Sanitation Engineer

Job Overview

The situation regarding water and wastewater services has become particularly dire in Lebanon's rural areas. These areas have absorbed the highest proportion of Syrian refugees during the on-going crisis and have had the lowest overall access to public wastewater supply networks. The increasingly expanding informal settlements (IS) and higher density of hosting population concentrations have also placed stress on existing water and wastewater services. In some communities, Syrian refugees outnumber the local population. Tensions at the community level have flared as WASH resources are stretched, and local authorities are struggling to cope with the additional service demands imposed by the growing refugee populations. Additionally, the environment is negatively impacted by IS regarding solid waste, water pollution, land use and ecosystems, problems that are exacerbated years of neglect in Lebanon.

Sawa is currently searching for a sanitation engineer to work with our established WaSH team in our Office in Baalbeck. A sanitation engineer is responsible for the proper handling of sewage and wastewater, as well as the sanitary treatment of wastewater and sewage. They use their skills to perform random sample testing of water in local streams and soil to make sure that the local environment remains safe from contamination.

ESSENTIAL JOB FUNCTIONS:

• Design and oversee projects involving disposal of wastewater and sewage.
• Plans and manages the operation of the Water and Sanitation department, for both current as well as future mission’s requirements for water, environmental and sanitation.
• Prevention of environmental risks or contamination.
• Prepare environmental documentation for onsite waste water treatment methods, regulatory program compliance, data management and analysis, and field work. Test of the available system on allowed irrigation parameters: Perform all aspects of sampling, monitoring and testing required to maintain compliance with Local regulations governing the wastewater treatment process, and sludge management
• Assist with the installation and inspection of new systems and services.
• Perform the installation, maintenance and repair of networks, pits, septic tank, up-flow filter, and the pilot system and all of their components.
• During the coordinator absence, act as the department’s representative to the public.
• Assist in the performance of regular and unscheduled maintenance and repairs on all equipment and system in ISs.
• Recommends solutions to water, environmental and sanitary engineering problems.
• On call to respond to emergencies and breakdowns of systems.
• Conduct the necessary checks of the treatment system on a rotating basis.
• Perform all work in conformance to Occupational Safety and WHO regulations.
• Maintain open communications with the management regarding the treatment process and stations operation and malfunctions, as well as make recommendations for repairs and improvements to these systems.
• Conduct research on wastewater lab requirements, and be able to perform test independently.
• Other duties as assigned by management.
• Mapping, report and monitor expenditures, budgets, and track activity expenses.
• Track the progress of installation and rehabilitation of sanitation facilities.
• Oversee day to day project implementation and ensure effective and timely completion of the WaSH intervention according to project specifications and standards.
• Supervise the implementation of the technical components of the project; ensure proper project implementation, full compliance with required standards and specifications.
• Conduct WaSH facility assessments to determine scope of work, resource requirements, and estimated costs.
• Monitor WaSH intervention progress as per regulations and standards.
• Manage weekly field plans/reports to be submitted to WaSH Coordinator.
• Jointly with other WaSH team members, conduct emergency assessments and Support in establishing and maintaining proper project documentation and records, including but not limited to: needs assessments questionnaires, monitoring, consolidated list of beneficiaries, photos etc.
• Prepare all BOQs for installation and rehabilitation of latrines.
• Identify equipment and material needs by developing detailed bill of quantities (BOQ), and in co-operation with the logistics team assess what is available in the local market.
• Follow on and update technical resources (e.g. strategic framework, standard operating procedures (SOPs), manuals) to guide Sawa Group WaSH Infrastructure through interventions, drawing from international best practices, along with field specific observations.

Training and Capacity Building:

1. Attend all trainings planned and evaluate these trainings.
2. Suggest any topic for future trainings based on the needed skill or knowledge.

General Policies:

1. Follow the general policies, code of conduct, Child Safeguarding policy.
2. Adhere to the PSEA policy.
3. Abide by the values and principles of all policies set by the organization.
4. Perform other duties assigned by the direct supervisor.

Reports to: WaSH Coordinator

EDUCATION:

Bachelor degree in Wastewater engineering, environmental engineering, Water and Groundwater science, WaSH or any relevant education. Masters degree is a plus.

Minimum of 2 years of experience as WaSH Engineer, waste water engineer or other relevant field.

Previous research on Water and Waste Water in Lebanon is a high plus.

SKILLS

• Have a working knowledge of the operation, methods and procedures of a wastewater treatment processes.
• Have a basic knowledge of Lebanese rules governing wastewater discharges and worker’s safety.
• Strong ability to perform analyzes of the waste water characteristics and parameters such BOD, COD, TSS, TDS and others…
• Strong analytical skills, solid reporting methods.
• Solid commend of fluent English spoken and written is a must.
• Be able to read CAD and GIS map accurately.
• Excellent commend of Windows, Word and Excel is eligible.
• More than two years old driven license is a must.

SAWA Group has a zero tolerance to Sexual Exploitation and Abuse of beneficiaries. All staff are required to adhere to the PSEA Policy (during work hours and outside work hours).