Watershed Engineer

SCOPE OF WORK

Background

The USAID Karnali Water Activity will create healthy, resilient, and water secure communities at the watershed level through strengthened water and sanitation governance that improves water resource management (including water for more resilient and biodiverse ecosystems), enhances sustainable access to drinking water, improves agriculture water management, and reduces the fecal pathogen burden in the environment from poorly managed non-sewered sanitation through fecal sludge management. The program team will methodically integrate WRM, watershed biodiversity conservation, and water and sanitation service delivery by mapping and strengthening the roles, connections, and capacities of key actors and stakeholders system wide.

Position Description:

The Watershed Engineer will be responsible for providing continuous technical and managerial oversight of the program’s design and construction activities of water supply schemes, Multiple Use Water Systems, water source protection schemes, and Fecal Sludge Treatment Plants (FSTP) in their assigned Watershed offices to ensure quality assurance of the construction works carried out by the contractor(s) as per the Detailed Project Report(s) DPR(s). Under the technical supervision of the Supervisory Engineer and co-supervision of Watershed Manager s/he will prepare required monitoring and oversight documents and reports, in addition to ensuring that scheme designs, and construction activities are based on the approved design and are responsive to risks identified in the design and plans.

Key Duties and Responsibilities:

The Watershed Engineer will be responsible for, but not limited to, the following tasks:

• Support the QA/QC Engineer in preparing and overseeing a construction implementation plan (CIP) that includes:
  • Explanation of the approach(es), including standard operating procedures and risk mitigation measures, that will be adopted during construction for the different phases of construction (i.e., pre-design, design, procurement, execution, and handover), including design and construction works.
  • Quality control plan, health and safety plan, and waste management considerations.
  • Schedule of construction activities in the timeline to ensure annual targets are feasible; and 
  • Construction designs, site location plans, and maps of the proposed sites on the Environmental Review Report.
• Lead field level oversight of Feasibility Study and Scheme Design (FSSD) of the selected/defined schemes in each LG in close consultation with the Municipalities and local stakeholders, with assistance from Design and Supervision Engineer. 
• Support the Supervisory Engineer to review and finalize each water supply schemes:
  • Feasibility study report as submitted by the sub engineers, STTA and design firm.
  • Climate vulnerability assessment as well as multi-hazard risk assessment report with adaptation plans. 
  • DPR(s) of each scheme (that includes survey, design, drawing, and estimate reports along with the tender/procurement documents with procurement procedures) submitted by the design firm.
  • Provide feedback and comments to design firm to revise them (aforementioned documents) accordingly to incorporate the comments and finalize them. 
• Support Environmental Compliance Manager in reviewing each water supply scheme's Environmental Review Report (ERR) as well as the Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plans (EMMPs) prepared by the design firms in accordance with DAI policies and USAID regulations as required.
• Support Watershed Managers in:
  • Identify and select the water supply schemes within Municipalities in close consultation with Municipality Engineer and local stakeholders using criteria based ranking tools, and work to get the schemes endorsed/approved in respective Municipalities as necessary.
  • Consult with Municipality level engineers for review of the FSSD reports and obtain endorsement/approval as necessary.
  • Formulate a WASH Unit at the Municipality level to guide, steer, and monitor project progress of WSS/MUS implementation, as well as to provide long-term operation and maintenance support.
  • Support Municipality, WASH Unit, Water Sanitation and Hygiene Coordination Committees (WASH-CCs), Water Supply Users Committees (WSUCs), and other stakeholders on technical planning, design, implementation, and O&M aspects of WSS and FSTP systems for their constant support/contributions as agreed. This will include supporting community monitoring of the construction works.
• Prepare construction schedule as a part of DPR so that contractors can be guided for initiating construction works and mobilize subcontractors for timely completion. 
• Collaborate with Environmental Compliance Manager for monitoring and assurance of environment mitigation activities following the EMMP in compliance with Environmental Review Report to minimize potential environmental impacts of project activities. 
• Conduct regular monitoring/supervision of the WSS/MUS construction works in the sites and collect construction progress status from Sub-Engineers (SEs). With corrective actions after reviewing the status, prepare progress reports and maintain a database of the status of each scheme by municipality under respective watershed.
• As necessary, train and guide SEs to carry out technical tasks related to the specified schemes and extend technical support along with instruction to SEs for undertaking Detailed Construction Supervision and monitoring works on daily basis to ensure quality assurance as envisaged by DPRs.
• Ensure the quantity and quality of construction works in the field and verify the progress of works claimed by the contractors against the works completed on the ground ensuring that the completed works meet the required specifications according to the measurement book (MB) prepared by the SEs. 
• Prepare consolidated and individual reports of the WSS based on their progress status and share with WSUCs and LG(s) of the respective WSS/MUS for their feedback.
• In consideration of the consolidated and individual reports of the WSS and feedback from LGs, finalize MBs and payment bills for the quantity of works completed in consultation with SEs and recommend to Supervisory Engineer for further processing or needed actions for releasing the payment to the contractor(s).
• Prepare scheme completion and acceptance reports as per defined targets and outputs.
• Besides above, carryout other duties such as but not limited to:
  • Construction oversight and monitoring of FSTP and spring source protection schemes.
  • Coordinate with Karnali Water Activity’s team members across Watersheds, Surkhet, and Kathmandu offices to ensure smooth, on-time implementation of scheme activities as per required quality to deliver the planned targets.
  • Coordinate and communicate with Watershed Engineer in other Watershed offices for knowledge, skills and best practices related to scheme implementation and innovative approaches for successful execution of FSSD and Construction works.
  • Collaborate with GESI team and ensure GESI considerations are addressed in all the activities.
  • Collaborate with MEL team, to establish proper M&E system for defining, selection and collection, analyze and use of information to reflect and document achievements of the program.
  • Other duties as requested by the COP, DCOP, and Supervisory Engineer.

Level of Effort/Supervision

The level of effort is 260 days per year. The employment contract will be on a yearly basis. The Watershed Engineer will be based in Tila Watershed office, Kalikot within the Karnali River Basin and will report to the Watershed Manager and Supervisory Engineer.

Qualifications

• Bachelor’s degree in a relevant field in civil engineering or a related field
• 8 years of relevant experience in engineering (i.e., infrastructure planning, field surveying, design, cost estimation, and construction supervision). (7 years of relevant experience for the excluded group) 
• Experience in water supply and sanitation preferred
• Extensive experience in construction oversight and/or supervision and other engineering-related works, particularly WSS-related infrastructures will be preferred
• Experiences on the design of overhead tanks, lifting WS systems, other complicated water supply schemes and knowledge of FSTPs are added advantages
• Sound knowledge on the use of Auto CAD, GIS, and other relevant engineering software applications is preferred

Demonstrated ability to:

• Communicate effectively with local project staff, municipalities, local communities, and government counterparts to work efficiently towards project objectives and targets
• Work as an interdisciplinary team player to implement place-based activities and promote goals and objectives of USAID Karnali Water Activity; and
• Work closely with colleagues in a team spirit, work in difficult situations and remote areas.

Application instructions:

Interested applicants should submit an updated CV and cover letter to KarnaliWater_Recruitment@dai.com no later than June 25, 2024. Applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as possible as interviews will be conducted soon. Please note, due to the volume of applications that we receive and the urgency to fill-up positions only shortlisted applicants will receive notifications on next steps.

About DAI

DAI is a global development company with corporate offices in the United States, the United Kingdom, EU, Nigeria, Pakistan, and Palestine and project operations worldwide. We tackle fundamental social and economic development problems caused by inefficient markets, ineffective governance, and instability. DAI works on the frontlines of global development. Transforming ideas into action—action into impact. We are committed to shaping a more livable world.

DAI and its employees are committed to confronting racism and holding ourselves accountable for positive change within the company and in the communities, cultures, and countries in which we live and work.  DAI is committed to attracting and retaining the best employees from all races and backgrounds in our continued effort to become a better development partner.

DAI upholds the highest ethical standards. We are committed to the prevention of sexual exploitation, abuse, and harassment as well as other ethical breaches. All of our positions are therefore subject to stringent vetting and reference checks.

DAI promotes workforce diversity and considers excluded groups to include women, Dalits, indigenous ethnic groups, Madhesi, Muslim, persons with disabilities, people living in remote areas, and sexual and gender minorities.