Mercy Corps has been operating in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) since August 2007, with a staff of around 200 people working in North Kivu, South Kivu, Province Orientale, and Kinshasa. IMAGINE seeks to simultaneously improve availability of, access to, management of, and proper utilization of WaSH resources in selected urban centers in Eastern Congo to ensure sustained health impacts. In support of this Mercy Corps has recently completed a number of assessments as part of the IMAGINE Inception Phase to define key needs around WASH infrastructure, water governance, market development and hygiene practice and better understand the environmental, socio-economic and gender issues that affect WASH needs and delivery.
IMAGINE identifies critical and inter-related outputs to address these causal factors preventing sustained improvements:
- Improvements to Infrastructure to increase availability of basic WASH services from source to tap
- Improved market-based WASH Service Delivery to engage and incentivize market actors and create more viable, efficient and sustainable WASH markets
- Enhanced Governance and Accountability structures to ensure effective feedback loops among consumers, providers, and regulators of WASH services
- Behaviour Change interventions to improve knowledge and practice essential health practices
- Gender integration across all IMAGINE teams and activities; and Targeted gender interventions aimed at ensuring equitable access to, and control over, WASH resources
GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:
The Infrastructure Contracts Manager will manage the overall external contracts administration for procurement contracts for Infrastructure design and works contracts (administered in part through the supervising consultant) in collaboration with the construction Supervisors with a key focus on ensuring that the contracts are administered and managed effectively including all necessary reporting.
ESSENTIAL JOB RESPONSIBILITIES:
- Demonstrate visible leadership and adherence to Mercy Corps’ core values, principles and strategy
- Collaborative capability to ensure that all program design aspects are implemented to contracted standards, that invoices are prepared according to the contractual requirements and to adhere to industry norms/regulations, while working in a challenging environment
- Ensure works contracts for contractors and supervising contracts for the engineer are developed, prepared and are in compliance with donor and Mercy Corps regulations
- Ensure program objectives undertaken by the consultants and contractors for Infrastructure and deadlines are tracked and met and support the objectives of the other outputs
- Ensure Infrastructure work is delivered on budget and to schedule
- Oversee the contract alignment and performance of the contractors and the engineer
- Ensure that all program contractual aspects are documented as per contractual requirements
- Ensure all program management minimum standards are met including risk management, issues management
- Adhere to contract administration and management according to FIDIC regulations
Program Management
- Develop program implementation plans for Contract administration and management in collaboration with national staff, as well as monitor implementation, program quality, and impacts of these activities
- Develop monitoring systems including financial reporting of contractors and the engineer and provide regular reports on contract administration program activities as required by the program
- Create and maintain systems ensuring effective and transparent use of financial resources for timely and informative reporting in line with donor and Mercy Corps policies and procedures.
Team Management
- Create and sustain a work environment of mutual respect where team members strive to achieve excellence
- Promote accountability, communicate expectations and provide constructive feedback via regular performance reviews
- Provide team members with information, tools and other resources to improve performance and reach objectives
- Contribute to country team-building efforts, help team members identify problem solving options and ensure the integration of all team members into relevant decision-making processes
Organizational Learning:
As part of our commitment to organizational learning and in support of our understanding that learning organizations are more effective, efficient and relevant to the communities they serve – we expect all team members to commit 5% of their time to learning activities that benefit Mercy Corps as well as themselves.
Accountability to Beneficiaries:
Mercy Corps team members are expected to support all efforts towards accountability, specifically to our beneficiaries and to international standards guiding international relief and development work, while actively engaging beneficiary communities as equal partners in the design, monitoring and evaluation of our field projects.
SUPERVISORY RESPONSIBILITY: Direct supervision of: External consultants contract performance and works contracts supported by the construction Supervisors (technical and construction oversight).
ACCOUNTABILITY:
REPORTS DIRECTLY TO: Deputy Program Director of Infrastructure
WORKS DIRECTLY WITH: Deputy program Director Infrastructure and other Delivery Managers, Gender Manager, monitoring and evaluation, DRC team members, DRC external finance and procurement team and members of the Mercy Corps Technical Support Units
KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:
- MA/MSc or equivalent in engineering or an MSc/MBA in management with construction management experience and strong technical knowledge
- 3-5years in progressively responsible positions on civil engineering project
- Strong management skills, with good understanding of relevant cross-cultural issues
- Fluent oral and written English required: Contractual Language for this position is English, oral/written French and/or Kiswahili would be a benefit
- Previous experience in Sub Sahara Africa, DRC or other developing countries is essential
- Demonstrated delivery capability, working within procedures, meet deadlines and work independently and cooperatively with team members is strongly required
- Strong Management skills in FIDIC contracts procedures are essential
- Professional skills and MS-Office and MS-Project are a minimum for this position
SUCCESS FACTORS:
The Infrastructure Contracts Manager will combine strong FIDIC-contract management delivery skills with an ability to work successfully with different consultants and contractors. S/he will demonstrate a strong ability to collaboratively problem solve in a rapidly changing situation, and will be able to actively anticipate schedule and program risk. The Manager will combine strong collaborative working skills with an ability to implement programs successfully, and will demonstrate adaptability, flexibility in approach and a strong sense of equity. In DRC, patience, diplomacy, tenacity, compassion, determination and a sense of humor are all success factors.
LIVING CONDITIONS/ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS:
This position is an un-accompanied post based in Goma (DRC) . The position is entitled to housing.
Goma is a provincial capital of over 700,000 inhabitants, with travel to Bunia, Bukavu, and Kinshasa. Living in Goma is comfortable, although water and electricity can be unstable. Outside Goma, travel can be dangerous and unpredictable due to armed forces and rebel activity.
While conditions in the country are improving, and security is quite stable in Goma, there are still pockets of violence and insecurity. Mercy Corps’ sub-offices experience variable levels of insecurity, with the situation closely monitored by UN peacekeepers. Air travel is necessary to get from one end of the country to the other. Mobile phones and cellular service are widely available. Internet is available in all Mercy Corps offices. Travel to field sites will be required where living conditions are clean and secure, but basic. There are a number of health services available with evacuation options for serious illnesses. There’s reasonable access to most consumer goods, although they can be expensive.
Mercy Corps Team members represent the agency both during and outside of work hours when deployed in a field posting or on a visit/TDY to a field posting. Team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner and respect local laws, customs and MC’s policies, procedures, and values at all times and in all in-country venues.
