Remote Water Engineer

Job Summary

The Remote Water Engineer provides specialized hydraulic and sanitary validation across the lifecycle of the Brazil educational infrastructure project. Core duties include auditing school water-supply blueprints, drafting technical specifications for plumbing, drainage, and waste-treatment systems, executing physical infrastructure assessments of school networks, and evaluating international commercial bids to guarantee compliance with regional environmental laws and hydraulic building codes.

Qualification & Requirements

Estimated Educational Level (AI-Generated Benchmark)

• Minimum Requirement: Bachelor’s Degree (or equivalent university degree) in Civil Engineering, Hydraulic Engineering, Sanitary Engineering, Environmental Engineering, or a closely related technical field.
• Preferred Asset: A post-graduate specialization, Master’s degree, or technical certification in water resource management, public health engineering, or sustainable institutional plumbing systems.

Estimated Professional Experience (AI-Generated Benchmark)

• Years of Experience: Minimum of 2 to 4 years of progressive professional experience in hydraulic design, plumbing systems modeling, or sanitary infrastructure project management.
• Contextual Experience: Proven track record in conducting infrastructure assessments, diagnostics, or structural audits for public or institutional buildings (ideally schools, clinics, or remote community facilities). Experience interfacing with public works projects, structural renovations, or international development agencies (UN, NGOs) is highly valued.

Technical Toolset & Environment

• Hardware & Software: Must possess a reliable personal laptop capable of running advanced engineering software, along with a stable, high-speed internet connection.
• Workplace Agility: A quiet, suitable home-office environment with the flexibility to participate in virtual meetings during standard business hours.
• Core Engineering Software Literacy: Advanced proficiency in hydraulic calculation software, plumbing design packages, and drafting platforms (e.g., EPANET, AutoCAD, WaterGEMS, Revit MEP, or equivalent industry standards).

Core United Nations Competencies

• Integrity & Diversity: Treats all individuals with profound respect, champions inclusion, and models the ethical norms and core values of the United Nations Charter, specifically demonstrating cultural sensitivity toward traditional and indigenous peoples.
• Analytical Decision-Making: Evaluates hydraulic data, diagnostic reports, and plumbing layouts dispassionately to make calculated, logical, and pragmatic environmental health determinations.
• Communication Metrics: Expresses complex technical engineering concepts in a clear, concise, and accessible manner to non-technical project managers, coordinators, and stakeholders.

Key Responsibilities

1. Physical Infrastructure Assessment & Diagnostic Validation (40%)

• Audit School Layouts: Review, verify, and critique hydraulic installation designs, indoor plumbing blueprints, wastewater treatment systems, and rainwater harvesting layouts for remote educational centers.
• Verify Calculation Notes: Audit water demand profiles, flow-rate calculations, pipeline sizing, pressure variations, and septic system dimensioning to ensure compliance with international safety codes and Brazilian technical standards (ABNT).
• Assess Sanitary Vulnerabilities: Diagnose bottlenecks in school water distribution Networks and formulate resilient, cost-effective retrofitting strategies optimized for traditional communities.

2. Specification Engineering & Procurement Support (35%)

• Draft Technical Specifications: Author and refine highly specialized technical requirements, Bills of Quantities (BoQs), and Terms of Reference (ToRs) for hydraulic pumps, water purification units, piping networks, storage tanks, and sanitation hardware.
• Lead Bid Evaluations: Analyze incoming commercial supplier bids for complex educational public works contracts, formulating clear, evidence-based technical evaluation reports.
• Resolve Inquiries: Formulate accurate, transparent responses to technical clarifications raised by contractors and suppliers during active tendering windows.

3. Quality Assurance & Site Inspections (25%)

• Field Inspection Deployments: Travel to physical school project sites across Brazil when requested to conduct structural sanitation audits, monitor installation quality, and verify that field assembly matches approved plans.
• Evaluate Reports: Review water quality testing, hydraulic commissioning logs, operational manuals, and material submittals presented by construction companies, flagging structural anomalies or plumbing non-compliance.

Expected Outputs & Deliverables

• Rigorously reviewed, stamped, or approved hydraulic and sanitary engineering design packages.
• Comprehensive physical infrastructure assessment matrices detailing school structural conditions.
• Clear, comprehensive Bills of Quantities (BoQs) and technical specifications for water system components.
• Objective, auditable technical bid evaluation matrixes analyzing commercial contractor proposals.
• Highly structured site-visit inspection logs, defect lists, and water quality assurance reports.

Selection & Assessment Process

UNOPS maintains a transparent, merit-based selection architecture designed to evaluate your exact engineering capacity:

• Initial Screening: Applications are thoroughly reviewed against mandatory academic and professional milestone benchmarks once the vacancy window closes.
• Technical Assessment: Shortlisted candidates will be invited to complete an objective technical examination testing hydraulic calculations, sanitary specification drafting, and code compliance.
• Competency Interview: Candidates passing the technical filter will undergo a structured, competency-based panel interview evaluating behavioral alignment, professional experience, and cultural awareness.
• Timeline Note: The end-to-end recruitment process typically spans one to three months from the closing date.

Skills Required:

• Civil / Engineering / Cotm
• Hydraulics / Water / Engineering