Project Engineer

VACANCY ANNOUNCEMENT

Mercy Corps is an international, non-governmental humanitarian relief and development agency that exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping to build secure, productive and just communities. Mercy Corps began operations in Nepal in 2005, and since then has implemented projects in the sectors of agriculture, economic development and opportunities, financial services, youth engagement, natural resource management and disaster risk reduction/ climate change adaptation, with gender as a cross-cutting issue.

Mercy Corps Nepal invites applications from all interested and potential Nepali candidates for the following position:

Project Engineer -1 ( based in Dhangadi with frequent visits to fields)

Please refer to nepal.mercycorps.org for the full position description.

“Fostering a diverse and open workplace is an important part of Mercy Corps’ vision, and we encourage people from all backgrounds, especially women and members of disadvantaged groups to apply. Mercy Corps is an Equal Opportunity Employer”.

Interested candidates are requested to submit cover letter and Mercy Corps Application Form available at http://nepal.mercycorps.org by December 07, 2016 to the address below: 

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for further selection process. Telephone enquiries will not be entertained.

Attn: Human Resources Department

[Please mention the title of the Position on the subject line of the e-mail while applying]

Email to: np-jobs@mercycorps.org

Position Title: Project Engineer

Duty Station: Dhangadhi, Kailali district  

Position Category:  Full-time  AND     Regular 

Salary Level:  4

Current Employee:  NA

BACKGROUND:

Mercy Corps is an international, non-governmental humanitarian relief and development agency that exists to alleviate suffering, poverty and oppression by helping people build secure, productive, and just communities. Mercy Corps works in more than 40 countries, and has been present in Nepal since 2005. In Nepal, Mercy Corps works to build the absorptive, adaptive, and transformative potential of vulnerable individuals and communities across the country. Through a systems-based approach to market development, financial services access, disaster risk reduction, climate change adaptation, and youth engagement, Mercy Corps builds resilience among target communities.

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps has received funding from the Margaret A. Cargill (MAC) Foundation to implement a 3-year integrated disaster risk reduction (DRR that also includes climate change negative impacts) and economic development program, called Managing Risks through Economic Development (M-RED).  This program will be implemented in four districts of Nepal: Kailali, Kanchanpur, Dadeldhura and Baitadi.  M-RED aims to reach 4000 households in 52 communities with mitigation measures that reduce vulnerability while also linking to local markets to increase incomes or contribute to broader community economic strengthening.  By economically incentivizing DRR mitigation measures, the program hopes to demonstrate a new approach to sustainable DRR that is market-driven. 

Mercy Corps takes a market development approach.  This is characterized by a focus on acknowledging that the poor are participants in market systems, understanding their role as producers, consumers and laborers in these complex systems, and facilitating systemic change by identifying and leveraging capacities and incentives of market players to address underlying causes of market system dysfunction.  The aim is to address income poverty by improving the core market relationships and transactions, supporting functions, and rules/ regulations of a market system to improve access and terms of access of the poor.  

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Project Engineer will be responsible for overall planning, designing, implementation and supervision of small scale mitigation work including bio-engineering and ensure quality implementation within in stipulated time and cost. S/He will be responsible to follow up on previous mitigation works implemented by program. S/he will be responsible for building capacity of implementing partner staff (technical supervisor) for the quality implementation and supervision of small scale mitigation. The Project Engineer will work closely with District Coordinators in each target district, providing technical advice and supervising engineering interventions in each project location, and across different target areas and markets.  The project engineer will also provide technical input for the integration of small scale mitigation work with market or economic development component.

Key responsibilities include identification of small scale mitigation techniques that can contribute to disaster risk reduction and also has economic incentive. This will require development of training package and tools as required to the context of project districts. The Project Engineer will lead the capacity building for local partner and communities including assisting them in implementation of construction works. S/he will search for different resources and explore different best practices on small scale mitigation works existing in the country and identify best intervention for MRED project. 

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS: 

• Coordinate small scale mitigation activities together with District Coordinators, partner staff, ensuring high quality performance and program delivery focused on planned results including SALT technology in coordination with Technical Advisor-Livelihood and Climate Change Adaptation (CCA). 
• Undertake problem assessment and conduct research/studies to identify small scale/low cost mitigation measure having economic incentives. 
• Develop/review training curriculum, strategy and tools for small scale mitigation activities.

- Develop reports of studies carried out to identify high value bio-engineering species and low cost effective bio-engineering techniques

- Develop guideline for bio-engineering works that can contribute for economic development of community.

- Develop technical design and implementation guideline and train partner. 

• Organize training to partner organization and communities on different small scale mitigation techniques.
• Develop detail process and procedures for the implementation of small scale mitigation work and training partner staff and communities.
• Identify and work with related government/non government agencies and facilitate community linkage to access resources and technical support.
• Prepare monthly progress reports and submit to National Program Manager.

Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation

• Prepare monthly work plans which adhere to the overall M-RED project objectives and activities and assist local partner staff in doing the same.
• Coordinate with DM&E team to develop tools and facilitate its implementation to collect feedback, capturing and documenting learning.
• Organize regular field visit to ensure implementation of mitigation work is being done with desired quality and within stipulated time and resources.
• Review the progress reports received from the local partner staff and provide feedback/ suggestions either independently or in conjunction with the Deputy Project Manger

Other Support 

• Ensure that MC operational policies and procedures are followed, while ensuring downward and upward project efficiency, transparency and accountability.
• Manage good relationships with project stakeholders, including local NGO partners, GoN officials, community officials, and colleague agency officials
• Ensure that innovative approaches, good practices, particular challenges, or good results are documented to support agency learning.
• Participate and contribute to joint initiatives, training activities and media events organized collectively by the M-RED implementing partners country-wide or regionally, as required
• Conduct him or herself in manner so as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and so as not to jeopardize its humanitarian mission

ORGANIZATIONAL LEARNINGS: As part of Mercy Corps’ agency-wide Organizational Learning Initiative, all team members are responsible for spending 5% of their work time in formal and/or non-formal professional learning activities.

ACCOUNTABILITY TO BENEFICIARIES: Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.

SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY:  None.

REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Program Manager/ Deputy Program Manager of M-RED. 

WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: District Coordinators, Sr. M&E Officer, Research Advisor-Zurich, Technical Advisor-Livelihood and CCA, Partner Project Team, Disaster Management Committees, Project Support Unit, DM&E Unit. 

ACCOUNTABLE TO: Country Director; Director of Programs; Program Manager; Deputy Program Manager, Mercy Corps policies and procedures; MAC  grant agreement and policies; M-RED project team in the field; Position Description; DRR and market development best practices.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE: 

• Minimum Bachelor degree in civil engineering. Master’s degree preferred.
• Three to five years of experience with community-based program and designing and implementing Bio-Engineering intervention.
• Experience working with local NGO, government officials under DRR sector.
• Experience building capacity of diverse team.
• Strong organization and communication skills.
• Strong writing/spoken English.  
• Strong skill on training design and facilitation.
• Ability to search different resources to develop innovative approaches. 
• High level of computer skills required.
• Good level of spoken English is required.
• Willingness to travel frequently to remote areas.
• Competence riding a motorbike preferred.