Program Engineer (Acting Field Coordinator) 7 views0 applications

About Peace Winds Japan

Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) is a Japanese Non-Governmental Organization established in 1996. PWJ has been providing humanitarian and development assistance for people affected by forced displacement and natural disasters in more than 20 countries in the world. PWJ launched its mission in Kenya in 2012 and has been implementing projects funded by various donors, including UN agencies and the government of Japan, in the shelter, WASH, infrastructure development, livelihood, and food security to ensure that refugees and host communities access essential services and grow toward self-reliance.

In Turkana West Sub-county, PWJ is actively engaged in promoting sustainable solutions for protracted refugee situations through its WASH and Construction projects in line with the National Government of Kenya as well as the County Government of Turkana plans and strategies such as Kalobeyei Integrated Socio-Economic Development Program (KISEDP) and the Shirika Plan.

Job Summary:

Peace Winds Japan (PWJ) is seeking an experienced, self-driven, and highly skilled Program Engineer (Acting Field Coordinator) to lead the technical design, implementation, and supervision of WASH and infrastructure programs in Turkana County. The position is central to PWJ’s strategy that prioritizes sustainable WASH service delivery, quality engineering in humanitarian settings, and donor-funded infrastructure projects. The Engineer will manage a team of approximately eight technical WASH staff and ensure excellence in project delivery, people management, and strategic partnerships.

Key Responsibilities

1. Technical Leadership & Project Implementation

• Lead technical design, supervision, monitoring and implementation of WASH and engineering activities.
• Ensure compliance with technical standards, safety requirements, organizational guidelines and donor specifications.
• Identify technical risks and propose appropriate mitigation measures.
• Take organizational technical lead in engaging partners on matters WASH and constructions in relation to technical assessments and joint implementation of projects.

2. Project Progress & Quality Monitoring and Management

• Monitor site-level project progress, output and quality against approved activity plans and timelines.
• Identify and communicate implementation delays, constraints, or quality concerns to the Area Manager.
• Support implementation of corrective actions.

3. Technical Coordination with Partners & Donors

• Serve as the area-level technical focal point for WASH and engineering coordination with partners, government agencies, and donors.
• Participate in technical working groups and coordination forums.
• Support donor engagement including, field visits, and technical briefing and responses to technical queries.

4. Support & Capacity Building of Staff

• Provide structured mentoring, coaching, and on-the-job training to engineers and technical staff to whom supervision is provided.
• Identify staff capacity gaps and support development of targeted capacity-building plans.
• Promote consistent use of technical SOPs and tools.

5. Integrated WASH Service Delivery

• Promote technically sound and integrated WASH service delivery across water, sanitation, hygiene promotion, shelter and related services.
• Coordinate with program, MEAL, and community engagement teams to ensure coherence and effectiveness.

6. Strategic & Technical Contribution to Sector Transition

• Provide technical input to sector transition from a refugee to an integrated model and sustainability strategies, particularly in the WASH sector.
• Support planning for service handover, system sustainability, and capacity of local actors.
• Document lessons learned and best practices and reflect them in the strategies and plans.

7. Technical Support to Resource Mobilization

• Provide technical inputs to proposals, concept notes, budgets, and BoQs.
• Support identification of innovative technical approaches aligned with organization and donor priorities.
• Contribute to technical documentation and learning products.

8. Acting Field Coordination (Area Manager Absence Only)

• Act as Field Coordinator only during the absence of the Area Manager.
• Facilitate day-to-day coordination between technical teams and support functions.
• Escalate critical operational, financial, or security issues to the Area Manager and/or Country Office.

9. Scope Limitations

• The Acting Field Coordinator role does not include authority to:
  • Approve major budget revisions or contracts
  • Approve significant scope changes
  • Provide final approval on their own technical designs
• Such decisions must be escalated.

Required Qualifications & Experience

• Bachelor’s degree in Engineering (Civil, Water, Environmental, or related field).
• Must be registered with the Engineer’s Board of Kenya, at least as a Graduate Engineer, and must be in Good Standing (2026).
• Minimum 5–8 years of experience in engineering roles within humanitarian or development programs, preferably in WASH or infrastructure projects.
• Working experience in/with water utility companies and water sector transition is a strong asset.
• Proven experience and proficiency in engineering design software (Watergems, CAD, Civil 3-D, Prokon etc)
• Proven experience in field-based project implementation, including supervision of construction works, contractor, technicians/craftsmen and day-to-day site activities.
• Demonstrated ability to monitor project progress, quality, and outputs in line with approved workplans, budgets and technical standards.
• Experience in contributing to basic budget management, including cost estimates, expenditure tracking, and flagging risks to management and finance teams.
• Ability to coordinate site-level operations and act as a focal point in the absence of an Area Manager.
• Experience providing technical guidance and on-the-job support to staff.
• Strong coordination skills with partners, contractors, and internal teams.
• Good written and spoken English, suitable for reports and coordination.
• Experience in refugee or displacement settings is an asset.
• An understanding of the Shirika Plan is required.

Personal Attribute:

• Demonstrates high levels of resilience and adaptability to work effectively in remote and resource-constrained environments.
• Strong self-motivation and ability to work independently with minimal supervision.
• Willingness and capacity to work long and irregular hours when required to meet programmatic or operational needs.
• Culturally sensitive and respectful, with a strong commitment to community engagement and collaboration.
• Excellent problem-solving skills and the ability to remain calm and effective under pressure.
• Strong team player with proven people management skills.
• Flexible, adaptable, and agile in high-pressure humanitarian settings.
• Committed to delivering high quality results and ethical engineering practices.

Values

• Integrity, Respect, Teamwork, Innovation, Excellence, and Accountability.