best work when they are diverse, and every team member feels that they belong. We welcome diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be stronger and have long term impact.

Department Summary

The Water Utility Engineer will be part of Mercy Corps Nigeria’s Water Security portfolio, which leads the implementation of small-town WASH and community infrastructure projects across Southern Nigeria. Following the suspension of one of MCN’s signature Small Town WASH activities and the resulting termination of construction works in Abia and Delta states, Mercy Corps secured new donor funding to complete these critical projects and restore stakeholder confidence. The department provides technical leadership, program management, and compliance oversight for all infrastructure works, ensuring that water supply systems are designed, constructed, and handed over to communities and local authorities in line with international standards, government regulations, and Mercy Corps’ Infrastructure Minimum Standards.

The Position

 The Water Utility Engineer is responsible for all engineering and infrastructure aspects of construction work in Delta or Abia states under the small-town WASH program. The incumbent will supervise the infrastructure team and work closely with other program team members to select projects, develop project designs, and/or supervise contractors to implement them, apply quality control measures, and ensure the timely implementation of high-quality infrastructure projects. In addition to overall technical project implementation and management, the incumbent will work closely with local authorities, communities, private/public organizations, and other stakeholders to develop operations and maintenance (O&M) plans and increase the likelihood that these will be sustainably managed. 

Essential Responsibilities

PROJECT MANAGEMENT

•  Work with program team members to understand infrastructure requirements, select sites, conduct scoping and feasibility studies, and design projects.
•  Develop and manage work plans for infrastructure projects.
•  Work with the M&E team, contractors, communities, and other stakeholders to ensure that projects are implemented on time, on scope, and on budget.
•  Conduct frequent site visits to determine any deviations or challenges and suggest appropriate solutions.
•  Ensure that Mercy Corps’ Infrastructure Minimum standards are understood and met for each project.
•  Develop detailed remote monitoring plans for less accessible sites.
•  Develop Standard Operating Procedures and ensure adherence to the same.
•  Develop site-specific safety plans and ensure adherence to the same.
•  Maintain a well-organized filing system for infrastructure project documentation.
•  Work with local authorities to develop O&M and handover plans.
•  Work with the CARM team to ensure that community members and other stakeholders have access to feedback channels before, during, and after construction.
•  Maintain clear and open lines of communication with all stakeholders.

TECHNICAL OVERSIGHT

•  Conduct feasibility and technical assessments for planned projects, using this information to inform project plans, adjustments, and decision-making.
•  Develop technical and design specifications, consulting with outside expertise as needed to ensure a full understanding of the work required. Ensure that design packages align with quality expectations and host government regulations.
•  Develop quality control procedures appropriate to each project. Ensure the implementation and documentation of quality control procedures.
•  Prepare technical documentation for tendering packages. If requested, participate in the tendering process for contractors, including pre-qualification and technical reviews.
•  If required, conduct training for pre-qualified vendors.
•  Provide construction management supervision, including oversight of onsite work, materials testing, report development, and verification of quantities. Support the processing of payments and handover procedures.
•  Develop or follow established guidelines on essential tests to be carried out prior to infrastructure or rehabilitation activities.
•  Prepare site visit and quality check reports and contribute to overall program reporting.
•  Contribute to environmental impact assessment and mitigation plans.

 TEAM LEADERSHIP (IF RELEVANT)

•  Identify staffing needs within the technical team and coordinate with program leadership to recruit, onboard, train, and supervise these team members.
•  Identify training needs and deliver resulting training plans.
•  Develop guidance notes and checklists for team members participating in construction management.

Minimum Qualifications & Transferable Skills: Any skills you have gained through education, volunteer work, or life experience that are relevant to the position will be considered. Be sure to fully explain transferable skills and success factors, and how they apply to this position in your cover letter.

• Sc. in civil engineering or a related field. MSc preferred.
• 5-7 (for Engineer) or 8-10 (for Senior Engineer) years of experience in designing and implementing infrastructure projects.
• Ability to work effectively with team members of varied working styles and diverse backgrounds.
• Ability to develop clear and concise documentation for tendering and oversight.
• Proven ability to deliver infrastructure projects in challenging and time-sensitive environments.
• Applicants who are currently residing in Abia or Delta states, and possess strong knowledge of the local language and context are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Strong construction management experience.
• Excellent oral and written communication skills.
• Experience with training development and delivery, and the development of high-performing infrastructure teams.
• Strong ICT skills.
• Demonstrated ability to multitask and process information into action, avoiding delays.
• A clear understanding of ethical and regulatory compliance associated with infrastructure projects.

 Supervisory Responsibility: Supervises field or Junior Engineers. Sr. Engineer may supervise other Engineers.

Accountability

Reports Directly To: Infrastructure Program Manager

Works directly with: state-level stakeholders, contractors, and relevant departments within Mercy Corps.

Accountability to Participants and Stakeholders

Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts toward accountability, specifically to our program participants, community partners, other stakeholders, and to international standards guiding international relief and development work. We are committed to actively engaging communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring, and evaluation of our field projects.

Success Factors

The successful candidate will be a professional engineer with deep infrastructure project design and construction management experience, as well as experience managing infrastructure teams and contractors. They will have a sense of sustainability considerations and how the likelihood of environmentally and financially sustainable infrastructure can be increased. They will be results-oriented and flexible to adapt to evolving conditions and will have the ability to work effectively with a diverse range of internal and external stakeholders in a collaborative manner to achieve objectives.

Living Conditions / Environmental Conditions

The position will be based in Abia or Delta State with frequent travel to project sites and occasional visits to Abuja for coordination. These are urban/semi-urban duty stations with reliable access to basic services, health facilities, markets, and communication networks. Housing is self-arranged. Travel to field sites may involve movement in areas with limited infrastructure and require adherence to Mercy Corps’ security procedures.

Ongoing Learning

In support of our belief that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities we serve, we empower all team members to dedicate 5% of their time to learning activities that further their personal and/or professional growth and development.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives.

We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Mercy Corps is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact.

We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Mercy Corps is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse laid out by the UN Secretary General and IASC and have signed on to the Interagency Misconduct Disclosure Scheme. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to Mercy Corps Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct elearning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

As a safeguarding measure, Mercy Corps screens all potential US-Based employees. This is done following the conclusion of recruitment and prior to assuming full employment.

Our screening process is designed to be transparent and completed in partnership with new Team Members. You will have the opportunity to disclose any prior convictions at the conclusion of the recruitment process before the check is initiated. We ask that you do not disclose any prior convictions in your application materials or during the recruitment process.