Associate Civil Engineer: United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS)

Deadline: 15 July 2021

• UNOPS Office in Zimbabwe falls under the purview of the UNOPS KEMC (Kenya Multi-Country Office). Located in Nairobi, Kenya, the KEMC manages a growing portfolio of engagements, including associated strategic and operational risks. The KEMC sub-region currently consists of an established Operation Centre in Nairobi/Kenya which manages a portfolio of engagements in multiple countries in East and Southern Africa. This includes a large portfolio of infrastructure, procurement, and project management service projects in Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Zimbabwe, and several Island states.
• UNOPS manages a range of infrastructure projects in Zimbabwe in different sectors including education, health, agriculture, transport applying different implementation approaches such as labor-based and outsourced designers/contractors but always with direct supervision from UNOPS.
• Following the devastation caused to life, livelihoods, and property by tropical storm Idai in March 2019, the WB has allocated up to US$ 75 million to finance a recovery project for Zimbabwe and the African Development Bank has allocated US$ 25 million. The projects address both early and mid-term recovery needs in multiple sectors (livelihoods, health, education, agriculture, transport). UNOPS manages the WB funds and has established a Project Implementation Unit (PIU) to engage multiple UN partner organizations to deliver specific components of ZIRP. UNOPS is the Implementation Agency for the AfDB project.
• UNOPS is in the advanced stages of negotiations with the Ministry of Lands, Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Resettlement, Zimbabwe and IFAD to support the implementation of rehabilitation work for two irrigation schemes in Manicaland province, namely Romsley and Cashel Valley. Under this project funded by IFAD, UNOPS will be responsible for the delivery of designs and quality delivery of reconstruction of these irrigation schemes and the management, monitoring, and oversight of the project implementation.

Position background

• There are multiple projects and sections that require Associate Civil Engineers and the positions are expected to support specific components of the portfolio which varies depending on workload and need for prioritization.
• UNOPS is looking for Associate Civil Engineers with specific experience on irrigation and general civil works (including but not limited to surface irrigation design and construction, land drainage, structural design and construction for water diversion/storage structures, large-scale overhead irrigation systems design and construction).
• The Associate Civil Engineer is responsible for the direct implementation of project objectives.
• The incumbent will be based in Chimanimani or Chipinge with regular travel to other districts and will work in close collaboration with their respective Lead Engineers, Project Managers and the KEMC Technical Services Unit.
• The Associate Civil Engineer will work under the guidance of the Project Manager and direct supervision of the Lead Engineer to monitor the work implemented by contractors and by direct implementation.
• The incumbent is also expected to support and undertake provision of design inputs for project components, participate in gathering/verification of design data as requested by the Lead Engineer.