Practical Action
Position Title: Project Officer – Water Engineer
ABOUT US
We are an international development organisation putting ingenious ideas to work so people in poverty can change their world.
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems.
Challenges made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent
gender inequality. We work with communities to develop ingenious,
lasting and locally owned solutions for agriculture, water and waste
management, climate resilience and clean energy. And we share what works
with others, so answers that start small can grow big.
We’re a global change-making group. The group consists of a UK
registered charity with community projects in Africa, Asia and Latin
America, an independent development publishing company and a technical
consulting service. We combine these specialisms to multiply our impact
and help shape a world that works better for everyone.
OUR AIMS
We help people find solutions to some of the world’s toughest problems,
made worse by catastrophic climate change and persistent gender
inequality. Our aims are to:
• Make agriculture work better for smallholder farmers, many of them
women, so they can adapt to climate change and achieve a good standard
of living
• Help more people harness the transformational effects of clean
affordable energy and reduce avoidable deaths caused by smoke from
indoor stoves and fires.
• Make cities in poorer countries cleaner, healthier places to live and work.
• Build disaster resilience into the lives of people threatened by
hazards – reducing the risk of hazards and minimizing their impact on
lives and livelihoods.
PRACTICAL ACTION IN KENYA
In Kenya, Practical Action has a long history of addressing systemic
barriers that prevent people from accessing energy that transforms their
lives, helping communities and government make cities healthier and
safer, making agriculture and markets work better for small holder
farmers and supporting communities and government to become more
resilient.
We use a mix of programming with communities and consultancy services with shapers of policy and
practice to achieve our aims.
ABOUT THE ROLE
Practical Action is implementing a 2-year project funded by the Water
Sector Trust Fund (WSTF) under SWASAP project to implement activities in
Kalokol area, Turkana Central Sub- County. The project goal is to
increase community resilience and adaptation to climate change through
sustainable, peaceful use of natural resources including improved access
to water and sanitation services in Turkana County. The project will
enhance integrated water resources management supporting 785 households;
Increase access to sustainable sanitation service for 900 households
through CLTS and 2,500 learners in 3 public institutions; increase
access to sustainable water services for 950 households, strengthen
governance and management of available water resources and improve
incomes for 400 men and women through alternative livelihoods
diversification initiatives.
Practical Action is looking for a Project Officer-Water Engineer to
spearhead the programme technical aspects, advisory, fundraise, ensure
result-oriented monitoring and evaluation activities that meet global
demand as well as standards.
ACCOUNTABILITIES
Leadership and Strategic Alignment
• Contribute to Practical Action’s strategic business planning process,
specifically the Climate and Resilience Change Ambitions.
Strengthening Profile, Generating Funding and Managing Relationships
• Represent Practical Action in the Project area to local government,
local communities, NGOs and other actors when requested to do so
• Participate in local coordination / networking meetings as required
• Support in documenting lessons learnt from the project and disseminate
the same within Practical Action and externally through different
medium
• Develop and maintain professional links with development agencies,
government bodies, county governments, technical and economic
specialists, universities and other professional institutions as
required by the project.
• Support Fund raising initiative for Practical Action in the Climate and Resilience change ambition
• Work collaboratively and effectively with partners for learning and
adoption of innovative, gender responsive and inclusive interventions to
improve project delivery.
Delivering Quality
• Contribute to the planning, implementation and reporting of projects
assigned and specifically coordinate hardware components of these
projects with other team members.
• oversee the construction of new water supply systems (bore-holes,
wells, springs, water pans and sand dams) and sanitation facilities (VIP
Latrines)
• Initiate community consultation and sensitization campaigns on
Implementation of new water and sanitation systems; as well mobilize
Community Volunteers to participate in projects.
• Prepare project work-plans, implement community based safe and
affordable capacity building project aimed at strengthening the
community to not only adopt water, sanitation and hygiene practices but
also take ownership, operate, maintain, and manage in a sustainable
manner the installed infrastructure facilities.
• Participate in the implementation and evaluation of capacity building
trainings and project activities. Prepare periodic progress reports and
annual reports showing achievements against planned targets as well as
providing justification for performance variances and areas of
improvement.
• Train community members on proper operation, upkeep, general maintenance of water supply and sanitation works.
• Coordinate with outside agencies appointed to do contractual works within the project site
• Take lead in technical advisory on the key intervention’s identification of gaps as per the proposal guidelines.
• Ensure to engage in Fundraising by responding to the proposal opportunities.
• To ensure the budget burn rate is sound and overspent aspects.
• Monitoring and inspection of the project activities to meet the global acceptable standards.
• Preparation of the technical field reports in relation to onsite inspection and monitoring of works.
• Ensure payment reports are prepared in time as per the measure of works or to completion.
• Support the programme budget burn rate and with avoidance of the overspent aspect and ensure time frame is met.
• Spearhead on site water committee management meetings by preparation the training manual.
• Technical verification of construction reports and consultancies reports and make responses.
• Take part in convening the stakeholders’ meetings and workshops with the programme activities.
• Preparation of the tender documents in line with the works in a request for quotation (RFQ)
• Participate in Ground water investigation/Mapping in the project sites
and updating underground water maps in consultants works.
• Supervise Borehole drilling operations, recommend for the appropriate
application to be applied and participate in monitoring and test pumping
of boreholes drilled.
• Assist in weekly and monthly report compilation Implement strategies
for strengthening collaborative partnerships with stakeholders,
Government agencies, the private sector, and other players.
• Water points assessment reports, plan, organize, direct and coordinate
planning and design activities at the working environment.
• Support procurement process during tender evaluation in the selection the preferred vendor that meet the requirements.
• Provide monthly reports for the programme activities in time.
• Ensure the availability of technical support documents for
construction or consultancies such as drilling permit, NEMA licence,
Authority letters for smooth running of the project activities.
PERSON PROFILE
To be successful in the role, the ideal candidate will be able to demonstrate:
Experience & Knowledge
• Bachelor’s degree in water engineering or its equivalent from a recognized institution.
• Diploma in Water Engineering with at least five years progressive experience working in a similar capacity.
• Computer literacy in word processing and spreadsheets, familiarity
with AutoCAD, GPS, ArcGIS and Google Earth is strongly desirable.
Essential
• Being familiar with the local circumstances.
• Ability to conduct knowledge transfer and effective communication abilities
• Possess coping skills and the ability to function under pressure.
• An experienced Water specialist with demonstrated abilities of
competently handling issues in Water development, monitoring and
sustainability of water related facilities.
• Proven experience in Ground water; hand dug wells construction,
borehole drilling supervision, springs protection, sand, and rock
catchment, dams’ construction and installation of manual, solar and
motorized pumps.
• Water Management skills on maintenance and management of the water points
• Technical capacity on drilling application such as Mud drilling, percussion, and Air drilling
Desirable
• Water systems intensive experience on designing.
• Knowledge and skill on functionality and specification of pumping systems.
• GIS and remote sensing wide skills in relation to water infrastructure.
• Hydrogeological, geological and EIA assessment techniques. EPRA and NEMA guidelines experience.
• Ability to work within the team of different cadres of staff at all levels.
A detailed job description can be accessed here- Project Officer – Water Engineer - Practical Action
How to apply
If you are ready for an exciting challenge with an organisation whose mission and values are particularly relevant in these rapidly changing times, please forward your application, curriculum vitae and cover letter to: Practical Action, Kenya Office by email :recruitment@practicalaction.or.ke not later than 13th October, 2023 indicating ‘Practical Action: 'Job Title Position’ in the subject line of the email. Your cover letter should outline why you feel this is the position for you and you are the right candidate. Please include the names of 3 referees in your CV. All information/data given will be in the strictest confidence and will only be used for recruitment purposes.
Additional Information
Practical Action is an equal opportunities employer, and we encourage applications from under-represented groups. We stay committed to cultivating an inclusive and diverse working environment and believe that people from different backgrounds or cultures give us different perspectives, and the more perspectives we have, the more successful we will be. By building a culture where everyone feels heard, respected, and valued we give everyone working with us the opportunity to achieve their full potential.
Practical Action is committed to safeguarding and protecting children and vulnerable adults and as such candidates will be subject to pre-employment checks.
Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.