Resilient Housing Technology Specialist 337 views2 applications

Job location: Pretoria or Nairobi. If Pretoria, candidates must be currently authorized to work in South Africa.

Travel: Up to 30% travel in the field and work with communities, National offices and partnering organizations.

Habitat for Humanity seeks to appoint a Resilient Housing Technology Specialist to be based in Pretoria or Nairobi. This position ensures adherence to HFHI’s housing quality standards in housing construction and technologies supported by Sub Saharan African (SSA) National Organizations (NOs) or by partners. Special attention is paid to incremental housing construction processes. The specialist will also provide support to SSA NOs in the planning, design, monitoring and evaluation of (1) preparedness and mitigation, (2) post disaster reconstruction and recovery and (3) construction and non-construction housing support services (HSS) for low-income families and communities. In carrying out his/ her work, the Resilient Housing Technology Specialist will interact with other Area Office (AO) and NOs staff, partner organizations and contracted subject matter experts.

DUTIES/AREAS OF RESPONSIBILITY:

Strategy and planning:

• Ensure that HFHI Housing quality standards and policies related to housing technologies, construction practices, and DR3 (Core Humanitarian Standards, Standards of Excellence, Sphere, Global metrics tool-GMT) are understood and adhered to at all stages of program/ project design, implementation and evaluation
• Develop and implement processes (monitoring, evaluating, reporting) to ensure quality in construction implemented by AO, NOs or partners in SSA, particularly around incremental housing processes and sustainable building practices.
• Support the development and evaluation of DR3 strategies and processes in SSA’s AO, NOs, Financial service providers (FSPs) or other partners.
• Conduct research and develop guidelines and recommendations for the adaptation of appropriate/ alternative/ innovative construction technologies in HFHI projects including promoting new solutions and approaches for resilience building, climate change adaptation and sustainability.
• Contribute to the development of SSA strategy and DR3 related programs including fundraising strategies and efforts and regional and sub-regional level.

Institutional technical support and capacity building:

• Assist in the design and promote mainstreaming of resilience building products and services and delivery models for market-based actors, HFH NOs and other implementing partners, including assessing the suitability and feasibility of resilient technologies, alternative construction practices, and DR3 interventions.
• Develop and deliver trainings, orientation, reference materials and tools to assist EMEA SSA AO, NOs, FSPs, and other third-party implementing partners in developing and professionalizing their staff capacity in disaster risk reduction and response, construction management, quality control and safety
• Be a resource to EMEA AO, SSA NOs, and other implementing partners in general in the field of construction and resilience technologies and methodologies
• Collect and disseminate best practices in construction techniques, recovery and resilience building, alternative construction technologies and other housing support services.

Project design, monitoring and evaluation:

• For the SSA region, provide input and advice on disaster risk reduction and response and construction and technical related issues to project design, proposals and budgets
• Support project monitoring and conduct project evaluations ensuring the quality of construction and DR3 processes, delivery, outputs and outcomes as planned or requested.
• Advice on planning and management of selected construction projects through the project life cycle
• Conduct construction quality assurance audits through site visits; advise on adjustments, improvements and corrective actions in construction technologies and processes,
• Collect and disseminate lessons learned in the field of disaster risk reduction and construction.
• Monitor progress on SSA NO construction and DR3 projects (GMT)

Representation and collaboration:

• Participate in HFH relevant communities of practice and initiatives, collaborate with colleagues across the HFH network (HQ, AOs and Nos).
• Network and develop partnerships with organizations working in housing technologies, construction, resilience, and other fields related to affordable housing and settlements.
• Network and represent HFH EMEA in technical working groups and meetings organized at regional and sub-regional level in SSA.
• Network and represent HFH EMEA in meetings with FOI and other donors interested in resilience building, risk reduction, climate change adaptation, recovery and reconstruction, urbanization and environmental issues.

REQUIREMENTS:

• Bachelor’s degree in Construction Engineering or Architecture or/ and a relevant degree with a focus on construction and housing technologies.
• In depth knowledge and experience in affordable housing technologies and construction, incremental housing processes, and related appropriate products and services.
• Minimum three years of experience in construction and construction quality assurance processes.
• Experience in humanitarian assistance, international development, shelter and settlements, recovery and reconstruction, risk reduction, preferably in Africa.
• Knowledge and experience in project management, project design and implementation.
• Consultancy/advisory skills.
• Strong computer skills – Excel, PowerPoint, CAD
• Fluency in English, written and spoken, is essential.
• Ability to work effectively within a multi-cultural team
• Ability to work independently with little supervision and interdependently within a team
• Willingness to affirm and communicate the values and principles of HFHI.