Economic Recovery Officer - Engineer

Danish Refugee Council (DRC) is an international non-governmental organization that provides assistance and promotes durable solutions for refugees and internally displaced people, based on humanitarian principles and human rights. The Danish Refugee Council is a humanitarian actor in Tanzania. Since 2015, as part of the Burundian Refugee Response in Tanzania, DRC has worked in the sectors of camp management, Community-Based Protection, Livelihoods, Protection, WASH, General Food Distributions, and Shelter/ small infrastructure in Nduta camp. Starting from January 2020, DRC has been implementing Camp management, Community-Based Protection, and Livelihoods projects in the Nyarugusu refugee camp. Since January 2023, DRC has been implementing an Energy and Environment Project in the refugee and host communities of Nduta and Nyarugusu refugee camps.

DRC is looking for a competent engineer to support the design and implementation of various assets for community resilience building towards climate change and related shocks and stresses, food insecurity, land degradation, and limited livelihood opportunities.

Job Description

The Economic Recovery Officer - Engineer, under the management and supervision of the Economic Recovery Team Leader and in close collaboration with WFP, UNHCR, Local Government Authorities, and other partners will be responsible for ensuring the smooth design and implementation of activities on asset creation and/or land restoration for increased community resilience towards climate change, food security, shocks and stresses, land degradation, livelihoods, among others. The project approach will involve assessments, designing, and implementation of various assets that will involve earthworks stoneworks and industrial materials for ‘asset creation’ with community members in targeted locations in the Kigoma region. The Engineer is therefore expected to be flexible to work in different locations throughout the programme.

Tasks and Responsibilities:

• Ensure targets are met under DRC’s agreement with donors, to be accountable to the stated goals of the programme.
• Identification, assessment, design, and implementation of livelihoods and environment programs with a specific focus on conservation and management of water harvesting and storage structures, soil erosion control through resilient farming practices, and restoration of degraded areas including gully treatment through gabions and check dams.
• Provide inputs to develop, coordinate, plan, implement, monitor, and report on DRC’s economic recovery program.
• Oversee proper documentation of activities implemented and actors/beneficiaries involved.
• Undertake regular field/onsite visits to ensure technical support on asset creation and proper monitoring of the activities implementation in the area of operation.
• Produce daily, weekly, and monthly progress reports as directed by respective Team Leaders and Managers.
• Foster and ensure Economic Recovery Assistants-Livelihoods/Environment/Food security maintain productive, supportive, and respectful relations with Incentive Workers and/or Village Agents employed in the program.
• Provide support, daily management, direction, and on-the-job coaching to Economic Recovery- Livelihoods/Environment/Food security Assistants and Incentive Workers and/or Village Agents to ensure timely implementation of project activities.
• Work with established community-based structures and be solution-oriented in terms of challenges arising from individual activities and the program as a whole.
• Support efforts from different actors to ensure that natural resources and shared environment are better conserved and protected.
• Contribute to developing new sustainable Livelihoods/Food security/Environmental initiatives or proposals and fundraising relating to refugee host communities, emergencies, protracted displacement, and longer-term response.
• Ensure lessons learned are documented, shared, and reflected in program planning and decision-making.
• Ensure continuous capacity building among beneficiaries and staff involved under supervision.
• Ensure implementation of Livelihoods/Food Security/environmental activities are compliant with the National policies, guidelines, and strategies, Core Humanitarian Standards (CHS), and the DRC Code of Conduct (CoC).
• Work with respective Team leader(s) and MEAL team to ensure the M&E plan is being implemented, data is being collected from the field, and regular reports are produced.
• Provide inputs for narrative reports according to donors’ requirements.
• Support budget monitoring and expense control including compliance with minimum DRC and donor requirements.
• Liaising with institutions, village agents, voluntary/community groups, and other local organizations/groups to promote various Livelihoods/Food security/Environment in the host communities and refugee camps.
• Ensuring all engagement messaging/data is consistent among all stakeholders during project implementation.
• Ensuring that best practices on environmental/food security/livelihood approaches are identified, surveyed, valued, and proposed for intervention in the refugees as well as in the host community.
• Document best practices and success stories for sharing with relevant parties involved in the project.
• Participate in different trainings, workshops, talks, and conferences for project activities/plans.
• Foster and maintain excellent working relationships with key humanitarian and development actors – local and international, including government authorities and non-state actors, and private sectors through regular attendance at technical meetings and bilateral meetings.
• Liaise closely with other DRC sectors such as; Protection, Camp Coordination, and Camp Management, to ensure productive coordination and smooth implementation of the programme activities.
• Work in the multi-functional team approach in close collaboration with the Programme and other technical experts, to ensure that economic recovery-Livelihoods/Food security and Environment interventions are approached from a cross-sectoral and integrated programming perspective.
• Perform other related duties as required.

Requirements

• University Degree/Advanced Diploma/Postgraduate studies in Irrigation and Water Resource Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, and other related fields.
• At least 2 years relevant work experience in engineering assessments, design, and implementation of activities in the creation of assets on climate resilience such as; the establishment of dams for livestock and irrigation through rainwater harvesting techniques, application of methods for increased agriculture productivity through climate-resilient farming practices, such as terracing, excavation of trenches and ridges, irrigation canals and related farming practices, landscape restoration through gully treatment, soil erosion control, irrigation, and integrated watershed management and similar areas.
• Good understanding of the impact of climate change on food security and livelihoods, farming systems, land degradation, and natural resources.
• Understanding of different environmental challenges, trends, and ongoing global/national efforts for environment and natural resources conservation.
• Previous experience in food security, nutrition, and gender-sensitive interventions is an added advantage.
• Previous experience in community empowerment through working with beneficiaries with different socio-economic status including the vulnerable individuals/households within rural communities.
• Previous experience in using Geographic Information System (GIS) software, QGIS, Auto/Arch Computer-Aided Design for land restoration or for creation of similar assets a plus.
• High level of computer literacy in using software Microsoft Office, the internet, and e-mails.
• Previous experience working with host community members, refugees, or IDPs in similar projects.
• Previous working experience with International organizations in the development and humanitarian settings in implementing similar projects and programs.
• Excellent written and oral communication skills in English and Swahili.
• Excellent interpersonal and problem-solving skills, creativity, innovation and flexibility.
• Comfortable in a multi-cultural environment, flexible and able to handle pressure well able to engage with community members, and maintain confidentiality and respect.