Infrastructure / Irrigation Engineer at INTERSOS

Locations: Maiduguri Metropolitan Council – MMC, Jere and Mafa , Borno

Job Purpose

• Under the supervision of the Livelihood Project Manager, t he Infrastructure Engineer leads all civil, structural and electrical works on the livelihood facilities in MMC, Jere and Mafa LGAs.
• That covers buildings, pump houses, ponds’ civil works, boreholes, solar power, fencing, drainage and storage.
• The engineer makes sure every structure is safe, durable and protected against floods, and that it is handed over with the documents needed to maintain it.

Key Responsibilities
Infrastructure condition assessments:

• Assess the structural, civil and electrical condition of every facility: buildings, roofs, foundations, pond embankments, concrete works, boreholes, tanks, fencing, drainage and power systems.
• Check site risks, including flood exposure (as in 2024), erosion, access in the rainy season, theft and fire. Recommend engineering measures to reduce them.
• Confirm site boundaries and access routes against the ownership and tenure audit, together with the Social Cohesion Officer.
• Produce an assessment report for each facility, with photos, condition ratings, a prioritised list of works, BoQs and cost estimates.

Design and documentation:

• Prepare drawings, specifications and BoQs for repairs and minor works: pump houses, sumps, stores, foundations for machinery, fencing, drainage, flood protection and roof repairs.
• Design solar power and electrical installations for the Mafa tailoring hub, the feed mill and the irrigation pumps, in coordination with the Agricultural Engineer. Include safe wiring, earthing, surge protection and secure panel mounting.
• Design borehole rehabilitation, including tests of yield and water quality where needed.
• Apply accessible design (ramps, safe access) and gender-sensitive features (lighting, separate toilets) where relevant.
• Get technical approval from the Ministry of Water Resources (boreholes) and the relevant government works departments.

Procurement and contract management:

• Prepare technical tender documents and evaluation criteria for civil and electrical works.
• Sit on technical evaluation panels; check contractors’ capacity and past work.
• Review contractor work plans, method statements and health and safety plans before work starts.

Construction supervision and quality control:

• Supervise works on site regularly. Check materials, setting out, concrete mixes and curing, reinforcement, masonry, roofing and electrical installations against drawings and specifications.
• Keep site diaries, measure completed works, approve interim payment certificates and manage variations within approved limits.
• Enforce health, safety and environmental standards: personal protective equipment, safe excavation, electrical safety, waste disposal, and no child labour.
• Make sure contractors hire local labour where possible, including women and youth, and that their workers sign and respect the Code of Conduct.
• Escalate delays, defects, cost overruns or community concerns to the Project Manager immediately.

Completion, certification and handover of works:

• Carry out completion inspections with the government counterpart and the facility committee. Issue snag lists and verify that defects are corrected.
• Issue structural and electrical safety certificates. Coordinate joint commissioning with the Agricultural Engineer where works meet.
• Collect as-built drawings, warranties, borehole logs and electrical diagrams for every site.
• Manage the defects liability period and contractor retention.

Maintenance planning and asset records:

• Prepare preventive maintenance schedules for buildings, ponds, boreholes, fencing, drainage and solar systems, timed to the seasons (for example, repairs before the rainy season).
• With the Asset Management and Logistics Officer, enter every structure and installation into the asset register, with specifications, useful life and condition rating.
• Train facility committees and operators in basic inspection, cleaning (for example solar panels), minor repairs and when to call a technician.
• Provide maintenance and replacement cost estimates to the Business Development Officer, for the asset renewal reserves.

Reporting:

• Submit weekly site progress reports with photos, and monthly engineering reports.
• Take part in quarterly joint monitoring visits and the annual asset verification. Prepare the infrastructure part of handover inventories.

Cross-cutting duties:

• Design for low running costs, durability, climate resilience and community management.
• Apply do-no-harm: consult landowners and communities before any works that affect boundaries, access or shared resources.
• Follow PSEA, safeguarding, anti-fraud and security procedures.
• Carry out any other reasonable duties related to the project, as assigned by the Project Manager.

Qualifications, experience and competencies
Education and registration:

• Essential: a B.Eng or B.Sc in Civil Engineering (Structural or Water Resources option preferred), or Building Engineering.
• Desirable: an M.Eng or M.Sc in Civil, Structural or Water Resources Engineering.

Experience:
Essential:

• At least 5 years of experience designing and supervising civil works, including at least 3 years on rural or humanitarian infrastructure.
• Proven experience preparing BoQs, drawings, specifications and tender documents, and managing contractors through to completion and defects liability.
• Experience supervising concrete, masonry, roofing, earthworks and fencing to quality standards.
• Experience with borehole rehabilitation or water supply infrastructure.
• Experience with NGOs, UN agencies or government programmes in North-East Nigeria or a similar setting.

Desirable:

• Experience with solar power systems for productive use (pumping, small industry).
• Experience with flood-resilient design and drainage.
• Experience with infrastructure for agriculture, aquaculture or agro-processing.
• Experience handing infrastructure over to communities, and with maintenance planning.

Skills and competencies:

• Strong technical design skills; proficient in AutoCAD and quantity surveying, and in project scheduling tools.
• Rigorous quality control and attention to safety on site.
• Integrity in procurement, measurement and certification of works.
• Able to explain technical issues simply to communities, government officials and non-technical staff.
• Able to plan and manage several sites at the same time.
• Commitment to safeguarding, PSEA, inclusion and humanitarian principles.
• Proficient in MS Office or Google Workspace

Languages:

• Proficiency in English (written and spoken)
• Knowledge and fluency in English and local languages (Hausa and Kanuri) will be an asset.