Senior planner / civil engineer

The Aga Khan Development Network (AKDN) Disaster Risk Management Initiative, which is part of a broader effort in creating a safer built environment, requires a Senior Planner / Civil Engineer with expertise in community-based, disaster-resilient development planning. Strong project management skills, as well as a keen interest in the built environment of mountain, rural and urban settlements, are desired.

About the DRMI

The Disaster Risk Management Initiative was established to strengthen the disaster management capabilities of the AKDN in Central and South Asia. The DRMI has the following goals:

• To uniformly assess the natural hazard risk of populations and infrastructure in the region.
• To integrate safety consciousness throughout AKDN programming, and to implement preparedness and mitigation strategies such as earthquake drills and non-structural hazard reduction.
• To identify and implement strategies that promote risk mitigation through effective construction, retrofit, and relocation programmes.
• To raise emergency response capacity in the region.

General Responsibilities

The Senior Planner/Civil Engineer will technically support a portfolio of natural hazard risk reduction projects across Afghanistan, India, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, and Tajikistan. These projects will involve replanning of vulnerable settlements in the Tien Shan, Pamir, Hindu Kush and Karakorum mountain ranges, as defined by the AKDN’s Built Environment Initiative (BEI).

Relationships:

• The Senior Planner/Civil Engineer will report to the DRMI Coordinator.
• S/he will liaise with the BEI Coordinator, and will work closely with the DRMI Coordination Office staff.
• S/he will work closely with the national DRMI implementation teams, in accordance to the DRMI Work Plan.

Duties:

• The Senior Planner/Civil Engineer will provide technical and managerial services relevant to the reduction of natural hazard risk of populations, habitat and civic infrastructure in the DRMI region.
• S/he will work with local and national stakeholders to develop vulnerability reduction strategies that are respectful of prevailing laws, effective building codes, local cultures and community needs.
• S/he will provide, directly or indirectly, assistance to the DRMI Coordinator as and when required.

Qualifications:

The desired candidate should ideally have the following profile:

• A graduate degree in planning and/or civil engineering, ideally with a specialization relevant to disaster risk management.
• At least 15 years of related, post-graduate experience, especially in working with communities.
• Proven project management skills and an ability to collaborate effectively with regional and international subject-matter experts.
• Native fluency in English and exceptional writing skills. Other regional language skills desired.