Senior Civil Engineer / Dam Safety Expert

SMEC (an SJ Group company); American Samoa; On-site; USD 180,000 - 240,000; Full time

Job summary

SMEC, part of the SJ Group, seeks a seasoned Engineer to lead dam construction under the FIDIC Yellow Book. The role requires global project delivery, strong leadership, and deep expertise in dam design and safety.

The candidate will oversee senior engineers, mentor executing agencies, and coordinate with international contractors on complex, high-value projects in remote island contexts. A chartered engineer status is mandatory.

Qualifications

• Master’s degree or higher in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, or a closely related discipline.
• Registration as a Chartered or Professional Engineer by an internationally recognised institution or association.
• Solid international project leadership experience on large-scale dam and hydraulic infrastructure.
• Experience with FIDIC contracts, preferably Yellow Book, and dam safety standards.
• Strong ability to mentor government executing agencies and build capacity in island contexts.

Responsibilities

• Lead the Engineer under the FIDIC Yellow Book for dam construction components.
• Provide senior technical leadership in dam engineering and safety.
• Mentor and capacity-build with project counterparts and executing agencies.
• Coordinate multidisciplinary teams and international contractors.
• Ensure alignment with international dam safety standards and safeguards.

Skills

Leadership

Communication

Dam engineering

Risk management

Cross-cultural communication

Mentoring

Project coordination

Education

Master’s degree in civil/geotechnical/water resources engineering

Job description

For 75 years, SMEC has built a reputation as a trusted partner on major transport and energy infrastructure projects around the world. Our design leaders and specialist teams draw on deep expertise and experience delivering projects across a range of diverse environments, from some of the world’s most remote locations to some of the densest urban surroundings.

We understand the value of relationships to ensure that we comprehensively address all requirements at each stage in a project’s development. By closely collaborating with our clients, contractors, subcontractors and asset operators, we deliver commercially informed design thinking through local specialists who understand on-the-ground context and industry expectations.

Along with parent company the SJ Group, 2016-2022 was a period of significant growth and development for SMEC. Spanning 40+ countries and with the specialist expertise of over 5,000 employees, SMEC continued to deliver complex major projects, world-class technical excellence and advanced engineering solutions. As part of the SJ Group, SMEC is able to leverage the capabilities of our parent and sister companies to operate flexibly and effectively in local and global markets. We have access to global network of design and engineering expertise, with 16,000 colleagues across 10 multi-disciplinary brands including architects, designers, planners, engineers and other specialists.

About the Role

The expert shall act as the Engineer under the FIDIC Yellow Book for the dam construction component. This senior role requires deep technical expertise in dam engineering and safety, strong leadership in international infrastructure delivery, and the ability to support executing agencies with limited institutional experience. The candidate shall have the following minimum qualifications:

Qualifications:

Education

A Master’s degree or higher in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, or a closely related discipline from a recognised institution.

Professional Certification

Registration as a Chartered or Professional Engineer by internationally recognised institution or association. This is a mandatory requirement. By law of Samoa, staff shall be chartered member of the local IPES.

Professional Experience

Regional and Institutional Experience: International Financing Institution (IFI) Experience:

• At least 20 years of progressively responsible experience in the planning, design, and construction supervision of large-scale dam and hydraulic infrastructure projects, including:
• A minimum of 10 years in senior leadership roles, including experience acting as the Engineer or leading the Engineer’s Representative team under FIDIC contracts (preferably Yellow Book);
• Proven experience in managing the implementation of high-value infrastructure projects (USD 50 million and above), ideally in developing or remote island contexts;
• Demonstrated experience in the design and construction of complex dam types, such as RCC, embankment, or concrete gravity dams;
• Successful management of multidisciplinary consultant teams and coordination with international contractors.
• Substantial experience in the Pacific region is essential, particularly in small island developing states or other contexts with constrained institutional and technical capacity;
• Demonstrated ability to support less experienced government executing agencies, including mentoring, capacity building, and institutional strengthening.
• Experience working on projects funded by international financial institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, or equivalent is highly desirable.

Technical and Contractual Competencies:

• Leadership and Communication: Strong ability to review and validate engineering designs, specifications, cost estimates, construction schedules, and quality assurance plans;
• Familiarity with international dam safety standards (e.g., ICOLD) and safeguards integration during design and implementation;
• Experience managing claims, variations, and risk mitigation under FIDIC-based contracts, particularly the Yellow Book.
• Excellent leadership and coordination skills, with experience managing complex, multi-stakeholder teams;
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication abilities;
• Proven capacity to support institutional development through on-the job training and knowledge transfer to project counterparts.

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