Career Opportunities : Construction Engineer – PAM Programme alimentaire mondial WFP World Food Programme Cameroun – Yaounde

Advertisement end date:10/01/2024

General
Description of assignment title
Construction Engineer

Assignment country
Cameroon

Sustainable Development Goal
2. Zero hunger

Volunteer category
International UN Volunteer Specialist

Host entity
WFP

Type
Onsite

Duration
24 months
(with possibility of extension)

Number of assignments
1

Duty stations
Yaounde

Details
Mission and objectives
The World Food Programme is the world’s largest humanitarian organization, saving lives in emergencies and using food assistance to build a pathway to peace, stability and prosperity for people recovering from conflict, disasters and the impact of climate change. Created in 1961 as an experiment to provide food aid through the UN system, WFP is enshrined in 1965 as a fully-fledged UN Programme.

Powered by the passion, dedication and professionalism of our 20,000 staff worldwide, the World Food Programme (WFP) works in over 80 countries to bring life-saving food to people displaced by conflict and made destitute by disasters, and help individuals and communities find life-changing solutions to the multiple challenges they face in building better futures.

Social protection is an increasingly prominent strategy for governments to reduce extreme poverty, hunger, and inequalities and promote access to essential needs. As a global leader in fighting hunger and malnutrition worldwide, often in very difficult contexts, the World Food Programme (WFP) is increasingly called upon by governments to support national social protection systems.

WFP is partnering with governments across over 75 countries to strengthen their national social protection systems, making support in social protection an integral part of its activities in most of the countries where it operates. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, lives and livelihoods of the most vulnerable are put at risk across the globe, undermining decades of progress towards the SDGs. In response to this, many governments are currently adapting and/or putting in place new social protection policies, systems and schemes.

Context
WFP Cameroon is part of the Country Offices in the Regional Bureau for Central and West Africa (RBD) facing multiple humanitarian crises that simultaneously aggravate existing socio-economic vulnerabilities in the country. The fragile security situation in the Northern part of the Country, a protracted refugee operation in the East and crises in the Northwest and Southwest regions has left millions of people vulnerable to food insecurity. WFP provides a key emergency response component of the Humanitarian Response Plan through regular food and sustainable development assistance to part of the food insecure and vulnerable people in the country. With the launch of the second-generation strategic plan, it is imperative to obtain the optimum capacity of staff, partners and beneficiaries given the precarious humanitarian situation and importance of delivering efficient and quick support. This role further described below, will contribute to the World Food Programme’s mission in Cameroon to Saving Lives, Changing Lives.

Task description

Within the delegated authority and under the supervision of the Head of Unit or his/her designated mandated representative(s), the UN Volunteer Construction Engineer will:

Provide engineering services for the renovation and construction projects, preparing budgets and technical specifications for all site related works (including visits to field locations for technical guidance and support).
Support the CO Architect in the supervision, programming, and coordination of the construction and refurbishment works.
Supervise other staff assigned to the projects, such as the Electrical Engineer etc.
Support the development of architectural plans, technical scopes of work, cost estimates, schedules and construction contract documentation reflecting site specific constraints, local conditions, or characteristics.
Manage and conduct analyses of project proposals to ensure business case and technical feasibility and that project objectives are attainable within prescribed resources.
Prepare scope of works and tender documents, project bills of quantities (BoQs), cost estimates and develop work specifications for the implementation of the works.
Provide technical support to ensure the application and compliance of WFP corporate policies and procedures related to facility management, procurement, construction activities and engineering services, and any other as deemed applicable for the project’s implementation, to ensure that outputs meet the established quality standards.
Address Occupational Safety and Health (OSH) issues, especially related to firefighting aspects and escape routes arrangements (internal circulation, signage, emergency exits, firefighting systems such as extinguishers, etc., and fire-prevention systems, such smoke detectors, etc.)
Any other engineering support and advice required to meet the Client needs have been provided in a timely and professional manner.

Results/expected outputs

As an active WFP team member, efficient, timely, responsive, client-friendly, and high-quality support rendered to WFP and its beneficiaries in the accomplishment of her/his functions,

Eligibility criteria
Age
27 – 80

Nationality
Candidate must be a national of a country other than the country of assignment.

Requirements
Required experience
3 years of experience in a relevant field of work, preferably in civil engineering, with a background and interest in international humanitarian development.

Area(s) of expertise
Engineering and construction

Driving license
–

Languages
English, Level: Fluent, Required
French, Level: Working knowledge, Desirable

Required education level
Master degree or equivalent in Civil Engineering, Construction, Social Sciences, or other field relevant to international development assistance, or First University Degree with additional years of related work experience and/or trainings/courses.

Competencies and values

Other information
Living conditions and remarks
Cameroon is family duty station. The country is with a tropical climate. There are two rainy seasons (April-May and September-October). The average temperature is 25 degrees Celsius.
Health: UN Volunteers should be aware that they are exposed to a number of tropical diseases and should complete all medical formalities specified in the offer of assignment before travelling and bring with them sufficient and appropriate medical supplies. The following vaccinations are required and/or recommended prior to travel or upon arrival: Covid-19, yellow fever (required for travellers arriving), polio, rabies, tetanus/diphtheria, measles-mumps-rubella (MMR), malaria (prophylaxis is recommended for almost all of the country). UN staff has 24-hour access to a fully operational UN medical clinic, run by the UN Doctors, during office hours. There is also a selection of other health facilities available in Cameroon.
Accommodation: The UN Volunteer will be responsible for arranging his/her own housing and other living essentials. However the UNV Field Unit will provide the list of UNDSS recommended neighborhoods and put the newly recruited UN Volunteer with other UN Volunteers to facilitate his adaptation.
Power and water: in most regions, including Yaounde, both electricity and water is readily available. Most hotels have secured water and generators in the event of a power failure.
Food and diet: fresh food is seasonal but varied. Most staple foods are common in the supermarkets. Yaounde has a selection of reasonably priced restaurants with good health standards. Restaurants can be found in the provinces as well, but the standard, the quality of food and the level of hygiene may be limited, while availability of certain foods may be limited or seasonal as well. The usual precautions need to be taken when eating outside the home: no salads, bottled water and all meat to be thoroughly cooked. Minor stomach upsets are almost inevitable at some stage.
Bank and Communication: Upon your arrival in Cameroon, your account will be opened with a foreign bank. The currency of account is normally XAF. You can purchase SIM card in Cameroon from any of the leading telephone companies for your personal use; if required (on the basis of your working requirements), you can be issued an official SIM card by the Office (upon request of your respective section). Besides the SIM card, you would also get the PIN Code from CITS to make international/local calls, which are usually cheaper than the mobile phones (and the cost of personal calls will be deducted from your monthly entitlements).
Cameroon is a unique country; however, it requires more stamina and commitment than elsewhere to make life comfortable and affordable. Therefore, flexibility and the ability and willingness to live and work in hazardous and harsh conditions involving physical hardship and little comfort are essential.

Inclusivity statement
United Nations Volunteers is an equal opportunity programme that welcomes applications from qualified professionals. We are committed to achieving diversity in terms of gender, care protected characteristics. As part of their adherence to the values of UNV, all UN Volunteers commit themselves to combat any form of discrimination, and to promoting respect for human rights and individual dignity, without distinction of a person’s race, sex, gender identity, religion, nationality, ethnic origin, sexual orientation, disability, pregnancy, age, language, social origin or other status.

Note on Covid-19 vaccination requirements