Livelihoods Agricultural Engineer - North

Summary:

Under the supervision of the Livelihoods Program Manager and Livelihoods Program Coordinator, the Agricultural Engineer will lead the design, implementation, and maintenance of efficient irrigation systems and water storage solutions tailored to the specific needs of crops, soil, and climatic conditions. A core focus of this role is the rehabilitation and establishment of lined ponds, alongside designing integrated irrigation networks to promote sustainable agricultural practices. The position requires extensive fieldwork and movement in the North area. 

Key Responsibilities

1. Irrigation System Design and Implementation: 

• Evaluate soil, crop, and climatic conditions to design suitable irrigation systems (e.g., drip, sprinkler, surface irrigation). 
• Develop technical plans, layouts, and specifications to optimize agricultural productivity 
• Supervise the installation, testing, and commissioning of irrigation systems, ensuring compliance with technical standards and timelines. 

2. Water Management: 

• Develop and implement strategies to maximize water use efficiency and minimize wastage. 
• Monitor water quality, flow rates, and supply consistency. 
• Design and integrate systems for rainwater harvesting and controlled water distribution from ponds. 

3. System Maintenance and Troubleshooting:

• Conduct regular inspections and preventive maintenance for irrigation systems including pond’s structure. 
• Identify and resolve system issues, including leaks, blockages, sediment buildup, or mechanical failures. 
• Train farmers and field teams on irrigation system operations and maintenance. 

4. Technical Support and Advisory Services:

• Advise on pond-based irrigation practices tailored to local needs. 
• Collaborate with agronomists and stakeholders to align irrigation strategies with sustainable goals. 

5. Reporting and Compliance:

• Ensure all projects adhere to local laws, environmental regulations, and safety standards. 
• Collect and document field data, including measurements, updates, and beneficiary feedback. 
• Prepare daily, weekly, and monthly reports on project progress, water usage efficiency, and resource utilization. 
• Report on challenges, delays, or deviations from project plans. 
• Safely identify people of concern reporting needs for services and share requests with the Livelihoods Officer for required referrals.

6. Perform any other related duties assigned by the supervisor to contribute to program success. 

Behavior and conduct

• Ensures that behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies.
• Acts with integrity and holds themselves accountable for being respectful, inclusive and professional.
• Reports any concerns.

Management and leadership:

• Ensure the highest standards of behavior inside and outside of work promotes the values in RI’s code of conduct and safeguarding policies
• Be a model for ethical conduct standards for other team members.
• Embrace diversity, and model inclusive and equitable behaviour.
• Ensure own actions and the actions of the teams’ members they manage do not adversely impact the safety of the RI team and the vulnerable communities we serve.
• Ensure donors, partners and communities are aware of RI conduct and reporting mechanisms.
• Ensure safeguarding is embedded in all the work we do.
• Be responsible for ensuring a culture and systems in place for reporting.
• Report any concerns.

Diversity, Equity & Inclusion

Achieving our mission begins with how we build our team and work together. Through our commitment to enriching our organization with people of different origins, beliefs, backgrounds, and ways of thinking, we are better able to leverage the collective power of our teams and solve the world’s most complex challenges. We strive for a culture of trust and respect, where everyone contributes their perspectives and authentic selves, reaches their potential as individuals and teams, and collaborates to do the best work of their lives. We recognize that diversity and inclusion is a journey, and we are committed to learning, listening and evolving to become more diverse, equitable and inclusive than we are today.

Equal Employment Opportunity

Relief International is an equal opportunity employer that does not tolerate discrimination on any basis. We actively seek out diverse backgrounds, perspectives, and skills so that we can be collectively stronger and have sustained global impact. We are committed to providing an environment of respect and psychological safety where equal employment opportunities are available to all. We do not engage in or tolerate discrimination on the basis of race, color, gender identity, gender expression, religion, age, sexual orientation, national or ethnic origin, disability (including HIV/AIDS status), marital status, military veteran status or any other protected group in the locations where we work.

Safeguarding & Ethics

Relief International (RI) is committed to ensuring that all individuals we come into contact with through our work, whether team members, community members, program participants or others, are treated with respect and dignity. We are committed to the core principles regarding prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse. We will not tolerate child abuse, sexual exploitation, abuse, or harassment by or of our team members. As part of our commitment to a safe and inclusive work environment, team members are expected to conduct themselves in a professional manner, respect local laws and customs, and to adhere to RI’s Code of Conduct Policies and values at all times. Team members are required to complete mandatory Code of Conduct e-learning courses upon hire and on an annual basis.

RI Values

We uphold the Humanitarian Principles: humanity, neutrality, impartiality and operational independence. We affirmatively engage the most vulnerable communities. We value:

Integrity

Adaptability

Collaboration

Inclusivity

Sustainability