Design Engineer ( Structures & Road) (Balkh, Samangan, Afghanistan)

PROGRAM/DEPARTMENT SUMMARY:

Mercy Corps has been continuously operational in Afghanistan since 1986, implementing more than 50 programs and is currently working in seven provinces of Afghanistan. Mercy Corps has emerged as a leader in the fields of agriculture, natural resources management, vocational training, renewable energy and economic development. Programs focus on the improvement of the lives and livelihoods of Afghan farmers, businesspersons and women, with an increasing focus on youth. The KfW funded District Development Fund (DDF) program for Northeast of Afghanistan is part of the NRM Sector of the Mercy Corps Afghanistan Country Program. The Project concerns the rehabilitation & construction of civilian, small to medium sized basic infrastructure measurement at district level in six provinces in Northern Afghanistan while working through and with local governance structures in a participatory way. The purpose of the project is to improve living conditions in the focus districts of programme through improved access to basic infrastructure and to strengthen local governance structures by doing so. This is to contribute to enhancing citizens’ trust in the legitimacy and functionality of the Afghan state and its ability to provide basic services.

GENERAL POSITION SUMMARY:

The Provincial Design Engineer will be the Mercy Corps-DDF project’s senior technical person in provincial level. This position is technically responsible for all infrastructure design and implementation aspects of the DDF projects in the assigned targeted area. Provincial Design Engineer will supervise engineering team and work closely with Project Engineers, Quality assurance & quality control engineer, geotechnical engineers & survey engineers to select projects, conduct feasibility assessments in collaboration with other program staff, develop design and estimation of the projects and supervise project implementation. In addition to overall technical project management, the Provincial Design Engineer will work closely with Infrastructure manager, Community mobilization team, community, Local government, line departments and DDAs in order to project site selection and work coordination.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Under supervision of Infrastructure Manager, the Provincial Design Engineer will work together with the design & estimation of projects to ensure that all infrastructure projects are implemented in the selected communities.
• Provincial design Engineer should have full knowledge of designs of buildings, road, culverts, retaining walls, small and medium size bridges according National & international standards & designing codes. 
• He/she is responsible to lead selection of projects, conducting feasibility studies, preparing design, cost estimation, preparing work plans, implementation of the infrastructure projects.
• In coordination with program leadership, M&E team, communities and construction companies will ensure quality and timeless of all projects.
• Conduct frequent site visits to determine any deviation and challenges, and suggest appropriate solutions.
• Prepare technical specification for infrastructure projects.
• In coordination with Infrastructure manager prepare all technical documentation for the tendering process.
• Provide construction management supervision including oversight of work onsite, materials testing, report development, verification of quantities and handover procedures
• Provide feedback to the Monitoring and Evaluation system in order to assess the effectiveness of the projects and impact, and propose recommendations for improvements.
• Identify training need and deliver capacity-building activities both for the program project engineering team as well as for contractor and DDA member.
• Ensure full adherence to the MC security plans and protocols conscientiously respecting the declared ‘go’ and ‘no-go’ zones.
• Coordinate and communicate with local authorities, program monitoring consulting firm, donor and other implementing partners to avoid overlapping and obtain all necessary no objection certifications.
• Conduct himself/herself both professionally and personally in such a manner as to bring credit to Mercy Corps and not jeopardize its humanitarian/development mission in Afghanistan.
• Prepare site visit and quality check reports and contribute to overall program reporting to the government. 
• Ensure and maintain a proper filing system as both hard copies and soft copies.
• Assist in development and evaluation of subcontracts with technical experts outside of Mercy Corps
• Identify staffing needs within the technical team and coordinate with office leadership to review CVs, interview candidates and recommend new hires.
• Lead QA/QC process ensuring all technical reviews are conducted according to best practices.
• Other duties assigned by supervisor.

• BSc or Master Degree in civil engineering and relevant structural engineering profession is preferred.
• At least 6 years of experience in design and implementation of construction project such as; Buildings, roads, retaining walls, small and medium size bridges and have experience of implementation of small and medium-scale infrastructure projects.
• Strong organizational and communication skills.
• Ability to interact effectively with international and national personnel.
• Excellent oral and written skills in English & national languages.
• Strong construction management experience including ability to review contractor work plans, budgets and work progress
• Strong computer skills on MS Office programs, Auto CAD 2D and 3D, Civil 3D, Primavera, MS project, building design/analysis softwares.
• Demonstrated ability to multi-task and process information into action to not delay program activities.
• A clear understanding of assets, transport, property ethics and donor compliance is essential.
• Should have the ability to have frequent travels to all construction projects site.