National Construction Consultant 2 (Two) (253 working days) based in Mekelle and Semera (For Ethiopian nationals only)

Semera | Mekelle

  • Organization: UNICEF - United Nations Children’s Fund
  • Location: Semera | Mekelle
  • Grade: Consultancy - Consultant - Contractors Agreement
  • Occupational Groups:
    • Engineering
    • Architecture, Building and Property Management
    • Infrastructure and Urban-Rural development
  • Closing Date:

The Construction consultants primarily provide technical support and day-to-day coordination of the ongoing EU-Health construction/rehabilitation works, JICA ongoing and pending construction activities, and served as the technical point of contact for the GPE-STEP construction related activities in their respective assigned regions, and all other construction tasks assigned by the construction Manager, including supervision and quality control for the construction and rehabilitation of Schools and Health Centers. The consultants will assess gaps and propose courses of action, identify, and assess partners, and ensure that UNICEF Contractors are executing the work as per the required scope, specifications, quality standards and timeline.

UNICEF works in over 190 countries and territories to save children’s lives, defend their rights, and help them fulfill their potential, from early childhood through adolescence.

At UNICEF, we are committed, passionate, and proud of what we do for as long as we are needed. Promoting the rights of every child is not just a job – it is a calling.

UNICEF is a place where careers are built. We offer our staff diverse opportunities for professional and personal development that will help them reinforce a sense of purpose while serving children and communities across the world. We welcome everyone who wants to belong and grow in a diverse and passionate culture., coupled with an attractive compensation and benefits package.

Visit our website to learn more about what we do at UNICEF.

For every child, the right to water 

Ethiopia is situated in the Horn of Africa and is the second most populous country on the continent with an estimated population of 115 million. It borders six African countries: Djibouti, Eritrea, Kenya, Somalia, South Sudan, and Sudan, and covers 1,104,300 square kilometers. Approximately 85 percent of the population lives in rural areas. Ethiopia represents a melting pot of ancient cultures with Middle Eastern and African cultures evident in the religious, ethnic, and language composition of its people.

Over the past couple of years, children and their families across Ethiopia faced multiple and complex emergencies, such as the conflict in the northern Ethiopia and the drought, which resulted in millions of people in need of urgent humanitarian assistance. UNICEF has programmes in Child Protection, WASH, Health, Nutrition, Social Policy, and Education and serves over 15 million children in Ethiopia. Join UNICEF Ethiopia to contribute to improving the lives of children and women.

How can you make a difference? 

Purpose for the job:

UNICEF Ethiopia seeks to hire 2 consultants to be based in Makelle (Tigray) , and Semera (Afar), to provide technical and construction administrative support, assessment, and coordination for the ongoing UNICEF-EU Health projects, JICA funded projects, and the GPE-STEP Construction activities, in Tigray and Afar Regions. The consultants will also support activities in the Somali Region, and other construction related activities as assigned by the Construction Manager.

Main Duties and Responsibilities

  • Provide Day-to-Day coordination Supervision of all UNICEF construction/rehabilitation works within area of assignment.
  • Coordinate the activities of implementation of stakeholders involved with the construction/rehabilitation of the EU funded Health facilities.
  • Coordinate the activities of implementation of stakeholders involved with the construction/rehabilitation of the JICA funded School’s construction.
  • Coordinate GPE-STEP construction related activities, including reviewing assessment and design submittal from the LTA engineering services contractor.
  • Support the solicitation of construction contractors and ensure UNICEF supported constructions/rehabilitations are done in line with the agreed terms, i.e., time and quality.
  • Facilitate site progress meetings and report findings to the Construction Manager.
  • Support quality supervision during the construction and rehabilitation of all assigned projects.

ACTIVITIES AND DELIVERABLES

Before the commencement of the activities, the consultant shall prepare a detailed work plan and submit it to UNICEF Construction Manager for approval.

Work Assignments Overview

Deliverables/Outputs:

Delivery deadline

Facilitate coordination meetings, review assessment and design submittals, and conduct site visits to ensure design meets the actual needs for the ongoing UNICEF-EU Health, JICA construction activities and the GPE-STEP, including LTA engineering services contractors and construction contractors. 

Submit detailed reports following design review, site progress visits and/or coordination meetings to the Construction Manager.

 

31 January 2026

21 Working Days

 

 

Review the overall action plan for the GPE and the ongoing EU Health and JICA projects with the Sections and procurement teams and propose solutions for the provision of technical submission and criteria for selection.

 

Submit the Technical evaluation criteria for GPE Construction evaluations.

Review and update work plans and construction bids, provide inputs to RFI responses, develop risk registers, and highlight mitigation measures.

 

Submit to the Construction Manager, risk registers and updated summary workplans for ongoing EU health and JICA construction works, and the Pending GPE STEP Construction for Both 

 

28 February 2026 - 20 days

 

 

Participate in the technical evaluation for the evaluation of construction services for GPE 45 WASH in Schools facilities in Afar and the 15 Secondary schools across Oromia, Afar, Somali, Amhara and Tigray

Submit to the construction manager for approval TEC consensus meetings minutes, and summary TEC evaluation report

26 March 2026

20 days

 

 

Conduct Construction Kick-off Meetings and sites handover 45 WASH-in-School facilities and 15 Secondary Schools. This will include travels to sites

Submit Construction kick-off meeting minutes and site progress meeting minutes.

24 April 2026

19 days

 

 

Review and revise the Construction Unit Dashboard and make sure it is automatically synchronizing with the Power-BO on the ETH Supply and Procurement SharePoint.

Submit to UNICEF Construction Manager a fully functional Construction updates Dashboard and automated Power-BI Data platform

30 May 2026

 20 days

 

 

Construction Supervision and Quality Assurance for EU Health and JICA

Submission of report on field visit and site progress meetings for the ongoing EU-Health facilities and JICA schools’ construction to ensure the quality of the works is performed in accordance with the technical specifications.

Submission of report on the progress of the works is in accordance with the contractor's work schedule. This includes initiating and documenting changes in the order of procedures.

1 June-31 July 2026 –

45 days

 

 

Construction Supervision and Quality Assurance for GPE-STEP WASH-in-School Construction

Submission of report on field visit and site progress meetings for the ongoing GPE-STEP WASH -in-school facilities construction to ensure the quality of the works is performed in accordance with technical specifications.

Submission of report on the progress of the works is in accordance with the contractor's work schedule. This includes initiating and documenting changes in the order of procedures.

1 August – 30 September 2026

 

43 days

 

 

Construction Supervision and Quality Assurance for GPE-STEP 15 Secondary Schools

Submission of report on field visit and site progress meetings for the ongoing GPE-STEP WASH in-school facilities construction to ensure the quality of the works is performed in accordance with the technical specifications.

Submission of report on the progress of the works is in accordance with the contractor's work schedule. This includes initiating and documenting changes in the order of procedures.

1 October- 30 November 2026

43 working days

 

Construction Closeout - Facilitate the closure of the EU-Health, JICA and GPE construction, including conducting the inspection of the completion of the construction.

Submit to UNICEF Construction Manager  the substantial completion of inspection reports for each project, with a detailed list of items to be corrected during the defect warranty period.

31 December 2026

 

22 days

Note:

  • Applications submitted without a fee rate will not be considered.

To qualify as an advocate for every child you will have… 

Minimum requirements:

  • Education: University degree (BSc) in Construction Engineering or related fields is required. A university degree in Accounting, Administration, management, or related fields is an asset.
  • Work Experience: At least two [2] years of relevant work experience in construction management and supervision in humanitarian context is required. Experience supervising Construction and Rehabilitation of Education and Health Facilities in Afar, Amhara and Tigray regions of Ethiopia is an asset.
  • Skills:
    • Good analytical, negotiating, communication and advocacy skills, report writing skills, Literacy in Microsoft and other computer systems is required,
    • Operational knowledge of AutoCAD is required
  • Language Requirements: Spoken and written fluency in English is required and knowledge of the local language is an asset.

Desirables:

  • Relevant experience at country level, particularly in development, fragile settings and humanitarian contexts. 

For every Child, you demonstrate...

UNICEF’s Core Values of Care, Respect, Integrity, Trust and Accountability and Sustainability (CRITAS) underpin everything we do and how we do it. Get acquainted with Our Values Charter: UNICEF Values

The UNICEF competencies required for this post are…

(1) Builds and maintains partnerships

(2) Demonstrates self-awareness and ethical awareness

(3) Drive to achieve results for impact

(4) Innovates and embraces change

(5) Manages ambiguity and complexity

(6) Thinks and acts strategically

(7) Works collaboratively with others 

[add the 8th competency (Nurtures, leads and manages people) for a supervisory role]. 

Familiarize yourself with our competency framework and its different levels.

UNICEF promotes and advocates for the protection of the rights of every child, everywhere, in everything it does and is mandated to support the realization of the rights of every child, including those most disadvantaged, and our global workforce must reflect the diversity of those children. The UNICEF family is committed to include everyone, irrespective of their race/ethnicity, disability, gender identity, sexual orientation, religion, nationality, socio-economic background, minority, or any other status.

UNICEF encourages applications from all qualified candidates, regardless of gender, nationality, religious or ethnic backgrounds, and from people with disabilities, including neurodivergence. We offer a wide range of benefits to our staff, including paid parental leave, breastfeeding breaks and reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. UNICEF provides reasonable accommodation throughout the recruitment process. If you require any accommodation, please submit your request through the accessibility email button on the UNICEF Careers webpage Accessibility | UNICEF. Should you be shortlisted, please get in touch with the recruiter directly to share further details, enabling us to make the necessary arrangements in advance.

UNICEF does not hire candidates who are married to children (persons under 18). UNICEF has a zero-tolerance policy on conduct that is incompatible with the aims and objectives of the United Nations and UNICEF, including sexual exploitation and abuse, sexual harassment, abuse of authority and discrimination based on gender, nationality, age, race, sexual orientation, religious or ethnic background or disabilities. UNICEF is committed to promote the protection and safeguarding of all children. All selected candidates will, therefore, undergo rigorous reference and background checks, and will be expected to adhere to these standards and principles. Background checks will include the verification of academic credential(s) and employment history. Selected candidates may be required to provide additional information to conduct a background check, and selected candidates with disabilities may be requested to submit supporting documentation in relation to their disability confidentially.

UNICEF appointments are subject to medical clearance.  Issuance of a visa by the host country of the duty station is required for IP positions and will be facilitated by UNICEF. Appointments may also be subject to inoculation (vaccination) requirements, including against SARS-CoV-2 (Covid). Should you be selected for a position with UNICEF, you either must be inoculated as required or receive a medical exemption from the relevant department of the UN. Otherwise, the selection will be canceled.

Remarks:  

As per Article 101, paragraph 3, of the Charter of the United Nations, the paramount consideration in the employment of the staff is the necessity of securing the highest standards of efficiency, competence, and integrity.

UNICEF is committed to fostering an inclusive, representative, and welcoming workforce. For this position, eligible and suitable female candidates and persons with disability are encouraged to apply.

Government employees who are considered for employment with UNICEF are normally required to resign from their government positions before taking up an assignment with UNICEF. UNICEF reserves the right to withdraw an offer of appointment, without compensation, if a visa or medical clearance is not obtained, or necessary inoculation requirements are not met, within a reasonable period for any reason. 

UNICEF does not charge a processing fee at any stage of its recruitment, selection, and hiring processes (i.e., application stage, interview stage, validation stage, or appointment and training). UNICEF will not ask for applicants’ bank account information.

Humanitarian action is a cross-cutting priority within UNICEF’s Strategic Plan. UNICEF is committed to stay and deliver in humanitarian contexts. Therefore, all staff, at all levels across all functional areas, can be called upon to be deployed to support humanitarian response, contributing to both strengthening resilience of communities and capacity of national authorities.

All UNICEF positions are advertised, and only shortlisted candidates will be contacted and advance to the next stage of the selection process. An internal candidate performing at the level of the post in the relevant functional area, or an internal/external candidate in the corresponding Talent Group, may be selected, if suitable for the post, without assessment of other candidates.

Additional information about working for UNICEF can be found here.

We do our best to provide you the most accurate info, but closing dates may be wrong on our site. Please check on the recruiting organization's page for the exact info. Candidates are responsible for complying with deadlines and are encouraged to submit applications well ahead.
Before applying, please make sure that you have read the requirements for the position and that you qualify.
Applications from non-qualifying applicants will most likely be discarded by the recruiting manager.
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