Full-Time Lead Structural Engineer – Haiti
Job Description
WORK FOR AN AWARD-WINNING NON-PROFIT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN HAITI.
POSITION OPENING:Lead Structural Engineer
Industry: Non-profit/International Development
Function: Management and Oversight
Employer: Build Change
Job Title: Lead Structural Engineer
Job Location: Port Au Prince, Haïti
Start Date: Immediate
Term: 12 months with possibility of extension
Salary: Competitive, with emergency medical insurance benefits and housing in Haiti
Organization Description
Founded in 2004, Build Change is a non‐profit social enterprise whose mission is to save lives in earthquakes and hurricanes. Build Change designs safe buildings, trains homeowners, builders, engineers and government officials to build them, works with governments to develop and implement building standards, partners with the private sector to improve building materials quality and create jobs, and facilitates access to incentive-based capital for reconstruction and retrofitting by partnering with financing institutions and government subsidy programs. Build Change started its work in Aceh, Indonesia, after the 2004 earthquake and tsunami, and since has expanded to include programs in China, Haiti, Colombia and the Philippines. Build Change has trained more than 20,000 people on earthquake-resistant design and construction techniques, and has provided technical assistance for more than 40,000 safer homes, impacting an estimated 200,000 people.
Build Change and its Founder and CEO, Dr. Elizabeth Hausler Strand, have received numerous awards including most recently the 2013 Structural Engineer’s Association of California Award of Excellence in the Research/Guidelines category, 2011 Schwab Foundation US Social Entrepreneur of the Year, and 2011 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability. Build Change has won grants from Echoing Green, Draper Richards Foundation, Mulago Foundation and Ashoka-Lemelson. and was named a 2008 Laureate in the Equality Category for Technology Benefiting Humanity by the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation Tech Awards. Build Change has been published or featured in numerous media outlets and journals including Rappler, The New York Times, Huffington Post, NPR, BBC, ABCNews, Fast Company and Innovations journal. Upon request from USAID, Build Change has written three primers, on post-disaster housing new construction, retrofitting and site hazard mitigation.
Responsibilities:
For the position of Lead Structural Engineer, Build Change is seeking an exceptionally competent structural engineer with experience designing and building earthquake-resistant low-rise buildings in developing countries. In addition, the successful applicant will have a proven management track record, history of building relationships with partners and clients, and demonstrated ability to communicate technical terms and concepts to non-technical persons. This position reports to the Build Change Haiti Director of Programs and to the Build Change Haiti Lead Structural Engineer.
Develop thorough, comprehensive understanding of the structural engineering design resources developed by Build Change for confined masonry, reinforced masonry, multi-story reinforced concrete frame, timber frame, and retrofitting solutions.
Be willing and confident to apply engineering judgment in the absence of code-based guidance.
Mentor, train and oversee local engineers, architects, drafters, and other technical staff.
Solve problems and generate solutions in the field for special cases, especially retrofits and additions to existing buildings.
Represent Build Change in discussions with clients and partners.
Support the Haiti Fund Development Officer and the Haiti Country Director in defining Levels of Efforts and project conception for inclusion in new proposals and concept notes.
Prepare weekly, monthly, project, and final reports.
Working with the Haiti Lead Structural Engineer:
Be responsible for controlling the quality of design information & implementation for projects in Haiti.
Oversee the revision or development of new structural and architectural drawings, bills of quantity, construction checklists, and training materials as necessary, for partners and clients
Ensure technologies and solutions are consistent with Build Change’s philosophy of earthquake-resistance, sustainability, and cultural appropriateness.
Qualifications:
Minimum 5 years professional experience in structural engineering with demonstrated experience managing a team of engineering staff and delivering outcomes on time.
Understanding of earthquake-resistant design and construction of confined masonry, reinforced masonry, and timber buildings for both new and retrofit buildings.
Professional Engineering license (or equivalent) in civil (structural) engineering.
Work experience in an elite management setting, or some kind of successful entrepreneurial experience such as starting a field program in a developing country, leading a large event, or starting a business.
Project management skillset that includes ownership over milestones, work plans, reporting, using computer tools such as Excel and PowerPoint.
Familiar with international building codes and guidelines, especially those applicable to the Latin American and Caribbean context.
Cost estimating, structural design software, and 2d AutoCAD literacy
Top-performing educational background in structural engineering, with strong earthquake resistant design orientation.
Hands-on construction experience in masonry, reinforced concrete, and carpentry is helpful.
International development experience and willingness to live and work in a post-disaster setting for at least twelve months; experience in Haiti is a strong plus.
No ego, drama, or pessimism; the successful candidate will be flexible, humble, patient, and have a good sense of humor.
Fluent English with working knowledge of French, Creole and Spanish, strong pluses.