Construction Engineering Technician- Specialist

The Austria Multi-Country Office (AUMCO) was set up in August 2019 as a part of the UNOPS Europe & Central Asia Region (ECR). Specifically, AUMCO aims to enable achievement of Agenda 2030 and the Paris Agreement through global programmes and tailored interventions in the Balkans, South Caucasus, and Central Asia, focused on:

●        Infrastructure

●        Procurement 

●        Project Management (full service, back on track)

●        HR and Transactional Services

●        Grant Management 

●        Technical and Advisory Services

Background: Project

UNOPS, through ECR AUMCO, is partnering with the Government of Albania and the European Union, as well as with the UN system, to facilitate the post-earthquake rehabilitation and reconstruction of a large number of key cultural heritage sites, museums, and cultural hubs and to promote tourism and economic development of the sites. 

On 26 November 2019, Albania was hit by its most deadly earthquake in a century. The earthquake measured 6.4 on the Richter scale and caused significant casualties and property damage, resulting in 51 deaths, over 1000 injured, and nearly 14,000 people displaced. To measure and assess the economic damage, a Post Disaster Needs Assessment (PDNA) was conducted, estimating the total economic losses at nearly EUR 1Billion.  

The PDNA documented the destruction of public and private infrastructure. Of particular concern was the destruction of cultural heritage monuments and property, as 53 cultural heritage properties were significantly damaged by the earthquake. This project seeks to remediate the effect of the earthquake on Albania’s cultural heritage through the rehabilitation of monuments, as well as contribute to Albania’s socio-economic recovery through the construction and upgrade of these sites. It will be important also to support improvements in the capacity of institutions responsible for the management of these cultural monuments and sites to better accommodate tourism. A final outcome of the project is the effective communication of project results to the wider public and developing and implementing an advocacy platform resulting in better recognition of the important role of culture in the social and economic well-being of Albanian citizens.

Reporting to the Project Infrastructure Manager and Cultural Heritage adviser the Construction Engineer (CE) will be responsible for supervision of on-site construction activities under the project. The supervision shall include aspects of supervision of conservation and cultural heritage interventions as well as those of a construction, and as defined by Albanian legislation.   

Supervision

-       Supervising all conservation interventions as per requirements of Albanian legislation, more specifically as per DCM Nr 1125, dated to 30.12.2020 and any other subsequent DCM that might come as a result of changes in conditions of supervision 

-       Supervising the on-site building construction and refurbishment works under the project ensuring quality of work exceeding specification requirements, meeting time and cost targets specified and maintaining high level of satisfaction of all stakeholders concerned.

-       Checking drawings, specifications and other design and construction documentation and having a full control over all proposed interventions

-       Working with the contractors and their staff on a daily basis to ensure delivery is maintained at the required level to meet project quality, time and cost targets.

Health and Safety coordination

-       Working with the Health, Safety, Social and Environmental (HSSE) Officer and other team members, ensure the HSSE aspects are effectively managed to meet project HSSE targets.

Construction site organization

-       Organise regular site meetings, discuss the issues, provide efficient and effective solutions to issues, prepare minutes of meetings and submit to the PM for approval.

-       Oversee the site progress reports prepared by team members, guide them on better reporting, ensure useful reports are produced meeting report quality requirements, and submit them on a regular basis to the PM.

-       Taking into consideration the difficulties encountered in working in an environment such remote sites in Albania to ensure effective relationships are maintained with all stakeholders at all times.

Standardization and quality assurance

-       Working with the QA/QC Engineer, ensure the site works are delivered to the highest possible quality standards, setting a good example for other UNOPS projects. 

-       Consults on accurate payment records for all sites at all times.

-       Thoroughly understand and apply instructions and guidance from applicable norms and standards including the UNOPS Design Planning Manual, International Building Code (IBC) and applicable international and national codes, standards and specifications.

-       Prepare the final set of documentation for enacting the process of technical acceptance         

-       Conduct periodic monitoring during DNP stage as required

-       University Degree in Civil Engineering, Construction, Architecture, Architectural Conservation or other relevant fields is required.

-       License in supervision for all categories of cultural heritage as defined by the Ministry of Culture and License in supervision for vertical constructions as defined by the Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure is required

Work Experience

-       15 years of relevant experience are required.

-       5 years of experience in supervising construction and cultural heritage works is required.

-       Close familiarity with construction and cultural heritage standards

-       Proven ability to write reports in English

-       Computer literacy in standard programs including and not limited to AutoCAD and Microsoft package is required

-       Active driving (Driving license in active use)

Language

-       Intermediate English is required

-       Fluency in Albanian is essential

• Please note that the closing date is midnight Copenhagen time
• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.
• Only those candidates that are short-listed for interviews will be notified.
• Qualified female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• UNOPS seeks to reasonably accommodate candidates with special needs, upon request.
• Work life harmonization - UNOPS values its people and recognizes the importance of balancing professional and personal demands. We have a progressive policy on work-life harmonization and offer several flexible working options. This policy applies to UNOPS personnel on all contract types
• For staff positions only, UNOPS reserves the right to appoint a candidate at a lower level than the advertised level of the post
• For retainer contracts, you must complete a few Mandatory Courses (around 4 hours) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS.
• The incumbent is responsible to abide by security policies, administrative instructions, plans and procedures of the UN Security Management System and that of UNOPS.  

It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential recruits/interns.
Recruitment/internship in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.