Bridge Program Manager

Build bridges. Build leaders.

Engineers in Action is hiring a Bridge Country Program Manager to help us empower our volunteers to become global change-makers by building pedestrian bridges with underserved communities. The bridges we build over impassable rivers connect rural communities to essential resources and opportunities. The volunteers who help build those bridges become the leaders our world needs to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

We’ve worked with over 1,000 volunteers from over 40 universities and companies to build more than 100 bridges serving approximately 150,000 people in 12 countries, and we’re just getting started. Join us!

RESPONSIBILITIES

The Country Program Manager will oversee all aspects of the Bridge Program in Bolivia or Eswatini. Duties will include:

Management

• Foster an open and enthusiastic work environment
• Enable staff to be successful in the field
• Manage local staff (e.g. masons, engineer, project coordinator, fellow, etc.)
• Fulfill financial and inventory reporting requirements
• Assure compliance with local and international regulations
• Coordinate media updates for social media campaigns and other public relations documents
• Provide project management oversight for local construction managers and engineers
• Serve as liaison between the US-based staff and in-country program

Technical

• Identify high need bridge sites
• Perform technical and social surveys
• Assess project feasibility
• Create collaboration agreements with stakeholders
• Work with local governments to fund project material costs
• Prepare preliminary designs and work with engineer of record to address design challenges
• Sign off on technical hold points and ensure adherence to quality control policies during bridge construction
• Develop and implement monitoring and evaluation program of finished bridges

Hosting Student Teams

• Ensure a safe on-site camp has been secured prior to team arrival
• Brief teams on local conditions prior to their arrival
• Serve as a liaison between key project stakeholders, EIA personnel, and the student team
• Ensure teams arrive to the project site safely
• Create an environment that facilitates a positive learning experience
• Assist team in forging bonds and understanding with local community members
• On-call for response to emergencies

Program Growth

• Develop and drive the program’s strategic plan
• Develop relationships with local entities including government, universities, and nonprofits
• Develop relationships with bi-lateral funding partners
• Fulfill grant requirements, as applicable
• Build local capacity through training and mentoring of local staff
• Incorporate world-class development policies and practices

QUALIFICATIONS

1. Passion for the EIA Bridge Program’s mission and international non-profit work
2. Experience and/or knowledge of surveying basics (Auto Level and Total Station)
3. Experience in international or community development
4. Exceptional, professional, and detail-oriented organizational skills with excellent time management and communication skills.
5. A positive, optimistic, and can-do attitude with the ability to work with or without direction and or direct supervision.
6. Creative, energetic, and self-motivated, with a proven track record of taking initiative and problem solving
7. Comfortable with our perpetual drive for improvement (we are the best in the world at what we do because we love learning from failure)
8. Fluent written and spoken Spanish or siSwati (conversational or better English preferred)
9. Proficiency driving a manual transmission vehicle preferred
10. Candidates with a bachelors in Civil Engineering or International Development preferred
11. Ability to represent the organization in a professional manner to external partners
12. Passion for integrating experiential learning pedagogy into traditional engineering curricula.
13. Professional experience in volunteer management, student empowerment, engineering design, construction management and/or program management, with strong preference for international development experience.
14. Preference for applicants who have gone through the EIA Bridge Program

LOCATION

Based in Mbabane, Eswatini but requiring regular travel to many other parts of the country.

BENEFITS

1. Salary based on qualifications.
2. A $300/month stipend is added to the paycheck to cover healthcare.
3. A 401k plan is available with the option for employees to invest 401k savings in Schwab’s full investment portfolio (rather than having a few pre-selected options like most companies), but there is no company match (yet).