JOB PROFILE

ZIMBABWE

JOB TITLE: Public Health Engineer (PHE)

DIVISION / DEPARTMENT / LOCATION: HARARE JOB FAMILY:

International, Southern Africa Region, Zimbabwe, Programme Technical

SALARY: National LEVEL: D1

OXFAM PURPOSE:
To work with others to overcome poverty and suffering.

COUNTRY PURPOSE:
To significantly reduce poverty, inequality and suffering amongst the poor and marginalised in Zimbabwe,
Oxfam will, both via direct implementation and via local partners, focus on
 Strengthening local capacities
 Enabling communities
In addition to developing and supporting the strategic and operational capacity of our partners and local
institutions, we will build alliances and knowledge networks, undertake research and analysis to inform
decision-making and influence local and global policy makers to facilitate and leverage change.

TEAM PURPOSE:
To work with poor people as a force for change in addressing the causes of poverty, suffering and injustice and
alleviating their symptoms; To promote public awareness, mobilisation, dialogue, engagement, and
participation in, and undertake direct lobbying interventions for, public policy change in favour of overcoming
poverty and suffering in Zimbabwe

Job Purpose:
To provide technical leadership in researching, developing and implementing innovative WaSH solutions that
reduce risk of morbidity and mortality due to WASH related diseases. The project intends to directly benefit
communities through improvements in water infrastructure, water quality at source and household levels,
rehabilitation/construction of sanitation infrastructure, capacity building of local authority officials on water point
operation and maintenance . The PHE will facilitate the participation of the beneficiaries in the design and
implementation of such technological innovations. The PHE will also work together with the project team to
prepare and share evidence for influencing policy makers to advocate for wider adoption of successful models.

REPORTING LINES:

Reports to: WaSH team leader, with matrix relationship to the WaSH coordinator.

Staff reporting to: None

BUDGET RESPONSIBILITY:
None
Dimensions
 Apply operational and specialist technical skills and knowledge to support and implement operational
plans and projects to deliver superior operational performance
 Most tasks technical activities with specific targets and/or minimum standards, with some routine work,
but requires flexibility and common sense in making necessary adjustments to suit individual
circumstances
 Diverse and complex problem-solving, requiring professional knowledge, field experience, an
understanding of development and humanitarian work and ability to engage with beneficiaries for
outcomes that are consistent with their aspirations/priority needs.
 Use information from a variety of sources, including beneficiaries, to inform decision making, which
requires sensible judgement, working within Oxfam policy and procedures
 Occasional projects and more difficult issues require independent thought and research to recommend
best solution
 Analysis and interpretation of the local context to inform appropriate planning and decision making
 Make complex technical information accessible and useable by non-specialist people
 Assist in development of solutions to diverse and complex problems, and develop and implement
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solutions to more routine problems and issues

Dealing with and negotiating minimum national and local authority standards for certain routine WaSH
activities.
 Some negotiation and representation with local authorities and communities and especially with partner
organisations
 Contribute to development and monitoring of relevant project/programme plans and budgets
 Provide support and advice to the project management team in responsibility areas
 Supervise the work of partner organisations, contractors and other relevant staff, in own area of
specialism.
 Communicate widely across the country team and with some Regional staff and external contacts
 Work in an environment that is politically and potentially physically insecure, with a high risk of
humanitarian crises
KEY RESPONSIBILITIES:

 Facilitate the participatory identification/mapping of water points for installation of inline chlorinators.
 Liaise with government technical leads for water point assessment and rehabilitation, water quality
monitoring.
 Prepare Bills of Quantities, design drawings and schedules of work for water point rehabilitation and
latrine construction/ rehabilitation, implementing and supervising the installation of referred works
 Carry out Monitoring & Evaluation to assess project progress and evaluate the impact of the project on
beneficiaries and surrounding environs.
 Coordinate and engage with other stakeholders such as local leadership, district authorities; supervise the
external suppliers / contractors undertaking work on behalf of the project
 Writing periodic and ad hoc reports to line management in as required in order to inform & modify plans as
may be required

Capacity Building and Relationship Management:

 Besides exploring locally generated design ideas, PHE will work closely with local service providers to
identify optimal designs for installation of inline chlorinators on water sources The PHE will also be
responsible for managing the relationship between Oxfam and identified service providers on technical
design elements.
 As part of building the capacity of beneficiaries and engaged partners on innovative WaSH solutions, the
PHE will institute and maintain a technical design and review dialogue that also involves authorities as
necessary and appropriate.

SKILLS AND COMPETENCES REQUIRED

Essential
 University degree in Civil, Environmental or Agricultural engineering or related field. Post graduate
qualifications in a related technical field will be a strong added advantage.
 Minimum five years’ project management / coordination experience in water and sanitation
 Experience in the design and implementation of water and sanitation infrastructure works, in the
development of tender dossiers and in the practical supervision of construction / installation work
 Familiarity with the drilling of boreholes, and the installation/ rehabilitation of hand pumps, motorized
pumps and solar powered systems.
 Experience working in challenging, economically deprived environments where land and water resources
are communally owned.
 Experience of integrating engineering / environmental protection measures with socio economic
considerations. Ability to engage proactively with project communities to ensure their full participation, with
an emphasis on ensuring the participation of women in the design, implementation and management of
activities.
 Strong management, project planning, organizational, interpersonal, and communication skills
 Competent & with experience in engineering drawings manually or using AutoCad, familiarity with GPS /
GIS, use of MS Office programs and database management
 Strong ability to communicate effectively and fluent in spoken and written English and Shona spoken and
written
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 Ability to work under pressure in a politically charged context.

Desired
 Ability to multi task
 Flexibility
This job description is intended as a guide and should not be viewed as an inflexible specification as it may be
varied from time to time in light of strategic developments following discussions with the post holder. The
post holder will be expected to work to agreed objectives, which should facilitate achievement of key
responsibilities in accordance with the performance of the review process

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