Engineer (Head of Engineering)

“Female applicants and individuals with disabilities are encouraged to apply”

WFP celebrates and embraces diversity. It is committed to the principle of equal employment opportunity for all its employees and encourages qualified candidates to apply irrespective of race, colour, national origin, ethnic or social background, genetic information, gender, gender identity and/or expression, sexual orientation, religion or belief, HIV status or disability.

TERMS AND CONDITIONS

JOB TITLE: Engineer (Head of Engineering)

TYPE OF CONTRACT: International Consultancy/CST LII /Regular

UNIT/DIVISION: Engineering Unit

DUTY STATION (City, Country): Kathmandu, Nepal

DURATION: 6 months (with possible extension)

ABOUT WFP

The United Nations World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian agency fighting hunger worldwide. The mission of WFP is to help the world achieve Zero Hunger in our lifetimes. Every day, WFP works worldwide to ensure that no child goes to bed hungry and that the poorest and most vulnerable, particularly women and children, can access the nutritious food they need.

ORGANIZATIONAL CONTEXT

These jobs are found in Headquarters (HQ) or Country Offices (COs). Job holders report to the Division/Country Director or the designate, and are subject to overall normative and technical direction from the Chief Engineer, WFP Engineering in relation to all matters of engineering services and construction activities.

Job holders may work independently or as members of a team, using technical knowledge and expertise to analyse data, prepare reports, provide advice and solutions to problems, and identify opportunities for improvements. They may lead multi-disciplinary teams, including engineering staff, and may manage clusters of project partners and stakeholders to deliver engineering services or more complex projects.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The Nepal WFP Country Office (CO) is supporting the Government of Nepal with a broad set of engineering services as part of its five-year Country Strategic Plan (2019-2023). Those services include improving access (trails, roads, bridges) in remote areas, infrastructure for emergency preparedness response, school infrastructure development as part of the School Meal Programme, climate change infrastructure, improving resilience and Geographical Information Systems (GIS) support. In addition, WFP Nepal is also in the process of relocating the office in Kathmandu.

KEY ACCOUNTABILITIES (not all-inclusive)

Under the direct supervision of the Deputy Country Director the Head of Engineering will be responsible to manage and lead a team of eight engineers, a GIS specialist, and one Remote Access Specialist (RAS) in support of a series of CSP activities.

• Lead the CO engineering unit including day to day oversight and management of all activities under the unit’s workplan. Consult and work closely with all other CO-level units and consult with our regional bureau and HQ as and when needed.
• Provide technical oversight and expertise with regards to all engineering related activities under the CO.
• Ensure full adherence and implementation of WFP policies, standards, norms and practices including procurement procedures related to construction activities and engineering services.
• Ensure that outputs meet the established quality standards and are compliant with wider WFP policies, procedures and guidelines.
• Provide expert Project Management and engineering advice to senior management, Government and partners as required.
• Lead engineering and project management services taking into consideration country-specific technical requirements, using best practices, standards and innovative technologies that comply with WFP Policies.
• Assist Senior Management in fundraising and maintain strong relationships with donors.
• Manage and conduct analyse of Project proposals to ensure business case and technical feasibility is robust and that Project objectives are attainable within the prescribed resources and timelines.
• Ensure preparation of accurate and timely reports on outputs to enable informed decision making and consistency of information presented to Government, donors, partners and other stakeholders.
• Ensure gender equality, disability and social inclusion in all projects as per WFP’s corporate and country level standards.
• On request by senior management, represent WFP at meetings and conferences, lead discussions with partners, donors and other stakeholders.
• Work closely with the Knowledge Management and Strategic Planning unit to ensure knowledge and experience are adequately captured.
• Keep abreast of national and international construction and engineering technologies to ensure compliance with national and WFP standards and implementation of innovative engineering solutions.
• Conduct engineering site assessments of WFP facilities and develop remedial plans to ensure suitability to operational purposes, safety, and efficiency of structures and equipment in line with WFP policies, criteria and standards.
• Build the capacity of and mentor the engineering team to facilitate the continued development and high performance.
• Other as required.

STANDARD MINIMUM QUALIFICATIONS

Education: Advanced University degree in Civil Engineering or related Engineering discipline, or First University degree with additional years or experience and/or advanced training/courses. Accreditation to “Professional Engineer” or “Chartered Engineer” status, or recognized equivalent by an appropriate national or international regulatory authority.

Language: Fluency in written and spoken English.

DESIRED EXPERIENCES FOR ENTRY INTO THE ROLE

• Has managed medium scale engineering or construction projects and programmes in an international environment.
• Has managed multi-disciplinary or cross-functional teams to ensure successful project outcomes, taking responsibility for engineering decision-making.
• Has 6-10 years of relevant experience.
• Has demonstrated considerable experience in planning and organizing; managing work programs and objectives, staff and budgets, and liaison with stakeholders/donors.
• Has developed good knowledge in engineering specializations (e.g. seismic, environmental, blast, fire or security and safety engineering).
• Has developed strong experience in construction or arbitration law and engineering contract management.
• Has strong experience in the use of MS Project, CAD, Primavera, word systems such as excel

DEADLINE FOR APPLICATIONS

Tuesday, 15 March 2022

Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.

All employment decisions are made on the basis of organizational needs, job requirements, merit, and individual qualifications. WFP is committed to providing an inclusive work environment free of sexual exploitation and abuse, all forms of discrimination, any kind of harassment, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. Therefore, all selected candidates will undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

No appointment under any kind of contract will be offered to members of the UN Advisory Committee on Administrative and Budgetary Questions (ACABQ), International Civil Service Commission (ICSC), FAO Finance Committee, WFP External Auditor, WFP Audit Committee, Joint Inspection Unit (JIU) and other similar bodies within the United Nations system with oversight responsibilities over WFP, both during their service and within three years of ceasing that service.

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