Construction Specialist Career Jobs – Habitat for Humanity Uganda (HFHU)
Job Title: Construction Specialist
Organisation: Habitat for Humanity Uganda (HFHU)
Duty Station: Kampala, Uganda
Reports to: Head of Programs
About US:
Habitat for Humanity Uganda (HFHU) is affiliated to Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) headquartered in Atlanta – Georgia (U.S.A); and is an ecumenical Christian ministry that is dedicated to eliminating poverty housing. HFHU functionally reports to HFHI’s Europe Middle East and Africa (EMEA) Area Office in Pretoria – South Africa. We empower people in the world’s poorest communities to overcome the chronic lack of decent, affordable housing In 2017 Habitat for Humanity Uganda projects to serve over 16,000 vulnerable children and orphans.
Job Summary: The Construction Specialist will ensure that all CTA (construction technical assistance) and HSS (housing support solutions) are provided to clients; products and services promote and lead to the low-income households having better access to simple, decent, and affordable housing; Incremental housing solutions are done in a way that leads to the homeowner/client eventually achieving a complete decent home
Key Duties and Responsibilities:
- The Construction Specialist plans, monitors, oversees, directs and evaluates the implementation and quality of CTA/HSS activities, products and services.
- The Construction Specialist reports to the and functionally supervises construction in Habitat for Humanity Uganda.
Assess the suitability of the housing intervention, including:
- Security of land (tenure)
- Suitability of land (soil, position, etc)
- Stability and strength of structure to accommodate intended construction intervention.
- Appropriateness of intended intervention regulations, environmental concerns, local cultural norms, and other standards.
Costing:
- A short intervention description for simple construction activities; or a design and description, for more complicated activities.
- A list of materials needed (BOQ – bill of quantities), costed at prevailing market prices.
- A comparison of cost of intervention to the amount of loan size the client has requested and qualifies for.
Quality advice:
- The Construction Specialist will provide advice to clients of how to effectively carry out the construction intervention (including the choice of materials, building techniques). NB – The Construction Specialist does NOT take responsibility for the execution or the quality of the construction activity – his responsibility is to provide good advice.
Verification:
- A site visit to confirm that disbursed funds have indeed been used for construction / housing purposes. In case of fund diversion a report indicating this needs to be prepared.
- For specified, complicated construction of housing related interventions the Construction Specialist will also provide an assessment of how well the construction / building activity was done or is being done
Additional Construction Specialist Responsibilities:
- For full houses, ensure that HFH house designs are in conformity with the Central and/ or Local Government approved designs by reviewing Central and Local Government approved designs.
- Ensure that there is an approved Construction Manual, which is from time to time revised in order to be in line with the changes that may occur as a result of changing housing approaches or policies.
- Ensure the completed houses meet the global Habitat HQS (housing quality standards), as well as Uganda’s standards.
- For incremental housing improvements, ensure the particular intervention is according to acceptable minimum, local quality standards; and that incremental improvements are advised and designed in a way that will likely lead to a complete housing unit that meets global and national standards.
- To find new appropriate technology and effectively introduce those technologies. Such appropriate technologies should have benefits for low income Homeowners such as: help reduce costs, are more environmentally friendly, more culturally appropriate, advances local livelihoods, and so on.
- Guide and advise the Head of Programs, National Director and other staff on construction issues.
- Ensure that s/he is aware of the variety and prices of various building materials and that s/he, to the best of their ability, recommends materials that are of the suitable quality.
- Provide mentorship to other staff through effective training and skills enhancement.
- Design a range of standard house designs typical for the community and suited to context. Develop a range of other housing designs such as core house, sanitation or latrine construction etc.
Qualifications, Skills and Experience:
- The ideal applicants must hold relevant qualifications, skills and experience
How to Apply:
All candidates please send a cover letter, resume, and copies of relevant academic credentials to hr@hfhuganda.org clearly indicating the position applied for in the subject line.
Deadline: 20th August 2021
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