Field Engineer/ SES Specialist for Southeastern. Central. East Region

Role summary Background and Objective of the assignment The Relief, Employment and Vital Infrastructure for the Vulnerable in Emergencies (REVIVE) Project, funded by the Government of the Republic of Korea (ROK) and implemented by UNDP, seeks to support vulnerable populations through employment generation, livelihood recovery, rehabilitation of community infrastructure, and resilience-building initiatives. The project contributes to improving socio-economic conditions, strengthening community resilience, and increasing access to sustainable livelihood opportunities, particularly for women, youth, and vulnerable households. The Enterprise Development Specialist is a highly qualified technical expert with extensive experience in the implementation and monitoring of enterprise development, MSME support, livelihoods and Community development programmes. The specialist possesses strong expertise in planning, value chain development, entrepreneurship training, grants management for micro-enterprises, women’s economic empowerment, and private sector engagement. The expert has proven experience in community-driven development, alternative livelihoods, agricultural value chains, and supporting small businesses in challenging contexts. He/she excels in stakeholder coordination, technical assessments, capacity building, and ensuring gender-responsive and sustainable enterprise interventions. Scope of work : REVIVE Phase II is designed to address the widening gap between humanitarian assistance and sustainable recovery in Afghanistan’s most fragile, displacement-affected regions. Building on the proven results of Phase I, the programme adopts a targeted, area-based and conflict-sensitive approach that integrates infrastructure rehabilitation, short-term employment, and promotes engagement and participation of communities. In this context, engineering support is critical for: Ø Designing, supervising, and ensuring quality of infrastructure rehabilitation (e.g., irrigation schemes, small dams, storage facilities, renewable energy systems). Ø Integrating climate-resilient and environmentally sustainable methods into construction and rehabilitation. Ø Creating immediate income opportunities through cash-for-work and labor-based infrastructure works. Ø Ensuring inclusive access, particularly for women and marginalized groups, by applying safety and protection standards in infrastructure design. Ø Ensuring environmental and social sustainability of project interventions through identification, assessment, mitigation, and monitoring of social and environmental risks in line with UNDP standards and regulations. The assignment aims to provide technical expertise to deliver high-quality, sustainable, and gender-sensitive infrastructure solutions that support livelihoods, strengthen resilience, and align with ABADEI’s broader objectives of social cohesion and poverty reduction. It is sensitive to the chronic and newly emerging vulnerabilities of Afghan women and girls and aims at providing them assistance in a manner that does not exacerbate their susceptibility to violence and deprivation of opportunities and rights. Duties and responsibilities Key Responsibilities: The Engineer will be responsible for providing technical expertise in the identification, design, supervision, and reporting of small-scale infrastructure projects under the ABADEI Strategy. The work will combine field-based technical assessments with community engagement to ensure projects are Reporting: The Field Engineer will work under the direct supervision of the Regional Area Manager and in close collaboration with the Technical Associate – Infrastructure. S/he will support the effective identification, preparation, and implementation of Cash for Work (CfW) and infrastructure rehabilitation projects in the region. Key Duties and Responsibilities: 1. Site Assessment and Technical Design · Assist in site identification and selection for community-based CfW and infrastructure construction/rehabilitation projects, ensuring alignment with Programme objectives, technical feasibility, and local needs. · Conduct field visits jointly with surveyors and Programme teams to assess physical, environmental, and social suitability of proposed sites. · Develop designs, layouts, Bills of Quantities (BoQs), and technical specifications for infrastructure projects, ensuring compliance with UNDP standards and national regulations. 2. Infrastructure Construction and Supervision · Oversee the construction and rehabilitation of community infrastructure (e.g., irrigation systems, rural roads, check dams, water supply networks). · Ensure quality control, safety compliance, and cost-effectiveness of work. Monitor construction activities to ensure quality, cost-effectiveness, and adherence to approved specifications and standards including health & safety compliance (OHS, PPE, site safety). · Provide technical advice on climate-resilient and disaster-safe construction practices. 3. Water and Irrigation System Development · Support design, rehabilitation, and monitoring of small-scale water supply and irrigation systems. Promote climate-resilient and sustainable water management practices. · Support the rehabilitation and improvement of water supply systems, including shallow/deep wells, water storage tanks, and community-based water distribution. · Assist in the design and rehabilitation of irrigation systems (canals, intakes, diversion structures, and related works) to enhance agricultural productivity. · Ensure that all water-related interventions follow environmental safeguards and promote sustainable water management practices. 4. Community Engagement and Capacity Support · Work closely with Community Networks, Community Councils, local leaders to ensure inclusive participation and ownership. · Facilitate community mobilization, feedback collection, and capacity-building for community-level maintenance. 5. Gender Mainstreaming and Inclusive Design · Ensure all engineering interventions are gender-responsive by incorporating women’s needs, safety, and accessibility (e.g., placement of water points, lighting for community facilities, design of cash-for-work schemes, including women’s opportunity create by engage family and discussion with community councils). · Prepare gender action plan, provide technical and capacity building support to suppliers on PSEA and safeguarding compliance within the project scope. · Coordinate with gender specialists or Gender Focal Point in the region to integrate gender and protection considerations into technical planning, implementation, and monitoring. 6. Social and Environmental Safeguarding: · Support the screening and social and environmental due diligence of all infrastructure projects in accordance with the UNDP Social and Environmental Standards (SES), ensuring timely completion and quality assurance of required SES documentation. Support in monitoring and identifying safeguards risk register, identify emerging risks, developing mitigation measures, and ensuring appropriate management actions are tracked and updated regularly. Monitor compliance with national environmental and social regulations, ensuring harmonization with UNDP SES and early identification of related risks and issues. Prepare consolidated SES compliance reports for internal UNDP use and for submission to donors (quarterly, annual, and ad hoc) 7. Any other work as assigned by the Area Manager or Infrasturcture Associate Payment : Monthly bases Travel Cost and DSA: The salary is inclusive of communication cost, DSA and travel cost Duty station : Southeastern /Central/East Region Job requirements Experience and Skills: Bachelor’s degree Civil Engineering, infrastructure management from a nationally recognized education institution Experience and Skills: Bachelor’s degree Civil Engineering or related filed from a nationally recognized education institution At least 5 years practical experience with bachelor’s degree Proven experience in conducting technical assessment and analysis of community-based infrastructure related activities (roads, buildings, irrigation canals, flood protection structures etc.) Strong knowledge and understanding sub-national institutional contexts of Afghanistan. Competencies: Ability to speak, read and write technical and conversational English. Ability to understand new terminology and concepts easily and to synthesize information from different sources into a coherent project document. Good team player, self-starter, has ability to work under minimum supervision and maintain good relationships. Language Requirements: Proficiency in written and spoken English and fluency in the national languages (Dari / Pashto).