Project Manager - Wash Construction

Time Height Services Private is an Afghanistan-based company with offices in Kabul, Kandahar, Mazar-e-Sharif and Nangarhar. It delivers procurement, logistics, construction and technical services to UN agencies and international NGOs.

The company is bidding for a UNICEF Afghanistan Long-Term Arrangement (LTA) for engineering services under Design, Quality Assurance and Site Supervision for Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) projects. Projects include water supply systems (wells, pump stations, reservoirs and distribution networks, including solar-powered systems), latrines and hand-washing facilities, many in remote rural areas. Other UN agencies may also place orders under the same LTA.

Services are called off as needed. They cover hydrological, geological and geophysical investigations, water-demand analysis, conceptual and detailed water supply design, technical specifications and BoQs, daily site supervision, completion and handover, and Defect Liability Period (DLP) visits.

1. Project management and coordination

•         Plan, staff and manage every WASH assignment received under the LTA, from call-off to final completion.

•         Lead and supervise the multidisciplinary team; assign tasks and review all outputs before submission.

•         Act as the main contact with UNICEF and other UN clients; attend kick-off, coordination and pre-bid meetings.

•         Prepare work plans, staffing schedules and budgets for each assignment, and track time, cost and quality.

•         Coordinate with local authorities, water management bodies and communities for permits, approvals and site access.

2. Water source investigation and design

•         Lead hydrological, geological and historical (desk review) studies and geophysical investigations to confirm water availability at proposed locations.

•         Ensure reports present raw data and all active and inactive water sources within a 500 m radius of the proposed site.

•         Review actual and projected water-demand calculations and recommend the most suitable water supply system, with clear justification.

•         Review and approve conceptual and detailed designs for wells, pump stations, reservoirs and distribution networks, including hydraulic modelling and pipe sizing in EPANET, WaterCAD or similar.

•         Ensure designs for solar-powered water supply systems, submersible pump selection and electrical works are sound.

•         Oversee design of sanitation and hygiene facilities, such as latrines and hand-washing stations, where requested.

•         Review technical specifications, detailed drawings and confidential priced BoQs, with all calculations and design assumptions.

•         Answer bidder questions at pre-bid meetings.

3. Quality assurance and site supervision

•         Review and enforce the contractor's QA/QC plans and procedures.

•         Review and approve the contractor's construction schedule, detailed designs, shop drawings and as-built drawings.

•         Oversee daily site supervision of drilling, well completion, pumping tests, pipe laying and structures; monitor progress, cost, quality and quantity of works.

•         Make sure hydrostatic pressure testing of networks and water quality testing follow the specifications.

•         Inspect material sources and attend laboratory materials testing.

•         Review contractor submittals (material approvals, RFIs, variation orders) and give recommendations to UNICEF.

•         Certify contractor payments at the 20%, 40%, 60%, 80% and 100% milestones; assist UNICEF in controlling variation orders and applying liquidated damages.

•         Make sure works follow local by-laws, national and international health and safety standards, quality standards and the signed contract.

•         Keep project records that can serve as evidence in claims and disputes.

4. Completion and handover

•         Review completed works against agreed deliverables and inform UNICEF.

•         Lead joint inspections and commissioning with the contractor and prepare snag lists.

•         Issue Certificates of Partial, Substantial and Final Completion.

•         Hand over completed systems to the relevant authorities or community water committees and submit the completion package to UNICEF.

5. Defect Liability Period

•         Plan and lead quarterly site visits during the DLP and submit a report for each visit.

•         Prepare final completion documents and the final narrative report.

The education and experience requirements below are evaluation criteria. Candidates who do not meet them cannot be proposed.

Education (mandatory)

•         Bachelor's degree in Civil or Environmental Engineering, and Master's degree in Civil & Environmental Engineering or Water Supply Engineering.

Experience (mandatory)

•         At least 10 years of experience managing WASH projects.

•         Proven experience managing the design and supervision of water supply systems (boreholes, pump stations, reservoirs, distribution networks).

Desirable

•         Experience with UN agencies or international organizations, ideally UNICEF WASH programmes.

•         Experience with solar-powered water supply systems and submersible pump selection.

•         Knowledge of hydrogeological investigation, well drilling, completion and pumping tests.

•         Proficiency in EPANET, WaterCAD or similar hydraulic modelling software, and AutoCAD.

•         Familiarity with Afghan national WASH standards, WHO drinking-water guidelines and Sphere standards.

•         Experience managing WASH projects across several regions of Afghanistan.

Skills

•         Strong communication and management skills.

•         Ability to communicate in English (written and spoken) is mandatory; Dari and Pashto are strongly preferred.

•         Proficiency in MS Office and MS Project or Primavera.

•         Willingness to travel to remote project sites.

Competencies

•         Leadership: leads a multidisciplinary WASH team and holds it to deadlines and quality standards.

•         Technical judgement: critically reviews hydrological studies, hydraulic designs, BoQs and contractor submittals, and makes decisions confidently.

•         Client and community focus: builds trust with UNICEF, UN agencies, local authorities and community water committees.

•         Integrity: applies UN values, impartiality and zero tolerance for fraud and corruption.

•         Safety and sustainability: puts health, safety, water quality and environmental protection first on every site.

Interested candidates should send their updated CV along with copies of their educational documents to info@timeheights.com. Please write the position title in the email subject line.

Note: Submission of educational documents is mandatory. Applications without educational documents will not be considered.