About CRS:
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) carries out the commitment of the Bishops of the United States to assist the poor and vulnerable overseas. Our Catholic identity is at the heart of our mission and operations. We welcome, as a part of our staff and as partners, people of all faiths and secular traditions who share our values and our commitment to serving those in need. CRS has been operational in Ethiopia since 1958 and currently implements a portfolio focused on community-based food and livelihood security through activities in agriculture, health, peace building, WASH, emergency relief, and savings and lending. CRS is active in nearly all regions of Ethiopia: Tigray, Amhara, Oromia, Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples' Region (SNNPR), Somali, Benishangul Gumuz, Afar, and Dire Dawa Regions.
Job Title: Public Works Officer
Required: 1
Job Location: Dire Dawa
Reports To: PSNP Advisor
Background:
CRS Ethiopia is seeking two Public Works Officers for the Ethiopian Livelihoods and Resilience Program (ELRP), a five-year USAID Office of Food for Peace (FFP) Title II Development Food Security Activity (DFSA). The program will focus on building resilience to shocks, enhancing livelihoods and improving food security and nutrition for rural households vulnerable to food insecurity. It operates in 8 woredas of Oromia Region as well as Dire Dawa Administrative Unit.
Job Summary:
CRS will hire a Public Works Officer, to be based in Dire Dawa and to work closely with implementing partners - Hararghe Catholic Secretariat (HCS) and Meki Catholic Secretariat, (MCS). The incumbent will lead capacity building efforts for both the local implementing partners and relevant woreda government institutions in the areas of public works planning and construction, implemented through the Government of Ethiopia’s Productive Safety Net Program (PSNP). The public works component of the program helps address underlying causes of food insecurity and focuses on natural resource management, social infrastructure and community assets, including roads.
Specific Responsibilities:
To ensure program’s strategic objectives and results are fully accomplished on time and meet expected technical quality standards, the Public Works Officer must support and engage in:
Planning
Participate in the conceptual planning and technical assessment procedures for soil and water conservation structures, infrastructure and water & sanitation construction programs;
If and where necessary, support implementing partners and local government in detailed cost estimates, project time frames, and resource allocation.
Ensure activities are implemented as per woredas’ Annual Development Plan and Budget Plan as well CRS’ DFSA Annual Plan/Budget.
Program Engineering and Design
Support the implementation of operational plans in coordination with other sector teams, as appropriate;
Review and advise on engineering drawings and specification;
Review and advise on site lay out in collaboration with other sectors and stakeholders;
Review and advise on Construction Scopes of Work as required;
Ensure that all CRS DFSA construction activities comply with relevant local, national and international standards and regulations, and reflect CRS, donor and Government of Ethiopia (GOE) best practices;
Ensure that partners have local government approval for engineering design;
Participate, where applicable and required, in the tender technical review, provide required clarifications and recommendations;
Oversee the development and use of program documentation systems, in accordance with agency best practices;
Ensure that environmental and sustainability issues are considered in the program design, in keeping with agency, donor and GOE best practices;
Monitor the progress of public works under construction and communicate any quality control or other issues to DFSA management and other concerned stakeholders.
Support DFSA implementing partners and local government offices in ensuring that all completed construction activities are handed over to concerned stakeholders with all necessary documents and on time.
Information and Coordination
Provide support for the preparation of project reports as required by CRS, relevant Government coordination bodies, the donor, and other interested parties;
Provide regular updates to the DFSA Climate Change Advisor, PSNP Advisor and PSNP Systems Team Leader on progress, priorities and constraints – verbally and in writing;
Provide regular guidance and feedback on performance to relevant DFSA implementing partner staff;
Identify capacity gaps of local government and implementing partner staff and, where necessary and in coordination with CRS DFSA senior management, identify and support opportunities to mitigate those;
As part of the DFSA team, facilitate information flow between other engineering/public works staff, and sector programming and program support departments.
Supervision:
Key Working Relationships:
Internal to CRS: DFSA Chief of Party, Deputy Chief of Party Programs, PSNP Systems Manager, PSNP Advisor, Climate Change Coordinator, DFSA Economic Livelihoods Team Leader; all Country Program staff, Regional and Headquarters technical staff.
External to CRS: Implementing partners; officials at USAID, local government organizations, representatives from for-profit and other non-profit organizations, representatives of non-traditional public donors including UN, World Bank, and others, and relevant GoE stakeholders.
Required Qualifications and Experience:
Bachelor’s degree or equivalent in civil engineering
Five years of relevant experience, preferably on USAID or donor-funded construction supervision and design activities
Experience with social infrastructures and community asset building
Experience overseeing and managing project tasks
Knowledge of applicable codes and standards
Proficiency in Microsoft Project, Word, Excel, and CAD
Proficiency in Amharic, Oromifa and English, both oral and written
Strong oral and written communication skills
Demonstrated ability to work and coordinate effectively with a wide variety of stakeholders, including national and local government, donors, community-based organizations, and the private sector
Required Travel: Travel within Ethiopia – 40 to 50% travel to DFSA implementation woredas and kebeles from duty station in Dire Dawa or Shashemene
Work Environment: Field based; typical office environment with regular travel to the field, especially rural woredas and kebeles.
EMERGENCY COMPETENCIES:
Communicates strategically under pressure
Manages stress and complexity
Actively promotes safety and security
Manages and implements high-quality emergency programs
Agency-wide Competencies (for all CRS Staff)
These are rooted in the mission, values, and principles of CRS and used by each staff member to fulfill his or her responsibilities and to achieve the desired results.
Serves with Integrity
Models Stewardship
Cultivates Constructive Relationships
Promotes Learning
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