Rural Infrastructure Engineer at COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale

COOPI - Cooperazione Internazionale is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. COOPI aims to help the world’s poorest to improve their access to healthcare, food, and financial security, and to overcome their special vulnerability to wars, civil conflicts and natural disasters. For 50 years of long-term support and constant presence in the field, COOPI has been engaged in breaking the cycle of poverty and responding to specific emergencies in numerous sectors, including Food Security, Humanitarian Aid, Health, Socio-Economical Services, Water and Sanitation, Disaster Risk Reduction, Human Rights, Education and Training, Migrations and Sustainable Energy.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Rural Infrastructure Engineer

Location: Potiskum, Yobe
Employment Type: Full-time
Project/Programme: Resilience and Social Cohesion (peace) in NE, Nigeria – Potiskumna
Reports to: Forestry and Natural Resource Management Officer
Starting Date: As soon as possible
Contract duration: 7 months with possibility of extension

Overall Responsibilities

• Design, supervise, and maintain rural infrastructure (water systems, irrigation, catch dams, feeder roads, soil conservation structures, market stalls) to boost resilience.
• Improve water access and management to mitigate conflicts over scarce resources.
• Promote climate-resilient engineering solutions for agriculture and disaster risk reduction.
• Strengthen community participation in infrastructure projects to foster ownership and social cohesion.
• Ensure technical solutions align with conflict-sensitive and gender-inclusive approaches.

Main Duties and Tasks:

• Assess and rehabilitate boreholes, wells, and small-scale irrigation systems to support farming and livestock.
• Design low-cost water harvesting systems (e.g., sand dams, check dams) to combat drought.
• Train Water User Committees (WUCs) on maintenance and equitable water distribution.
• Mitigate water-related conflicts by improving fair access for farmers, herders, and households.
• Construct soil erosion control structures (terraces, gabions, windbreaks) to restore degraded farmlands.
• Support climate-smart irrigation (flood/drip/sprinkler systems) for dry-season farming.
• Design post-harvest storage facilities (grain silos, solar dryers) to reduce losses.
• Implement community-based watershed management plans to prevent flooding/desertification.
• Supervise the construction of multi-purpose community assets (e.g., grinding mills, storage hubs).
• Rehabilitate feeder roads and bridges to improve market access and reduce isolation of conflict-prone areas.
• Develop BOQs (Bills of Quantities), designs, and tender documents for rural infrastructure projects.
• Monitor contractor compliance with quality/safety standards in construction.
• Document lessons learned and success stories for scaling up interventions.

Key Deliverables:

• Functional water points (boreholes, irrigation schemes) with trained maintenance committees.
• Erosion control and land restoration structures to improve farm productivity.
• Rehabilitated rural infrastructure (roads, bridges, storage facilities), enhancing market access.
• Reduced resource-based conflicts through equitable infrastructure planning.
• Technical reports, maps, and monitoring data on project impacts.

Capacity Building
Monitoring and Evaluation:

• Support in the Development and implementation of robust M&E frameworks to measure program impact.
• Analyze data to inform program adaptations and report on progress against indicators

Proposal Development:

• Contribute to the development of proposals for funding, ensuring the inclusion of cash-based interventions and livelihood components.
• Collaborate with the program development team to align proposals with donor priorities.

Coordination and Collaboration:

• Coordinate with the government (Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture), NGOs, and UN agencies (e.g., FAO, IOM).
• Engage with humanitarian actors, government agencies, and local authorities for a coordinated response.

Gender and Inclusion:

• Ensure that project activities are gender-sensitive and inclusive, addressing the needs of all beneficiary groups.
• Integrate gender and inclusion strategies into program planning and implementation.

Reporting:

• Prepare timely and accurate reports on civil work activities for COOPI, WFP, and other stakeholders.
• Document lessons learned and best practices for organizational knowledge.

Networking and Partnerships:

• Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with NGOs, UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
• Leverage partnerships to enhance program reach and impact.

Knowledge Sharing:

• Facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and learning within COOPI and the broader humanitarian community.
• Organize workshops and learning events to share insights from the program.

Additional Responsibilities:

• Stay abreast of developments in cash programming and humanitarian response.
• Perform other duties as necessary, commensurate with professional background and experience, as deemed by the supervisor.
• These Terms of Reference outline the key responsibilities and expectations for the Rural Engineer under the WFP/BMZ-funded project.
• The role is pivotal in ensuring that COOPI delivers high-quality cash assistance to support the resilience and recovery of displaced populations in Northeast Nigeria.

Desired Experience:

• Degree in Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Water Resources, or related field.
• 3 – 4 years of Experience in rural infrastructure development in conflict-affected areas (NE Nigeria preferred).
• Proficiency in AutoCAD, GIS, or hydrological modeling tools (an advantage).
• Knowledge of SPHERE standards for humanitarian infrastructure.
• Strong community engagement and conflict-resolution skills.
• Fluency in Hausa/Kanuri (essential).

Language Requirements:

• Spoken and written fluency in English.

Application Closing Date
13th June, 2025.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:
Click here to apply online

Note

• Applications shall be reviewed on a rolling basis, and female candidates are strongly encouraged to apply.
• Only shortlisted applicants will be contacted.