Water Utility Technical Specialist

Water Utility Technical Specialist for USAID Non-Revenue Water Management Project

The USAID Non-Revenue Water Management Project (NRWMP) in the West Bank, implemented by Tetra Tech International Development (International Development Jobs - Tetra Tech), is currently accepting expressions of interest from qualified candidates for a Water Utility Technical Specialist.  This position will be located in the main office in Hebron.

The purpose of this activity is to improve Palestinians’ access to safe, reliable, sustainable, and climate resilient water services through: 1) the development and strengthening of the institutional capacity of the Hebron, Halhul, and Dura water utilities for sustainable, reliable, and climate-resilient water delivery service; 2) the implementation of strategic infrastructure works to support the objective of the activity; 3) the design and implementation of innovative solutions to expand the use of smart water management technologies for efficient, timely, and transparent water management; and 4) the design and implementation of innovative measures and public awareness campaigns to promote effective water governance at the utility and foster social behavioral change toward more efficient and responsible water use practices and trends. The Water Utility Technical Specialist will report to the Engineering Advisor and will have the primary responsibility of incorporating monitoring, control, and smart water into the operations of the utilities and NRWMP. This is a full-time position based in Hebron.

Responsibilities:

The Water Utility Technical Specialist oversees the monitoring, control, and smart water technology components for NRWMP for the support to the water utilities and links institutional capacity building for smart water management with infrastructure and commodity installation. The Specialist will work with other technical staff and administrative staff to ensure collaboration with donors and local counterparts and key stakeholders at the municipal levels. This includes but is not limited to the following:

* Develop and manage subcontracts to improve the operability of the three water utilities and oversee their capacity building implementation.

* Consult with the utilities to design the overall strategy for implementation of smart water technology to improve systems operations and centralized pressure management with the overall goal of reducing NRW.

* Align hydraulic modeling, pressure management systems, monitoring systems, and infrastructure implementation to build the capacity of the utilities for smart water management.

* Compile cost estimates of commodities from market prices to present a cost-benefit analysis of the different commodity procurement plans to local stakeholders.

* Propose the associated commodities for procurement, in consultation with the utilities, through a cost benefit analysis structure with metrics for reduced estimated volumetric losses, new user bases by socioeconomic segments, energy savings, financial savings, and reduced water cycle delivery times.

* Consult the water utility staff and review existing systems and the constraints to operationalizing them, to propose SCADA systems that include user-friendly adaptability and level of fit-for-purpose.

* Define the key operational parameters and SCADA points required to effectively monitor and react to system needs.

* Support the NRW Specialist to implement the NRW baseline and endline audit with the utilities, with support from other technical specialists.

* Draft sections of the operations manuals for the utility operations.

* Contribute to proposed infrastructure packages that prioritize: (1) improved system operations; (2) improved system efficiency; (3) reduction of physical and financial NRW; and (4) equitable service delivery to users.

* Work closely with the NRW Specialist, Operations and Maintenance Specialist, Engineering Advisor, and counterparts at the utilities to integrate infrastructure, centralized pressure management, NRW reduction, and systems monitoring with bills collection and operations procedures.

* Manage subcontract for minimum and fit-for-purpose central control systems for managing pressure, monitoring failures in the systems, maximizing customer ease for payment of bills, and improving water utility oversight of financial metrics.

* Work with manufacturers to obtain warranties for technologies and transfer knowledge on application and maintenance for the utilities.

* Review infrastructure bid packages for alignment with monitoring and smart water interventions and USAID contract requirements.

* Integrate capacity building efforts for the utilities into implementation of all aspects of programming, utilizing a co-design and co-implementation methodology.

* Develop and contribute to success stories and document lessons learned.

* Perform other tasks defined by the Engineering Advisor.

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Minimum Qualification Requirements:

* Bachelor’s degree in civil or environmental engineering and a minimum of ten (10) years of relevant experience working in an engineering or capacity building function with water supply infrastructure OR

* Master’s degree in civil or environmental engineering and a minimum of seven (7) years of relevant experience working in an engineering or capacity building function with water supply infrastructure.

* At least five (5) years of working experience with water utility operations, smart water technology, and water utility monitoring systems.

* Proficiency in Microsoft Office.

* Excellent organizational skills and ability to work effectively in a fast-paced, stressful environment.

* Detail-oriented and ability to prioritize tasks and support activity implementation while ensuring adherence to required policies and protocols.

* Professional proficiency in English and Arabic is required.

* Qualified applicants from Palestine highly encouraged to apply.

To be considered, please submit the following:

* Cover Letter

* CV

Apply on-line at: Water Utility Technical Specialist for USAID Non-Revenue Water Management Project - Tetra Tech Careers (selectminds.com)

Please ensure that only the requested documents noted above are submitted. Only candidates who have been selected for an interview will be contacted. No phone calls, please.

Tetra Tech International Development is committed to safeguarding and technical excellence in equality and social inclusion. Our team of dedicated Gender, Youth, and Social Inclusion (GYSI) advisers work closely with our staff and partners to share international norms and best practices to improve the livelihoods of the world’s most marginalized groups. Tetra Tech International Development is especially interested in candidates that can contribute to our Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) initiatives that aim to expand inclusion and an authentic sense of belonging to all our staff regardless of background.

Reasonable Accommodations:

We are dedicated to hiring an inclusive workforce. If you would like to request reasonable accommodations during the application process, please visit Tetra Tech’s Disability Assistance Page. Our recruitment team looks forward to engaging in an interactive process to provide helpful and reasonable accommodations for candidates.

Tetra Tech combines the resources of a global, multibillion-dollar company with local, client-focused delivery in more than 550 locations around the world. Our reputation rests on the technical expertise and dedication of our employees — 27,000 associates working together to provide smart, scalable solutions for challenging projects. We are proud to be home to leading technical experts in water, environment, infrastructure, resource management, energy, and international development. We are an Equal Opportunity Employer/Affirmative Action/Americans with Disabilities/Veterans employer.

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