Senior Infrastructure Officer / Engineer

Terms of Reference

TAMKEEN is a DFID-funded programme that provides support to emerging governance structures in Syria. Working in six key sectors (Governance, Infrastructure, Health, Education, Community Safety and Livelihoods), the programme builds the capacity for good governance at a local level.

Senior Infrastructure Officer/Engineer – Gaziantep, Turkey

(Syrian nationals preferred)

Description of duties and responsibilities:

We are looking for a Senior Infrastructure Officer, with a university degree in Engineering (Civil, Electrical-Mechanical, Architectural, Construction Technology or Water Resources), and extensive experience working on a variety of engineering projects (roads, water, reconstruction, electricity etc.) to join our team in Gaziantep, Turkey. Working closely with the Infrastructure Expert, the Senior Infrastructure Officer will act as the liaison between the technical team in Gaziantep and the field team working within Syria itself.

The main duties and responsibilities are as follows:

• Liaison and communication with the Field Officers, Technical Experts and Local Council Stakeholders of project locations and collection of technical information;
• Translation (Arabic & English, as necessary) of project documents and presentation to the Infrastructure Expert for review and discussion;
• Thorough knowledge of local conditions and prevailing security situation, so as to effectively assess the capacity of project partners to implement planned projects;
• Provide information to the Infrastructure Expert on the capacity of stakeholders to implement projects and recommend appropriate support;
• Identify and recommend technical experts at district or sub-district level who may contribute information and data to aid the project planning process, providing information on availability and cost of materials and implementation capacities;
• Assist the Infrastructure Expert in evaluating of project proposals and communicate with Field Officers and project stakeholders on issues arising from the evaluation;
• Collect information on market conditions for availability and cost of construction materials and project inputs within Syria, and update at regular intervals;
• Contribute and assist the Infrastructure Expert in training workshops and capacity building of Field Officers and Community Stakeholders;
• Contribute to development of training material and assist in “technical translation” of content;
• Contribute to any other assignment as the Infrastructure Expert may request.

Mandatory Qualifications and Experience:

• University Degree in Engineering Discipline (Civil, Electrical-Mechanical, Architectural, Construction Technology, Water Resources).
• Work experience, minimum of 5 years, in infrastructure work.

Key Competencies:

• Fluency in both Arabic and English, with the capacity to translate technical documents from Arabic to English or English to Arabic.
• Understanding of project implementation frameworks and operations.
• Excellent communication skills and a demonstrated approach to practical problem solving.
• Self motivated with an ability to accept responsibility and accountability for decisions and actions.
• Ability to work long hours in fast-paced, often stressful environment.
• Ability to work in demanding cultural context with transitional partners, under challenging physical conditions and poor communications.
• Highly motivated with a positive attitude for team work.
• Computer literacy and working knowledge of Microsoft Office programs.

Strong preference will be given to Syrian nationals.

How to apply:

Applicants should submit their CV and a cover letter (maximum one page) explaining how she/he meets the above-listed competencies to Josie Delves (josie.delves@adamsmithinternational.com) indicating the title of the role “Senior Infrastructure Officer/Engineer (Syrian Nationals only)” in the subject line of the message. The deadline for the submission of applications is 23 May 2014. Late applications and applications without a cover letter will not be considered.