Shelter Technical Officer (National Position) 160 views0 applications

Being an employee of the Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) in Ethiopia the Shelter Technical Officer is expected to represent NRC in a responsible manner and always act in accordance with NRC’s Code of Conduct and the four organizational values: Dedicated, innovative, inclusive and accountable.

Background:

The Norwegian Refugee Council (NRC) is present in five regions in Ethiopia, providing refugees and internally displaced people with emergency relief and help them to rebuild their lives. NRC works within the sectors of Education, Shelter, WASH, Livelihood and Food Security, ICLA (Information, Counselling and Legal Assistance), and Child Protection.

Roles & Responsibilities:

The purpose of the officer position is day to day implementation of Shelter Projects.

Generic responsibilities:

·         Line Management of Shelter Assistants – Technical, Technical Supervision of Daily Workers and Incentive Labour

·         Adhere to NRC policies, tools, handbooks and guidelines as well Government rules and regulations

·         Contribute to Shelter strategy development, concept notes, project proposals, budgets and provide input on needs and gaps

·         Implement delegated Shelter project portfolio activities according to plan of action specifically in regards to Technical aspects

·         Prepare and develop technical status reports as required by management

·         Ensure proper filing of technical documents in both hard and soft copies

·         Ensure that projects target beneficiary sites/units most in need, and explore and assess new and better ways to assist

·         Promote and share ideas for technical improvement in relation to both the “hard” and “soft” components of Shelter programming

·         Participate in the recruitment of Shelter Assistants – Technical and provide on the job training as required to increase the capacity of Shelter Assistants – Technical; Actively participate in capacity building trainings, workshops and seminars organized by NRC.

·         Contribute to organizational learning through the provision specific community mobilization and technical analysis, lessons learned and reports

·         Actively participate in developing work plans for the technical aspects shelter activities

·         Promote the rights of IDPs/returnees in line with the advocacy strategy; Ensure that gender, protection, environment, HIV, and other cross cutting concerns mainstreamed into shelter programming and are carried out at the field level by all shelter staff. Ensure that programming reflects the needs of specific groups and individuals e.g. elderly people, minority groups, children, and people with disabilities.

·         Collaborate with teams from other CC’s to ensure that project beneficiaries are provided with the full packages of services available through NRC’s programming according to the beneficiaries specific and self-identified needs

Specific responsibilities:

·         Organize and lead technical needs assessments, focus group discussions, contractor meetings, and technical discussions with stakeholder

·         Supervise the beneficiary selection in accordance with the technical project selection criteria

·         Prepare informational materials for project beneficiaries in regards to BoQs and scope of works Develop training materials related to proper installation of materials

·         Organize and lead the supervision and monitoring contractor work, works carried out by Daily/Incentive labor and/or repairs done by the beneficiaries themselves

·         Preparation of completion certificates to facilitate payment of work done by contractors /community contracting companies’/incentive workers.

·         Recruit, train, organize and manage community contracting cooperatives and incentive workers. Map local host community natural material production capacity and availability

·         Consolidate site level BoQs for inclusion in procurement documents. Ensure that content specifications are precise and work with logistics to obtain samples as needed

·         Supervise and/or prepare the production of site level construction drawings, BoQs and BoQ amendments by Shelter Assistants -Technical. Collaborate with TL on development of standardized BoQs. Prepare project level scope of work and supervise and/or prepare site/unit level Scope of Work by Shelter Assistants -Technical. Collaborate with PC on development of standardized BoQs.

·         Responsible for ensuring that safety of beneficiaries and workers in maintained throughout project implementation and that proper measures are taken to ensure safety concerns are immediately rectified.

·         Develop technical specifications for materials and construction activities in coordination with Project Coordinator. Prepare Technical designs as required

·         Track and record information related to follow up carried out by Shelter Assistants – Technical  relating to any project beneficiary information requests and complaints in regards to technical aspects of implementation as directed by Project Coordinator and M&E unit

·         Conduct performance management for Shelter Assistants – Technical under direct supervision

·         Carry-out field level coordination with contractors and/or Daily/Incentive Labor in areas of project implementation

·         Organize and lead field level M&E activities specifically related to the technical aspects of project implementation and develop lessons learned documentation related to technical implementation

·         Any other task relevant to the position as requested by the line manager

Generic professional competencies:

·         Experience working as a Project Officer – Technical (or Equivalent) in a humanitarian/recovery context

·         Previous experience from working in complex and volatile contexts

·         Documented results related to the position’s responsibilities

·         Knowledge about own leadership skills/profile

·         Fluency in written and spoken English. Knowledge of additional local dialects is a plus (Oromo).

·         Sound understanding of humanitarian principles, SPHERE standards, Build Back Better, DRR

Context/ Specific skills, knowledge and experience:

Masters/ degree   in civil engineering, architecture, construction management or equivalent

·         At least three years’ experience in a technical responsible position in an NGO (preferred), or in an International company

·         Proven experience in developing and following through on technical implementation of construction project.

·         Experience in management of technical teams carry out activities at multiple sites concurrently

·         Experience in documenting progress of construction related shelter activities

·         Experience in monitoring construction activities/contractors ensuring that technical standards are adhered to during implementation

·         Strong experience in process driven sheltering activities with a focus on owner/HH/community driven

·         Experience in developing BoQs, BoQ Amendments, Scope of Work, Technical specifications of materials and construction activities

·         Ability to prioritize needs and carry out multiple tasks simultaneously

·         Experience in coordinating the technical aspects of implementation activities carried out by contractors and Daily/Incentive labor teams

·         Knowledge of the context in Oromia/SNNPR specifically in regards to Shelter needs and capacities of conflict affected persons

·         Strong communication, interpersonal, analytical and negotiation skills including the ability to explain and present technical information.

·         Basic understanding of concept note, proposal and report writing

·         Advanced computer skills, especially in Word, Excel and CAD. Knowledge of Microsoft Project and other design programs is a plus.

Behavioral competencies

·         Managing resources to optimize results

·         Empowering and building trust

·         Managing performance and development

·         Planning and delivering results

·         Flexible and creative

·         Initiating action and change

·         Pro-active, goal-oriented and results driven