Lead Structural Engineer

The United Nations Office for Project Services (UNOPS) is an operational arm of the United Nations, supporting the successful implementation of its partners' peacebuilding, humanitarian and development projects around the world.  Mandated as a central resource of the United Nations, UNOPS provides sustainable project management, procurement and infrastructure services to a wide range of governments, donors and United Nations organizations.  With over 6,000 personnel spread across 80 countries, UNOPS offers its partners the logistical, technical and management knowledge they need, where they need it.  By implementing around 1,000 projects for our partners at any given time, UNOPS makes significant contributions to results on the ground, often in the most challenging environments.

Established in 2009, UNOPS Ethiopia Office has been providing services to various partners, including the government of Ethiopia, UN agencies such as WHO, UNHCR and WFP, and other international organizations. Since 2014, the UNOPS Ethiopia Multi-Country Office manages and coordinates the UNOPS activities in Ethiopia, as well as Sudan, South Sudan and Djibouti. The UNOPS Ethiopia Multi-Country Office team is composed of approximately 100 national and international women and men, and offers a broad range of services such as infrastructure, procurement, project management, financial and human resources management. 

Position Background

UNOPS strategy for the Ethiopia Multi-Country Office is aimed at providing support to the Government and people of Ethiopia, Sudan, South Sudan and Djibouti through the delivery of projects and services in line with the Governments’ own priorities and also under the UN Delivery as One initiative. The UNOPS Ethiopia Multi-Country Office (ETMCO) has been established as an organizational mechanism to deliver a range of projects for which UNOPS has been appointed as the implementation agency. At present, UNOPS ETMCO is implementing and negotiating a number of projects in a range of sectors including infrastructure development, Procurement Support to Government Ministries and other UN agencies and HR support to UN agencies. The functional objective of UNOPS ETMCO is to deliver projects in an efficient and effective manner, to achieve the development outcomes sought by the Governments and the donors’ community, where capacity building is always considered and encouraged.

• To develop the structural package of the design for infrastructure projects;
• To design and develop building structures and facilities, including relevant structural calculations, models, charts and graphs, in compliance to the agreed infrastructure plans; 
• To prepare construction drawings and design specifications including use of computers and computer-aided design (CAD) technology for simulation purposes;
• To analyze configurations of the basic structural components of buildings and civil structures; 
• To calculate the loads, pressures, stresses and strains for each component considering the strength of various materials, e.g. timber, concrete, steel and brick used for structural designs;
• To monitor and inspect off-site and on-site work for compliance to applicable codes, accepted engineering practices and UNOPS standards;
• To lead a team of multidisciplinary engineers/designers (Retainers) for the preparation of design packages according to the UNOPS guidelines and standards; 
• To liaise and coordinate with other designers, including architects during the preparation of safe designs that fit with the UNOPS standard concepts of construction;
• To review and compile the prepared design packages and to ensure that they are in line with the UNOPS “Design Planning Manual for Buildings”;
• In agreement with the Head of Infrastructure (HoI), to support with the submission of the prepared design packages to UNOPS HQ for internal review and approval;
• In coordination with the Senior Programme Manager, to support with the design review process and with addressing the comments received by the Peer Reviewers;
• To provide a high level of technical sufficiency within UNOPS ETMCO, including the identification and promotion of sustainable, innovative and practical design solutions;
• To assume technical responsibility for the preparation of technical assessments, quality plans, scheme programmes and design work, cost estimates, bills of quantities and review of bid documentations;
• To provide required technical advice, input and documentation for internal, organizational, partners and stakeholders’ reports;
• To review and update technical standards, office procedures, construction techniques, and use of materials to ensure that specifications and schemes prepared by UNOPS ETMCO reflect best practices with continuous improvement, including training to UNOPS engineers;
• To assist the Project Managers in the planning, organization and monitoring of site investigations, surveys and analyses of existing buildings, feasibility studies, structural inspections and assessments, and preparation of assessment for associated reports;
• To conduct Structural Integrity Assessment for existing structures and to check whether they are fit to withstand the service conditions safely;
• Whenever needed, to examine structures at risk and advise on how to improve their structural integrity, such as recommending removal or repair of defective parts or rebuilding the entire structure; 
• To support in the implementation of Health, Safety, Social and Environmental measures at the project sites;

• Advanced university degree (Master’s Degree or equivalent), preferably in Civil, Structural or Infrastructural Engineering or any other relevant field is required.
• A first University Degree (Bachelor’s Degree or equivalent preferably in Civil, Structural or Infrastructural Engineering or any other relevant field with an additional two (2) years of relevant work experience may be accepted in lieu of the advance education requirements outlined above.
  
  

• A professional registration license (Professional Civil/Structural Engineer) is required.

• A minimum of five (5) years of experience as a practicing structural engineer in design is required.
• Good command and skills in AutoCAD is an asset.
• Knowledge of Structural Design Softwares (notably SAP, ETABS, STAAD Pro, etc.) is an asset.
• Strong computer skills and advanced working knowledge of google forms are considered an asset.
• Project Management knowledge & skills are an asset.
• Experience working in Engineering and/or Construction Management is an added advantage.

1. Contract type: Local Individual Contractual Agreement (LICA) 
2. Contract level: LICA-10 (ICS10)
3. Contract duration: Ongoing ICA – ‘Open-ended, subject to organizational requirements, availability of funds and satisfactory performance.’

• Please note that UNOPS does not accept unsolicited resumes.

• Applications received after the closing date will not be considered.

• Please note that only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process, which involves various assessments.

• UNOPS embraces diversity and is committed to equal employment opportunity. Our workforce consists of many diverse nationalities, cultures,  languages, races, gender identities, sexual orientations, and abilities. UNOPS seeks to sustain and strengthen this diversity to ensure equal opportunities as well as an inclusive working environment for its entire workforce. 

• Qualified women and candidates from groups which are underrepresented in the UNOPS workforce are encouraged to apply. These include in particular candidates from racialized and/or indigenous groups, members of minority gender identities and sexual orientations, and people with disabilities.

• We would like to ensure all candidates perform at their best during the assessment process.  If you are shortlisted and require additional assistance to complete any assessment, including reasonable accommodation, please inform our human resources team when you receive an invitation.

• This is a local position, and hence is open to Ethiopian nationals only.
  
  

Terms and Conditions 

• 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 (they take around 4 hours to complete) in your own time, before providing services to UNOPS. For more information on a retainer contract here.

• All UNOPS personnel are responsible for performing their duties in accordance with the UN Charter and UNOPS Policies and Instructions, as well as other relevant accountability frameworks. In addition, all personnel must demonstrate an understanding of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) in a manner consistent with UN core values and the UN Common Agenda.

• It is the policy of UNOPS to conduct background checks on all potential personnel. Recruitment in UNOPS is contingent on the results of such checks.