Requisition ID: req9861

Job Title: Construction Coordinator

Sector: Operations

Employment Category: Fixed Term

Employment Type: Full-Time

Open to Expatriates: No

Location: Tanzania

Job Description

BACKGROUND:

The International Rescue Committee responds to the world’s humanitarian crises and helps people to survive and rebuild their lives. Founded in 1933 at the request of Albert Einstein, IRC offers life-saving care and life-changing assistance to refugees forced to flee from war or disaster. At work today in more than 30 countries and in 25 U.S. cities, IRC restores safety, dignity and hope to millions who are uprooted by conflict or disaster. IRC leads the way from harm to home.

The IRC began operations in the Kigoma region of Northwestern Tanzania in 1993 responding to a large influx of refugees from the neighboring countries of Rwanda and Burundi and later from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC). It has remained a key humanitarian actor in the country since that time.

In April 2015, political instability in Burundi led to almost 400,000 new refugees travelling to Tanzania. Today, they reside in Tanzania in three main refugee camps including Nyaragusu, the world’s third largest camp.

The IRC assists almost 300,000 refugees and Tanzanians. The IRC provides services in health, education and protection. The organization currently has over 200 staff and works with over 2,000 refugee volunteers to deliver our programs. We have offices in Dar es Salaam, Kasulu and Kibondo.

SCOPE OF WORK:

The Construction Coordinator will lead the Construction Unit. Reporting initially to the Regional Field Coordinator (Kigoma), the role will manage construction supervisors and directly oversee external contractors. The Coordinator will work closely with technical teams (Education, Health, Protection) to ensure designs and implementation are in line with programmatic need and deliver maximum impact for our clients. 

The role requires great leadership skills together with practical construction and engineering experience within the commercial sector.

With his/her team, the Construction Coordinator will design, commission, launch, monitor and review the implementation of all construction work. Using Project management skills the CC schedule and track deliverables, and troubleshoot and escalate where projects are off track or carry significant risks.

Working with the IRC Finance and Supply Chain team, the Construction Coordinator will be responsible for technical sign off of completed work and delivery of contractual commitments.

The role will oversee onsite and offsite construction activities and will monitor compliance with building and safety regulations and advise the project manager accordingly.

Specific areas of work are as follows:

Leadership:

•  Manage all staff in the Construction Unit; provide oversight, guidance and development for staff
•  Coordinate closely with programme and operations staff across IRC, including at senior leadership levels.
• Represent IRC with partners and with government as required and ensure that IRC is always seen in a professional light.

Construction planning and reporting:

•  Oversee all work related to construction and infrastructure rehabilitation.Use project management tools to set and monitor progress against schedules
  
• Ensure all construction initiatives are effectively planned and delivered on time to the right quality.
• Provide regular updates to technical coordinators and to the Country Management Team on project progress, with early identification and escalation of risk.

Individual construction projects:

•  Undertake needs assessments and develop specific recommendations for individual project designs
•  Prepare work schedules and relevant BoQ’s and liaise with Supply Chain to develop appropriate procurement documentation
• Serve as a construction technical advisor to tender and recruitment committee. Support procurement colleagues to ensure submitted bids meet technical expectations as per prevailing construction standards, licensing rules and regulations as stipulated by Contractors Registration Board (CRB) as well as the clients’ needs.
• The Construction Coordinator shall go through to all the submitted qualification documents by all contractors to see if they align and satisfy the engineering/contractors rules and regulations and advice the IRC accordingly before awarding any tender to qualifying contractors.

Monitoring and implementing construction on site:

•  Design and implement strategies to design all project schedules and requirements and develop estimates for all changes that might be recommended, but also orders and perform regular tests on all construction activities, e.g. foundation, concrete work etc.
•  Oversee IRC Construction Supervisors to ensure the construction and renovation projects are implemented on time, to budget and to the appropriate quality
• Develop appropriate construction structural drawings to be used by contractors during the project execution process.
• Assisting the contractors and technicians in the interpretation of BOQs and structural drawings associated to this project.
• To supervise all the construction executed by IRC and ensuring that the projects are executed as per the schedule and timelines, maintaining quality according to laid down specifications.
• Assist in the hiring of technicians for the on-site closer supervision under the guidance of the engineer.
• Assist contractors in hiring proper local fundis/laborers during construction work.
• During the procurement of the construction materials, the Coordinator shall make sure that there is technical advice given to the contractors on the suitability, quality and appropriateness of the materials to be used. She/He will guide specifications of the needed materials as per the BOQ and drawings in place.
• The Construction Unit- under the Construction Coordinator- shall be the link between the Contractors and the Programme Team with consultation with the respective District Engineers.
• The Construction Coordinator shall make sure that s/he communicates to Contractors that they shall take all the liabilities and assume responsibility to all risks and unforeseen issues resulting from their execution of the projects
• Efficiently supervise the working of all contractors on construction specifications and ensure compliance to all record drawings and monitor and make sure schedule payment to contractors as per the contacts agreed.
• Administer efficient working of all field staff working with the construction and participate in all meetings with contractors and evaluate progress on regular basis and giving meeting feedback to the project Manager.
• Collaborate with project management teams and ensure accuracy of all documents and maintain cost control on all projects and maintain quality at all times during the entire period of project execution.
• Monitor progress and compile reports in project status at every stage of completions.
• Comply with guidelines and regulations including permits, safety etc and deliver technical files and other technical documentation as required regularly
• Coordinate with company personnel and clients to resolve all project issues and administer and provide response to all requests and evaluate compliance to all plans and specifications for construction projects.
• Analyze and ensure compliance to all construction contract schedules and specifications and prepare all documents for construction management and provide support to all staff in various construction tasks and prepare final documents at project completion.
• Manage retention arrangements with Contractors as specified in their contracts and ensure appropriate mechanisms for protecting confidentiality of information.