Zimbabwe Job: Project Health Engineer, OXFAM
OXFAM: Project Health Engineer
JOB TITLE: Public Health Engineer (PHE)
DIVISION / DEPARTMENT / LOCATION: International, Southern Africa Region, Zimbabwe,
JOB FAMILY: Programme
SALARY: National LEVEL: C2
OXFAM PURPOSE:
To work with others to overcome poverty and suffering.
COUNTRY PURPOSE:
To significantly reduce poverty, inequality and suffering amongst the poor and marginalised in Zimbabwe,
Oxfam will, both via direct implementation and via local partners, focus on
- Strengthening local capacities
- Enabling communities
In addition to developing and supporting the strategic and operational capacity of our partners and local institutions, we will build alliances and knowledge networks, undertake research and analysis to inform decision-making and influence local and global policy makers to facilitate and leverage change.
TEAM PURPOSE:
To work with poor people as a force for change in addressing the causes of poverty, suffering and injustice and alleviating their symptoms; To promote public awareness, mobilisation, dialogue, engagement, and participation in, and undertake direct lobbying interventions for, public policy change in favour of overcoming poverty and suffering in Zimbabwe
Job Purpose:
To provide technical leadership in researching, developing and implementing innovative WaSH and laundry solutions that reduce and enable redistribution of related household level care work in selected districts. The project intends to directly benefit 25000 women and girls through improvements in water supply and access to technological innovations that make laundry less strenuous and time consuming. The PHE will facilitate the participation of the beneficiaries in the design and implementation of such technological innovations. The PHE will also work together with the project team to prepare and share evidence for influencing policy makers to advocate for wider adoption of successful models.
REPORTING LINES:
Reports to: Women’s Rights and Gender Justice Programme Coordinator, with matrix relationship to the Global Programme Manager and national WaSH coordinator.
Staff reporting to: None
BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY:
None
Dimensions
- Apply operational and specialist technical skills and knowledge to support and implement operational
- plans and projects to deliver superior operational performance
- Most tasks technical activities with specific targets and/or minimum standards, with some routine work,
- but requires flexibility and common sense in making necessary adjustments to suit individual
- circumstances
- Diverse and complex problem-solving, requiring professional knowledge, field experience, an
- understanding of development and humanitarian work and ability to engage with beneficiaries for
- outcomes that are consistent with their aspirations/priority needs.
- Use information from a variety of sources, including beneficiaries, to inform decision making, which
- requires sensible judgement, working within Oxfam policy and procedures
- Occasional projects and more difficult issues require independent thought and research to recommend
- best solution
- Analysis and interpretation of the locally context to inform appropriate planning and decision making
- Make complex technical information accessible and useable by non-specialist people
- Assist in development of solutions to diverse and complex problems, and develop and implement solutions to more routine problems and issues
- Dealing with and negotiating minimum national and local authority standards for certain routine WaSH activities.
- Some negotiation and representation with local authorities and communities and especially with partnerorganisations
- Contribute to development and monitoring of relevant project/programme plans and budgets
- Provide support and advice to the project management team in responsibility areas
- Supervise the work of partner organisations, contractors and other relevant staff, in own area of
- Communicate widely across the country team and with some Regional staff and external contacts
- Work in an environment that is politically and potentially physically insecure, with a high risk of humanitarian crises
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Facilitate the participatory identification/mapping of sites for improved water and laundry facilities.
- Lead the participatory design and installation of optimal portable water and laundry facilities that reduce the time and effort needed for ensuring access to water, laundry and cleaning processes at the household level.
- Liaise with government technical leads to research and design appropriate WaSH and laundry structures at community level.
- Prepare Bills of Quantities, design drawings and schedules of work as part of planning, implementing and supervising the installation of referred works
- Carry out Monitoring & Evaluation to assess project progress and evaluate the impact of the project on beneficiaries and surrounding environs.
- Coordinate and engage with other stakeholders such as local leadership, district authorities; supervise the external suppliers / contractors undertaking work on behalf of the project
- Writing periodic and ad hoc reports to line management in as required in order to inform & modify plans as may be required
Capacity Building and Relationship Management:
- Besides exploring locally generated design ideas, Unilever will contribute ideas/innovations especially on laundry solutions, the incumbent will be responsible for evaluating and working together with beneficiaries to customise such designs for local application.
- The PHE will also be responsible for managing the relationship between Oxfam and Unilever on technical design elements.
- As part of building the capacity of beneficiaries and engaged partners on innovative WaSH solutions, the PHE will institute and maintain a technical design and review dialogue that also involves authorities as necessary and appropriate.
- Explore and formulate market linkages that can help to sustain established WASH and laundry infrastructure/technology.
SKILLS AND COMPETENCES REQUIRED
Essential
- University degree in Civil, Environmental or Agricultural engineering or related field. Post graduate qualifications in a related technical field will be a strong added advantage.
- Minimum five years project management / coordination experience in water and sanitation, including rural water schemes
- Experience in the design and implementation of water infrastructure works, in the development of tender dossiers and in the practical supervision of construction / installation work
- Familiarity with the drilling of boreholes, and the installation of hand pumps, motorized pumps and solar powered systems.
- Experience working in challenging, economically deprived environments where land and water resources are communally owned.
- Experience of integrating engineering / environmental protection measures with socio economic considerations. Ability to engage proactively with project communities to ensure their full participation, with an emphasis on ensuring the participation of women in the design, implementation and management of activities
- Strong management, project planning, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
- Competent & with experience in engineering drawings manually or using AutoCad, familiarity with GPS /GIS, use of MS Office programs and database management
- Strong ability to communicate effectively and fluent in spoken and written English, spoken and written
- Ability to work under pressure in a politically charged context
Desired
- Ability to multi task
- Flexibility