The purpose of the Senior Infrastructure Officer is to lead trail bridge construction designs, prepare tender documents, and ensure quality implementation in line with standards, specifications, and guidelines. The position holder guides and advises field-based Infrastructure Officers to provide up-to-standard technical support in trail bridge construction and trail improvement. S/He will deliver capacity development through ToT trainings and provide technical support on design, construction, operation, and maintenance of trail bridges and trail improvements for staff, government, private actors, and communities.

S/He will closely collaborate with the Ministry of Urban and Infrastructure, Ethiopian Roads Administration, regional road bureaus, universities, and technical vocational colleges to develop standards, integrate trail bridges into education curricula, embed trail bridges within appropriate national institutions, and support web-based data management systems.

This is a roving position supporting both TRAIL III program and Rural Connectivity for Improved Food Security Program(RCFSP) programs across 13 targeted regions.

Duties and Responsibilities

Planning, Implementation, Design and Development: 

• Ensures proper planning for building trail bridges as per the projects plan.

• Conduct and monitor feasibility studies and advise selection of appropriate, low cost, and site-specific technology or design.

• Provides high level leadership in preparation of designs, drawings, and materials specifications.

• Ensures construction works are accomplished with high quality, minimum cost and women, children, and user friendly.

• Ensures appropriate environmental mitigation measures are integrated in all infrastructure works of trail bridge and trail improvement.

Capacity Development, Technical Support and Supervision:

• Conducts regular field supervision and provide technical support for staff and key project partners.

• Actively follow and support design development and check designs of suspended and suspension bridges.

• Provide high quality technical support for the assessment of prospective trail bridge sites for technical approval (process survey, evaluate aerial imagery, preliminary design alternatives.

• Coordinate potential risks and problems identification and timely advice and implement mitigation measures.

• Coordinate with concerned staff and partners for web base data management development and functionalization.

• Builds the capacity of partners to ensure quality delivery, assurance and trail bridge ownership and sustainability.

• Regular inspects trail bridge and trail improvement constructions to ensure compliance with design, specifications, and standards.

• Provide technical support for procurement of materials needed for trail bridge construction.

• Ensures construction materials are properly used and timely material use reports produced.

• Ensures full engagement of government partners in project management and reporting.

• Collaborate with government technical teams in reviewing the operations performance of consultants and contractors, preparing completion reports.

• Collaborate in the revision/ update of a maintenance manual and, in collaboration with the Maintenance Officer, pilot maintenance models to ensure sustainability.

• Ensure that maintenance topics are integrated into all training and capacity-building activities for staff, government partners, and communities.

Knowledge Management and Reporting: 

• Promotes and supports innovative and different types of trail bridge technologies based on span, topography, agroecology, and purpose.

• Learn from the successes of similar ongoing projects and other Helvetas country programs to transfer and apply lessons in this project.

• Ensures the communication and dissemination of success stories and lessons learned within the organization, with partners and other stakeholders.

• Documents and disseminates information to staff and partners.

• Keep up to date with developments in the sector and ensure ongoing personal development and learning.

Job Requirements

Education and Training: 

• Masters Degree in Civil Engineering, Construction Technology and Management, Public Works Engineering and related field of studies. 

Professional Experience:  

• A minimum of 10 years relevant and progressive professional experience in rural infrastructure in general and in rural roads construction planning, budgeting, design, contract management, construction supervision and monitoring in particular. 

• Excellent knowledge of conducting study, monitoring, and quality control.

• INGO experience in construction supervision.

• Understanding and knowledge of the Ethiopian Road Sector Development Program, working guidelines, standards, and specifications.

• Experience in institutional capacity building and delivering different ToT training and developing teams.

Skills and Competencies Required: 

• Proficiency in AutoCAD and Competences in the use of Microsoft Office applications (MS-Project, Word, Excel, Access, PowerPoint); knowledge of SAP is a plus.

• Skills on mainstreaming gender and social equity in rural infrastructure program/ projects. 

• Excellent command of English language, writing, reporting and communication skills.

• Knowledge and skill of GIS related software is an asset.

• Flexible, capable of working independently, high integrity, and hard-working.

How To Apply

Interested and qualified candidates are encouraged to apply by sending their application and updated CV through HumanResources.ETH@helvetas.org or through THIS LINK website. 

Female applicants are highly encouraged to apply.

Please make sure you write the position title and the duty station you are applying for in the subject line.