Structural Engineer

Maiduguri

Organization: UNDP - United Nations Development Programme
Location: Maiduguri
Grade: Junior level - NPSA-9, National Personnel Services Agreement
Occupational Groups:
- Engineering
- Architecture, Building and Property Management
Closing Date: 2024-12-07

Background

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UNDP does not tolerate sexual exploitation and abuse, any kind of harassment, including sexual harassment, and discrimination. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks.

The Boko Haram insurgency in northeast Nigeria has had a considerable negative impact on the lives and general well-being of the local population. According to empirical evidence, thousands have died in the violence, and almost 2.5 million people have been internally displaced. Although the present conflict dynamics point to a decline in the level of violence and conflict in the area and an ascendancy for the Nigerian military, ensuring the safety and security of the local population remains a serious challenge. The prevalence of sexual and gender-based violence and other gross human rights violations recorded from the region show that the people of the northeast are still highly vulnerable to multifaceted risk factors.

In response to the conflict, UNDP established the Regional Stabilization Facility (RSF) in the Lake Chad region in 2019 ‘as a financing mechanism to provide immediate stabilization to communities affected by the Boko Haram conflict in the Lake Chad Basin. ’[1] The RSF is implemented to bring about the immediate stabilization of communities in the region impacted by the Boko Haram conflict.[2] More specifically, the Nigeria Window of the RSF aims to achieve three outputs: 1) Community Safety and Security Improved; 2) Essential infrastructure and basic services functioning; and 3) Livelihood opportunities available for all households. The target communities include Banki, Damboa, Monguno (in Borno State), Gulak in Adamawa and Buni Yadi in Yobe State.

Under Output 2, Providing basic services through the construction/rehabilitation of community infrastructure is one of the programmes focuses of the integrated Recovery project, such as school and health facilities, water wells/systems, housing units, and shops/markets, among others. It is considered vital that the NE Sub-Office has a highly qualified technical team for implementing engineering work with sound quality and international standards, ensuring successful implementation of construction or rehabilitation of community infrastructures in Borno, Adamawa, and Yobe (BAY) states in North-East Nigeria. To this end, UNDP is seeking to fill one position of structural engineer for RSF projects in NE.

Scope of Work

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Senior Civil Engineer in close collaboration with the Project teams in the NE Sub-Office, the Structural Engineer will perform the following tasks, focusing on ensuring the quality and soundness of civil engineering work in close collaboration with the civil engineers and respective project teams:

Assess the structural safety of buildings during the technical infrastructure needs assessment mission in the JAP locations and targeted areas.
Design /review the structural design of Infrastructures in the JAP locations and prepare the technical documents.
Provide technical support for smooth procurement.
Manage civil works projects and inspect the implementation of structural works on the site.
Facilitate knowledge, capacity building and knowledge sharing.

Duties and Responsibilities

The Structural Engineer shall be responsible for the following detailed tasks and activities towards achieving key functions.

1) Assess the structural safety of the buildings during the technical infrastructure needs assessment missions in the JAP locations and targeted areas.

Conduct the site visits to assess the structural safety of the infrastructure facilities in the JAP locations;
Perform needs assessment and design the facility with a build-back better approaches;
Provide solutions to the structural deficiency of the buildings;
Provide structural inputs to strengthen alignment and complementarity of UNDP’s support with government policies and plans;
Preparation of structural design and drawings, presentations, specifications, cost estimates and provision of assessment report.

2) Design/Review the structural design of the infrastructures in the JAP locations and prepare the technical documents.

Provide detailed structural designs for structural elements for every unit in the project as per the building’s codes and standards. This will cover the design for the foundation, columns, beams, roofs, and other structural elements;
Review the Government structural design submitted for LOA and DIM projects;
Analysis of the superstructure loads (including dead, live, wind loads and rain) of the given project and each unit of infrastructure contained in the project;
Provide detailed structural drawings for the designed structures as per the structural analysis. The drawings should be very clear and include but not limited to the plans, sections and any detailed drawing, dimensions, material, and type of concrete. Type, diameters and length of the reinforced steel and other necessary information;
Provide specifications and standards of the construction materials used in the design;
Work closely with the UNDP quantity surveyors to prepare the BOQs of the civil works for each structural element and the external works;
Provide structural analysis, calculation sheets and final report;
Provide structural engineering advice and support to the team.

3) Provide technical and civil engineering support for smooth procurement.

Work with the project team to provide project technical documents to the procurement unit for processing;
Work closely with the procurement unit and support in advertising the civil works procurement cases;
Support technical evaluation process and provide advice on any procurement-related issues;
Support pre-bid meetings and bidder clarifications;
Support the project teams in NE Sub-Office in verifying the Variation Orders (VO) (if required);
Assist UNDP as expert witness in litigation arising from the development or construction of the project and in bearings before various approving and regulatory agencies.

4) Manage civil works projects and inspect the implementation of structural works on the site.

Support the implementation of construction/rehabilitation of infrastructure facilities, where required, and advise on project contracting requirements;
Provide civil works project management through planning, execution, monitoring and evaluation and closing out the projects;
Monitor day-to-day progress of infrastructure project activities and follow up and oversee the rehabilitation of civil, electrical, and mechanical works at site preparation and execution of the Works against the provided approved sketch and bill of quantities within the set time frame;
Develop and design interventions based on accurate information and risk analysis on the ground and utilizing lessons learned from the activities in consultation and coordination with respective supervisors;
Conduct construction inspection including inspection of materials, and equipment to be installed meeting the UNDP Contract specifications and standards;
Manage communication and reporting between the civil works contractor and UNDP;
Ensure that the Contractors maintain safety on the site and clean the site after the completion of the rehabilitation work;
Check and verify the milestone payments as per the progress of the work;
Prepare variation orders if required;
Ensuring proper close-out of projects (site cleaning, payment of wages etc) by contractors before demobilization.

5) Facilitate knowledge, capacity building and knowledge sharing.

Assist in organizing training, workshops, and capacity building activities in a consultative manner, involving technical experts and stakeholders that may include the government, private sector, NGOs, donors, and/or academia;
Identify, synthesize and document best practices and lessons learned that are generated from the project and implementing partners;
Participate in and ensure sound contributions to knowledge networks and communities of practice on project related issues;
Support establishment of knowledge platforms for the project, facilitate innovative mechanisms for dissemination of knowledge from the project, and develop knowledge resources and products to share with project partners and to support UNDP’s engagement in this area.

The incumbent performs other duties within their functional profile as deemed necessary for the efficient functioning of the Office and the Organization.

Institutional Arrangement

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Senior Civil Engineer, the Structural Engineer will focus on ensuring the quality and soundness of civil engineering work in close collaboration with the civil engineers and respective project teams.

Competencies

Core Competencies

Achieve Results: LEVEL 2: Scale up solutions and simplifies processes, balances speed and accuracy in doing work.
Think Innovatively: LEVEL 2: Offer new ideas/open to new approaches, demonstrate systemic/integrated thinking.
Learn Continuously: LEVEL 2: Go outside comfort zone, learn from others and support their learning.
Adapt with Agility: LEVEL 2: Adapt processes/approaches to new situations, involve others in change process.
Act with Determination: LEVEL 2: Able to persevere and deal with multiple sources of pressure simultaneously.
Engage and Partner: LEVEL 2: Is facilitator/integrator, bring people together, build and/or /maintain coalitions/partnership.
Enable Diversity and Inclusion: LEVEL 2: Facilitate conversations to bridge differences, considers in decision making.

Functional/Technical competencies

Business Management

Results-based Management: Ability to manage programmes and projects with a focus at improved performance and demonstrable results.

Business Management

Project Management: Ability to plan, organize, prioritize and control resources, procedures and protocols to achieve specific goals.

Business Management

Communication: Ability to communicate in a clear, concise, and unambiguous manner both through written and verbal communication; to tailor messages and choose communication methods depending on the audience.

Partnership Management

Relationship Management: Ability to engage with a wide range of public and private partners, build, sustain and/or strengthen working relations, trust and mutual understanding.

Communication

Advocacy Strategy & Implementation: Ability to create and implement advocacy strategies leading to impactful change.

Business Direction & Strategy

System Thinking: Ability to use objective problem analysis and judgement to understand how interrelated elements coexist within an overall process or system, and to consider how altering one element can impact on other parts of the system.

Business Direction & Strategy

Strategic Thinking: Ability to develop effective strategies and prioritized plans in line with UNDP’s objectives, based on the systemic analysis of challenges, potential risks and opportunities, linking the vision to reality on the ground, and creating tangible solutions.

Required Skills and Experience

Education:

Advanced university degree (master's degree or equivalent) in the field of structural engineering, civil engineering or relevant related field is required;
A first level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in the above-mentioned fields in combination with additional two years of qualifying relevant experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree;
COREN Registered before 2021.

Experience:

Minimum of 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years (with bachelor’s degree or HND) of progressively responsible experience in structural design of residential and public services infrastructures, construction and renovation of buildings, preparation of structural drawings and BOQs, and preparing cost estimates of structural items is required.

Required skills:

Experience in using ERPs like QUANTUM, ATLAS, SAP System is required;
Experience in using Word, Excel, PowerPoint, MS Project and engineering software like AutoCAD and structural design software is required.

Desired skills:

Experience with designing and managing massive housing projects, water boreholes, deep aquifers, and solar power projects;
Experience in handling International tender documents for turnkey contracts, including preparation of technical inputs/specifications /Cost estimates for the procurement of services using the conditions of international lending/funding agencies;
Experience working in a challenging security environment is an advantage;
Previous working experience with UN and/or international agencies is strongly preferred;
Experience in working in Northeast Nigeria at the BAY States is an asset.

Languages:

Fluency in written and spoken English is required.
Knowledge of local language (Hausa) is an asset.

Disclaimer

Applicant information about UNDP rosters

Note: UNDP reserves the right to select one or more candidates from this vacancy announcement. We may also retain applications and consider candidates applying to this post for other similar positions with UNDP at the same grade level and with similar job description, experience and educational requirements.

Non-discrimination

UNDP has a zero-tolerance policy towards sexual exploitation and misconduct, sexual harassment, and abuse of authority. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles.

UNDP is an equal opportunity and inclusive employer that does not discriminate based on race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

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