Jobs at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale Overview

COOPI Cooperazione Internazionale is an humanitarian, non confessional and independent organization that fights against all kinds of poverty to make the world a better place. Founded in 1965 by Vincenzo Barbieri (Italian “father” of international volunteering), COOPI is based in Milan and it has 20 local offices in the South of the World.

Experience3 years
Location Yobe.

Job Summary

The Rural Engineer will be responsible for designing and implementing infrastructure projects that support agricultural development, design and supervising the construction of macro-water harvesting and micro-water harvesting structures, market stalls, and for improving rural livelihoods. These projects are important components of jobs at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale.
The ideal candidate will have a strong engineering background, with experience in rural development projects. In particular, candidates interested in jobs at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale should be familiar with rural engineering best practices.

Overall Responsibilities

Design, supervise, and maintain rural infrastructure (water systems, irrigation, catch dams, feeder roads, soil conservation structures, market stalls) to boost resilience.
Improve water access and management to mitigate conflicts over scarce resources.
Promote climate-resilient engineering solutions for agriculture and disaster risk reduction.
Strengthen community participation in infrastructure projects to foster ownership and social cohesion.
Ensure technical solutions align with conflict-sensitive and gender-inclusive approaches.

Main Duties and Tasks

Assess and rehabilitate boreholes, wells, and small-scale irrigation systems to support farming and livestock.
Design low-cost water harvesting systems (e.g., sand dams, check dams) to combat drought.
Train Water User Committees (WUCs) on maintenance and equitable water distribution.
Mitigate water-related conflicts by improving fair access for farmers, herders, and households.
Construct soil erosion control structures (terraces, gabions, windbreaks) to restore degraded farmlands.
Support climate-smart irrigation (flood/drip/sprinkler systems) for dry-season farming.
Design post-harvest storage facilities (grain silos, solar dryers) to reduce losses.
Implement community-based watershed management plans to prevent flooding/desertification.
Supervise construction of multi-purpose community assets (e.g., grinding mills, storage hubs).
Rehabilitate feeder roads and bridges to improve market access and reduce isolation of conflict-prone areas.
Develop BOQs (Bills of Quantities), designs, and tender documents for rural infrastructure projects.
Monitor contractor compliance with quality/safety standards in construction.
Document lessons learned and success stories for scaling up interventions.

Key Deliverables

Functional water points (boreholes, irrigation schemes) with trained maintenance committees.
Erosion control and land restoration structures to improve farm productivity.
Rehabilitated rural infrastructure (roads, bridges, storage facilities) enhancing market access.
Reduced resource-based conflicts through equitable infrastructure planning.
Technical reports, maps, and monitoring data on project impacts.

Capacity Building:
Monitoring and Evaluation:

Support in Development and implementation of robust M&E frameworks to measure program impact.
Analyze data to inform program adaptations and report on progress against indicators

Proposal Development:

Contribute to the development of proposals for funding, ensuring the inclusion of cash-based interventions and livelihood components.
Collaborate with the program development team to align proposals with donor priorities.

Coordination and Collaboration:

Coordinate with government (Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture), NGOs, and UN agencies (e.g., FAO, IOM).
Engage with humanitarian actors, government agencies, and local authorities for coordinated response.

Gender and Inclusion:

Ensure that project activities are gender-sensitive and inclusive, addressing the needs of all beneficiary groups. This is a requirement for jobs at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale as outlined by the organisation.
Integrate gender and inclusion strategies into program planning and implementation.

Reporting:

Prepare timely and accurate reports on civil work activities for COOPI, WFP, and other stakeholders.
Document lessons learned and best practices for organizational knowledge.

Networking and Partnerships:

Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with NGOs, UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders. Furthermore, jobs at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale require strong networking skills for successful project implementation.
Leverage partnerships to enhance program reach and impact.

Knowledge Sharing:

Facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and learning within COOPI and the broader humanitarian community.
Organize workshops and learning events to share insights from the program.

Additional Responsibilities:

Stay abreast of developments in cash programming and humanitarian response.
Perform other duties as necessary, commensurate with professional background and experience, as deemed by the supervisor.
This Terms of Reference outlines the key responsibilities and expectations for the Rural Engineer under the WFP/BMZ-funded project.
The role is pivotal in ensuring that COOPI delivers high-quality cash assistance to support the resilience and recovery of displaced populations in Northeast Nigeria.

Qualifications

Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years of experience in rural engineering or infrastructure development.
Strong knowledge of engineering principles, project management, and construction practices.
Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
Proficiency in engineering software and Microsoft Office Suite.