Field Water Engineer

Field Water Engineer required in Vryheid, Kwazulu Natal.

Seeking Hard-Working, Dedicated Field Water Engineer in South Africa.

The ideal candidate is a dedicated team-player with strong interpersonal skills who has a background in civil or water engineering, community development and mobilization, and working with international stakeholders.

The candidate must demonstrate a proven passion for working with the community and possess detailed orientation and problem-solving skills.

Background:

Innovation: Africa (iA) is a non-profit 501(c)(3) organization whose team of dedicated problem solvers work together to bring solar and water technologies to rural communities in Africa. We use solar energy to pump clean water and provide schools, orphanages, and medical clinics with light and refrigeration to store vaccines and medicines.

iA has completed over 1,200 solar, water, and agricultural projects, providing light, clean water, food and proper medical care to more than 5.3 million people in Ethiopia, Tanzania, Malawi, South Africa, Uganda, Cameroon, Senegal and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Job Summary:

We are seeking a highly trained and qualified individual to join our South Africa team as a Field Water Engineer in our Vryheid office, located in Kwazulu-Natal.

This position works under the supervision of the Regional Manager and Country Manager, and is responsible for overseeing iA’s solar water pumping systems, technical implementation, liaison with local contractor and in-house engineers, as well as providing technical support in all sites post completion.

The Field Water Engineer will also be responsible for all iA field activities, including identifying and selecting the beneficiaries of our projects, actively engaging in community mobilization and sensitization, establishing, and maintaining regular communication with the communities we serve, implementing project-related activities, providing regular reports and ongoing monitoring of the projects.

Candidates should expect frequent travel to the field to identify new projects, oversee the construction and implementation of ongoing projects, and monitor completed projects.

Reports To: Regional Manager and Country Manager

Duties and Responsibilities:

• Oversee all field operations related to solar and water projects, including prospective project search, project construction/implementation, and monitoring and evaluation.
• Work closely with the local contractor to plan and design all solar water pumping systems.
• Oversee technical implementation of all water systems and serve as technical point person for all system designs.
• Manage on-site work during all stages of the system construction and installation.
• Independently assess needs for maintenance work (post-installation) in projects where a malfunction exists.
• Community technical training and sensitization.
• Track the progress of ongoing field installation and maintenance activities.
• Maintain regular contact with Innovation: Africa’s engineers in HQ to successfully implement and monitor new solar technologies and remote monitoring systems.
• Appropriately sensitize the communities we work with, including establishing project steering committees and small solar-related businesses to maintain the project.
• Support the team and Regional Manager to manage relationships with municipal officers, local leaders, and international stakeholders.
• Send daily updates and regular progress reports to the international management team regarding prospective projects, construction, and implementation of current projects, and monitor existing projects.

Requirements:

• Bachelor’s Degree or professional diploma in Civil Engineering or closely related field, Master’s degree preferred
• Technologically oriented with excellent computer skills, including proficiency in email and Microsoft Office software.
• At least 3 years of post-graduate working experience in implementation and design of rural water systems knowledge of drilling and groundwater or any relevant experience is an advantage.
• Knowledge of water pumps will be an added advantage.
• Experience in maintenance of water projects will be an added advantage.
• Proficiency of Epanet and Google Earth is mandatory.
• Driver’s license
• Ability to commit to flexible working hours.
• Ability to speak the local language(s) and live in KwaZulu-Natal.
• High proficiency in English, both written and spoken.

Please note that this is a local position, and we are seeking South African nationals or individuals with a valid work permit for South Africa.

As an international organization, our team works in HQ including New York, and Africa, and is constantly on the move. To maintain close contact despite our travel schedules, we regularly use technology solutions, such as Slack, Zoom and more. The ideal candidate thrives in this type of fast-paced environment and is comfortable working with colleagues in different time zones and continents.

Innovation: Africa is an equal opportunity employer, dedicated to inclusivity, a diverse workforce and valuing difference. All applicants will be considered for employment without attention to race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, national origin, veteran or disability status.