Website Habitat for Humanity International Nepal
Manager- Housing Research & Innovation
No. of vacancies: 1 (One)
Duration: One Year and Extendable
Location: Kathmandu
Reports to: Program Director
Field Visits: 50% travel (Domestic)
Core Function:
Habitat for Humanity International Nepal is seeking a technical person for the position of Manager- Housing Research and Innovation to lead the land and housing priority area. This position will lead the construction and housing projects for climate-resilient, sustainable, and affordable housing solutions. The position is responsible for housing solutions and to develop new housing products to meet the needs of the most marginalized/vulnerable communities living in Habitat Nepal’s priority project provinces, Madesh Province, Koshi Province and Sudurpashchim Province in Nepal, and contribute towards Habitat’s mission of ensuring that everyone has a decent place to live.
Description
Essential Duties and Responsibilities:
Innovation
- Lead the development of innovative, green, sustainable, and indigenous construction technologies using local and eco-friendly materials for housing constructions.
- Actively innovate sustainable and resilient housing solutions for marginalized/vulnerable communities in Madesh Province, Koshi Province, Sudurpashchim Province, and other provinces as required.
- Spearhead technical partnerships with government agencies such as the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC), NDRRMA, Asia Pacific Regional Office, national and international non-profit organizations, and other public and private sectors to scale innovative housing systems, including building codes, knowledge sharing, and policy influence. Collaborate with universities, think tanks, and innovation centers.
- Lead the technical team in designing houses that are sensitive to women, accessible to people with disabilities, and friendly to children and the elderly.
- Direct the technical team in designing disaster-resilient, environmentally-friendly, cost-effective construction methods that promote Green, Resilient, and Inclusive Development (GRID) construction technology and prototypes.
Research
- Lead research for developing new training resources for the technical team at Habitat Nepal, partners, and communities to adopt climate-resilient, sustainable, and affordable housing solutions.
- Conduct research to develop local sustainable construction materials and techniques to empower local communities, particularly marginalized groups.
- Work closely with Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability and Learning (MEAL) team to gather evidence on existing and new projects.
- Collaborate with program and MEAL teams to conduct research and needs analysis on best practices for low-cost housing solutions.
- Conduct research and analysis with MEAL to identify trends and challenges in the housing sector.
- Generate knowledge, learning, and best practices to integrate green and sustainable housing technology, particularly for marginalized/vulnerable groups targeted by Habitat Nepal.
- Serve as a technical advisor in designing evaluation project activities such as baseline/end-line surveys, midterm reviews, project evaluations, and program evaluations.
- Establish partnerships with academic institutions for research and knowledge exchange.
Technical
- Provide technical inputs to key program priority areas such as land and housing, disaster risk reduction, climate justice, and market system development to integrate these areas into all aspects of the housing program.
- Develop a thorough understanding of structural engineering design resources developed by Habitat for new construction and alternative technologies.
- Build the capacity of the technical team at Habitat Nepal and partners and enhance technical capacity across other thematic areas.
- Establish an overall construction schedule for strategic planning of construction plans for Habitat Nepal projects.
People Management
- Lead the technical team, including field offices, engineers, and architects.
- Manage, plan, and coordinate the work of technical staff, including supervision, evaluation, capacity building, and knowledge transfer through training and on-the-job skill transfer.
- Mentor, coach, and train Habitat Nepal technical staff and implementing partner technical teams.
Safeguarding
In accordance with its foundational mission principles, Habitat for Humanity International is committed to the highest ethical standards and opposes all forms of discrimination, exploitation, and abuse. We intend to create and maintain a work and living environment that is safe, productive, and respectful for our colleagues and for all we serve.
We require that all staff take seriously their ethical responsibilities to Safeguarding (Child Protection, Prevention of Sexual Exploitation Harassment and Abuse) our intended beneficiaries, their communities (especially children), and all those with whom we work. In line with the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, all staff must pass a thorough background screening, police check and will be held accountable for upholding our policies around ethical behavior, including safeguarding and whistleblowing.
Managers at all levels have responsibilities to support and develop systems that create and maintain an environment that prevents harassment, sexual exploitation and abuse, safeguards the rights of beneficiaries and community members (especially children), and promotes the implementation of Habitat for Humanity’s code of conduct.
Education Qualification and Professional Experience
- Master’s Degree in Structural Engineering.
- Minimum of five years of experience in structural design, analysis, and project management.
- Experience in green and sustainable building designs is preferred.
- Work experience in Madesh Province, Koshi Province, and Sudurpashchim Province.
- Experience providing training on resilient construction techniques.
- Knowledge and ability to introduce cutting-edge technologies for implementing simple, affordable, scalable housing solutions.
- Ability to perform advanced work in the department through innovation and new ideas in appropriate construction technologies, ensuring cost-efficient, green, and sustainable construction.
- Understanding of earthquake and flood-resistant design and construction of confined masonry, reinforced masonry, CSEB, and cement bamboo frame technology for new buildings.
- Demonstrated success in working in a team environment, managing a team of technical staff, and delivering outcomes on time.
- Experience working with federal, provincial, and local governments.
- Experience working with international non-profit organizations is advantageous.
- Skilled networker able to collaborate with NGOs, government entities, private sector actors, etc.
- Proficiency with Autodesk products and structural analysis and design software.
- Project management skills, including ownership over milestones, work plans, and reporting.
- Managerial skills to supervise, mentor, coach Habitat Nepal’s team and implementing partners’ team.
- Demonstrated experience working on housing reconstruction, retrofitting, and willingness to work in a post-disaster scenario.
- Fluency in written and spoken English and Nepali.
- Excellent communication and presentation skills.