Job Identification : 12020

Locations : Beirut, Lebanon

Posting Date : 07/10/2023, 01:02 PM

Apply Before : 07/25/2023, 03:59 AM

Job Schedule : Full time

Agency : UNDP

Grade : NPSA-9

Vacancy Type : National Personnel Service Agreement

Practice Area : Effectiveness

Bureau : Regional Bureau for Arab States

Contract Duration : 1 Year

Education & Work Experience : Master’s Degree – 2 year(s) experience OR Bachelor’s Degree – 4 year(s) experience

Required Languages : Excellent command of Arabic and English languages (spoken and written required)

Vacancy Timeline

2 Weeks

Job Description

Background

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion are core principles at UNDP: we value diversity as an expression of the multiplicity of nations and cultures where we operate, we foster inclusion as a way of ensuring all personnel are empowered to contribute to our mission, and we ensure equity and fairness in all our actions. Taking a ‘leave no one behind’ approach to our diversity efforts means increasing representation of underserved populations. People who identify as belonging to marginalized or excluded populations are strongly encouraged to apply. Learn more about working at UNDP including our values and inspiring stories.

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.

Palestinian Gatherings represent one of the most vulnerable and marginalized host communities in Lebanon. These areas represent informal areas of dwelling for a majority of Palestinian refugees without enjoying a camp status. An estimated 120,000 host and newly displaced refugees live in dire conditions that have long existed in the gatherings, marked by poverty and inequality, lack of service provision, run-down physical environments and limited access to jobs and income generation opportunities. Legal restrictions imposed on Palestinian refugeesin Lebanon contribute to the worsening of their socio-economic conditions. Palestinian refugees are unable to own property assets in the country as per the 2001 law, which required to bequeath properties already acquired by Palestinians to religious authorities. In spite of the recent limited changes in labor regulations, Palestinian refugees in Lebanon also remain excluded from all syndicated professions.

Moreover, Palestinian Gatherings remain excluded from wider sector development plans or local projects and services. The situation has worsened since the Syrian crisis, resulting currently in 16% population rise in these vulnerable host communities. As a result, Palestinian Gatherings have been witnessing unmet demand on WASH services and infrastructure networks, unprecedented pressure on available shelters and spaces, and additional competition over resources, jobs and relief. All these factors have contributed not only to worsening the living conditions of Palestinian refugees in the Gatherings, but also to the rise of tensions within the Gatherings and surrounding communities.

The project seeks to strengthen the resilience of the host communities in the most vulnerable host Palestinian Gatherings. Interventions will include:

•  Output 1: Provide environmentally and economically sustainable WASH service sat community level in the gatherings.
•  Output 2: Improve environmental and structural conditions of shelter units in the gatherings.
•  Output 3: Promote inclusive and safer environments in the gatherings though comprehensive neighborhood upgrading interventions.
•  Output 4: Improve hygiene conditions for host and new refugee communities in the gatherings.
•  Output 5: Reduce youth risky behaviors in the gatherings through livelihood interventions.
•  Output 6: Develop a national coordination and planning platform for response and development in Palestinian Gatherings.
•  Output 7: Local communities and institutions supported to respond to COVID-19 in the gatherings.

Scope of Work

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Engineer Officer is expected to lead the engineering unit, currently consisting of three civil engineers covering the sectors of WASH, upgrading and shelter.

Duties and Responsibilities

Under the guidance and direct supervision of the Project Manager, the Engineer Officer is expected to lead the engineering unit, currently consisting of three civil engineers covering the sectors of WASH, upgrading and shelter.

Leading the engineering unit:

•  Prepare and facilitate guidelines for the engineering unit, according to UNDP requirements, to standardize and strengthen various processes such as developing engineering studies and tender documents, site supervision and contract management, follow-up with contractors and consultants, reporting, etc.
•  Review and support engineers in developing technical engineering studies, tender documents and reports.
•  Provide quarterly planning and targets for the engineering projects.
•  Follow-up with the engineers on daily and weekly basis to ensure successful implementation of projects, site supervision, contract management and achievements of deliverables and milestones.
•  Support the Project Manager in supervising the daily work, tasks and schedules of the engineers.
•  Hold meetings with the engineers, on weekly basis or more if required, to review progress, challenges, issues, risks, potential solutions and discuss key results in the weekly team meetings.
•  Escalate to the Project Manager any key issues or risks for deliberation and decision-making.
•  Closely coordinate with the Project Manager, at least on weekly basis, for the progress of the engineering unit.
•  Evaluate and assess the performance of the engineering unit by the end of each year in order to provide lesson learned and strategy for next year.
•  Represent the project’s engineering unit in technical meetings.
•  Ensure keeping and updating records and relevant information for each project.

Technical Tasks:

•  Coordinate closely with project stakeholders and key governmental actors to ensure project ownership, required support, approvals, etc.
•  Lead processes of needs assessments in selected areas of operation in consultation with stakeholder, local actors and communities to identify problems, priorities for intervention and potential projects.
•  Lead the the feasibility assessments (based on legal constraints, budget, technical issues, sustainability, etc.) of proposed projects with local actors, service agencies or governmental entities as required as well as social and environmental screening.
•  Follow guidelines and requirements of the MoEW when relevant and prepare the project social and environmental checklists and preliminary environmental assessments.
•  Lead and take part in developing engineering studies (including BOQs, technical specifications, illustrations, maps, etc.) of WASH projects decided upon in consultation with the Project Manager and team.
•  Lead and take part in developing specifications and requirements for purchase of goods and equipment supporting civil works projects or service provision.
•  Lead and take part in developing in preparing tender documents, in consultation with the Project Manager and Project Officer.
•  Manage and monitor the engineering consulting companies and experts to perform their duties, including studies, designs or supervision and handing over of specialized projects.
•  Develop evaluation criteria and lead evaluations of contractors’ submitted offers and the selection of winning offers; coordinate with the CPR programme and procurement unit as needed; review and approve the Schedule of Works submitted by the winning contractors.
•  Support in developing TORs for consultants, interns, volunteers as required for the realization of projects.
•  Coordinate with Project Manager to provide the required technical and financial details in the process of projects identification.
•  Provide support to the Project Manager with any technical data requested by the Donors.

Site Supervision and Monitoring:

•  Approve samples of goods and material to be used by Contractors on site.
•  Monitor the implementation of projects through conducting site visits and following-up with the engineers.
•  Inspect implemented works of complex projects on field to ensure timely delivery, quality assurance and conformity to specifications and design instructions and engineering standards and codes.
•  Notify Contractors on field and in writing of any corrective actions and measures to be undertaken.
•  Ensure Contractor’s compliance with the Terms and Conditions of the Contract.
•  Monitor Contract progress, identifying bottlenecks, suggesting corrective actions and pointing-out declining performance of Contractor.
•  Review Contractor’s schedule and method statement in respect of civil works.
•  Approve and validate variations in quantities and installations on field as well as the final as-built BOQs to issue Variation Orders.
•  Ensure all legal requirements and requirements by relevant ministries or other official entities are followed on site.

Reporting and Coordination:

•  Develop and prepare progress reports and approve payments for contractors according to finished works.
•  Oversee preparation, dispatching, and receival of site correspondence.
•  Provide written quarterly progress updates to Project Manager and Community Engagement and Communication Officer.
•  Provide weekly updates through weekly team meetings, discuss planned tasks and prepare weekly work plans.
•  Coordinate and liaise with local authorities, public entities, non-governmental organizations (NGOs), local committees and community groups and other civil society organizations as required.
•  Closely coordinate with UNRWA especially for projects in the Adjacent Areas of Palestinian camps.
•  Convey progress, comments, problems etc. to Project Manager regarding civil works.
•  Take part in quarterly meetings of the Gatherings Working Group, chaired by UNDP.

Institutional Arrangement

The selected incumbent will be working under the overall guidance and under the direct supervision of the Project Manager.

Competencies

Core

Achieve Results:

LEVEL 1: Plans and monitors own work, pays attention to details, delivers quality work by deadline

Think Innovatively:

LEVEL 1: Open to creative ideas/known risks, is pragmatic problem solver, makes improvements

Learn Continuously:

LEVEL 1: Open mindedand curious, sharesknowledge, learns from mistakes, asks for feedback

Adapt with Agility:

LEVEL 1: Adapts to change, constructively handles ambiguity/uncertainty, is flexible

Act with Determination:

LEVEL 1: Shows driveand motivation, able to deliver calmly in face of adversity, confident

Engage and Partner:

LEVEL 1: Demonstrates compassion/understanding towards others, forms positive relationships

Enable Diversity and Inclusion:

LEVEL 1: Appreciate/respect differences, aware of unconscious bias, confront discrimination

Cross-Functional & Technical competencies

Thematic Area

Name

Definition

Ethics

Legal Analysis and Report Writing

Ability to apply legal analysis to a diverse range of complex issues,and express themselves clearly;

ability to communicate well to all levels of staff and contractors/consultants, governments et.al.

Procurement

Contract management

Knowledge of contract management concepts,

principles and methods, and ability to apply this to strategic and/or practical situations

Business Management

Risk Management

Ability to identify and organize action around mitigating and proactively managing risks

Business Management

Monitoring

Ability to provide managers and key stakeholders with regular feedback on the consistency or discrepancy between planned and actual activities and programme performance and results

Strategic Thinking

Business Direction and Strategy

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

Ability to leverage learning from a variety of sources to anticipate and respond to future trends, to demonstrate foresight in order to

model what future developments and possible ways forward look like for UNDP

Business Management

Operations Management

Ability to effectively plan, organize, and oversee the organization’s business processes in order to convert its assets into the best results in the most

efficient manner. Knowledge of relevant concepts and mechanisms

Required Skills and Experience

Min. Academic Education

•  Advanced university degree (master’s degree or equivalent) in civil engineering, environmental engineering, engineering project management, or other relevant field in engineering; or related field is required, or
•  A first-level university degree (bachelor’s degree) in combination with an

additional two years of qualifying experience will be given due consideration in lieu of the advanced university degree

Min. years of relevant Work experience

•  Minimum 2 years (with master’s degree) or 4 years(with bachelor’s degree) of relevant experience at the national or international level in the field of engineering.

Required skills and competencies

•  Demonstrated analytical and technical skills to plan, manage and monitor engineering projects.
•  Knowledge of innovative environmental technologies in the water and wastewater sectors.
•  Demonstrated organizational, planning and problem solving skills.
•  Excellent teamwork skills.
•  Ability to handle multiple tasks simultaneously and accurately.
•  Engineering related computer literacy (AutoCAD, Adobe, Excel, etc.).

Desired additional skills and competencies

•  Experience in participatory work with vulnerable local communities and community-based organizations.
•  Experience with the UN.

Required Language(s) (at working level)

Excellent command of Arabic and English languages (spoken and written required).

Disclaimer

Important information for US Permanent Residents (‘Green Card’ holders)

Under US immigration law, acceptance of a staff position with UNDP, an international organization, may have significant implications for US Permanent Residents. UNDP advises applicants for all professional level posts that they must relinquish their US Permanent Resident status and accept a G-4 visa, or have submitted a valid application for US citizenship prior to commencement of employment.

UNDP is not in a position to provide advice or assistance on applying for US citizenship and therefore applicants are advised to seek the advice of competent immigration lawyers regarding any applications.

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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