Resident Engineer – Burao Water Civil Works

The Somaliland Development Fund – Phase 3 (SDF3) covers the period 2025-2028, with the possibility of a two-year extension. SDF3 aims to strengthen the climate resilience of vulnerable communities in Somaliland while creating increased income and job opportunities, thereby helping to reduce poverty. SDF3’s ambitions are aligned with NDP3 and reflect the priorities set out in Somaliland Vision 2030. SDF3 is funded with contributions from Denmark, Norway and the United Kingdom.

The SDF3 Joint Steering Committee has approved the Burao Water Supply Expansion Project, which aims to strengthen water security for Burao, Somaliland’s second‑largest city. The project is designed to address chronic water shortages by expanding groundwater production, constructing new transmission pipelines, and improving distribution capacity to serve an additional 85,000 residents, including 7,000 internally displaced people (IDPs). Burao currently relies on 21 boreholes and a 58 km pipeline network that together meet only 54% of total water demand, prompting the need for a long‑term, climate‑resilient solution. The expansion project builds on earlier SDF2 assessments focused on climate change impacts, water resource sustainability, and renewable energy integration. Like other SDF3 investments, the project is structured around three strategic pillars: climate resilience, inclusive economic growth, and social inclusion, and comprises three outputs aligned with these objectives.

1.  Summary of the role

As part of the Burao Water Supply Expansion Project, significant civil works will be undertaken across multiple sites, including the construction of transmission pipelines, reservoirs, booster station facilities and associated infrastructure under Lots 1–4. To support the effective delivery of these works, the Project intends to recruit a Resident Engineer – Water Civil Works to join the Project Management Team (PMT), in line with the approved proposal and the SDF3 Operational Guidelines. The Resident Engineer will provide on‑site technical oversight of all civil works, ensuring that pipelines, tanks, buildings and related structures are delivered safely, in accordance with approved designs and technical standards, and completed on time and within budget.

2. Key tasks summary

• Lead and coordinate all civil works under Lots 1–4, supervising Assistant Resident Engineers and Technical Officers across multiple construction sites.
• Oversee construction of pipelines, reservoirs, buildings and booster stations, ensuring full compliance with approved designs, specifications and SDF3 standards.
• Manage contract administration, including variations, claims, site instructions, documentation control and verification of IPCs.
• Monitor contractor programmes, enforce realistic sequencing, track progress, and ensure effective recovery planning where delays arise.
• Enforce robust QA/QC, HSE and ESMP requirements through inspections, testing, risk monitoring and closure of defects.
• Lead reporting and handover processes, including progress reports, as‑built verification, O&M documentation and support to testing and commissioning.

3. Required Qualifications, Skills and Experience

Qualifications and Skills

• Minimum of a bachelor’s degree in civil engineering or water supply engineering.
• Professional registration with a recognised engineering body.
• Proficiency in MS Office, AutoCAD, and hydraulic modelling tools (e.g. EPANET, WaterCAD, Water GEMS).

General Professional Experience

• Minimum of 10 years’ post‑qualification experience implementing or supervising water supply infrastructure projects.
• Served as Resident Engineer on at least three similar projects in the past ten years.

Specific Professional Experience

• Minimum of 7 years’ experience managing or supervising urban water supply with multi-lot and multi-contractor infrastructure such as pipelines, reservoirs, pumping stations, and site structures.
• At least 5 years’ experience in contract administration, including management of variations, claims, RFIs, IPC certification, and contractor performance oversight.
• Minimum 5 years’ experience in designing or reviewing hydraulic water distribution systems.
• Minimum 3 years’ proven experience enforcing HSE requirements, environmental safeguards, and social compliance obligations on active construction sites.
• At least 3 years’ experience preparing technical documentation, including daily/weekly records, monthly progress reports, test and inspection reports, as‑built documentation, and close‑out files

4. How to apply

Interested candidates should send their application (cover letter and CV) to the Somaliland Development Fund Secretariat through e-mail jobs@sdf-secretariat.org. Candidates should indicate in their cover letter how they fit the criteria outlined in the advert. All applications must be received by 29 April 2026 at 1600hrs East African Standard Time. Applicants should clearly indicate the position they are applying for in the email subject line.

Any attempt by a candidate to influence the outcome of the recruitment process in any way which can be interpreted as canvassing will lead to automatic disqualification from being considered for this position.

This position is open to both International and Somaliland candidates.

Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.