ROLE PURPOSE
The Construction Shelter Technical Specialist is a senior technical role responsible for leading the design, quality, and strategic direction of SCI Sudan's shelter and construction programming. The post holder provides cross-sector technical oversight of construction activities linked to Education (schools), Health (facilities), WASH (infrastructure), and Food Security & Livelihoods, Child Friendly Spaces, ensuring all construction and rehabilitation work is technically sound, compliant with international standards, and fit-for-purpose from the design stage through to completion.
A core function of this role is programme development and donor engagement. The Specialist actively identifies new funding opportunities in shelter and infrastructure from institutional donors and development partners, cultivates and maintains strategic donor relationships, and leads the development of compelling concept notes, proposals, and programme showcases that position SCI Sudan as the partner of choice for shelter and construction programming. The role also represents SCI in technical coordination forums and with key partners, including the Shelter Cluster, UN agencies, government bodies, and INGOs.
The Shelter & Construction Technical Specialist will report directly to the Head of the Technical Team and will work closely with the Construction Manager, Construction supervisors, WASH Technical Specialist, Head of Child survival, Head of Education, and Safe Programming for Children focal points to ensure that all shelter and construction activities are implemented in a way that is safe and appropriate for children and aligned with child protection principles, in addition to ensuring integrated, high-quality programming across sectors.
KEY AREAS OF ACCOUNTABILITY
Technical Leadership & Multi-Sector Construction Oversight
Lead and own the technical quality of shelter and construction activities across all SCI programme sectors:
- Provide authoritative technical guidance on shelter design and construction standards across integrated programmes — including Education facilities (classrooms, latrines, handwashing points), Health facilities (OTPs, PHC units), WASH infrastructure, and FSL structures.
- Review/Design and approve all construction design drawings, Bills of Quantities (BoQs), technical specifications, and engineering plans before programme implementation commences, ensuring compliance with national building codes, Sphere standards, and donor requirements.
- Lead the development and contextualisation of SCI technical standards, quality benchmarks (QBMs), and design templates for emergency, transitional, and permanent construction in Sudan's diverse operational contexts.
- Ensure all shelter and construction activities integrate disaster risk reduction (DRR) principles, climate-adaptive design, and Build Back Safer (BBS) approaches from the design stage.
- Work closely with construction engineers, Construction Mangar, WASH, Education, Health, FSL, and programme operations teams to ensure coordinated, integrated delivery and technical coherence across sectors.
- Lead construction quality assurance processes: review technical designs, certify construction milestones, validate completion certificates, and conduct periodic quality inspections against approved plans and QBs.
- Maintain and update construction tracking systems; proactively identify and resolve delays, technical deviations, and compliance gaps in coordination with field engineers and programme managers.
Programme Development, Donor Engagement & Resource Mobilisation
- Lead SCI Sudan's strategic positioning and funding growth in shelter and infrastructure programming:
- Proactively identify, map, and pursue new funding opportunities in shelter, infrastructure, and construction from institutional donors (ECHO, FCDO, USAID, SHF, UNHCR, World Bank, IOM and others) and development partners not currently engaged with SCI Sudan.
- Lead the development of high-quality, technically sound shelter and construction concept notes, proposals, and expressions of interest (EoIs) — integrating multi-sector construction components (Education, Health, WASH, FSL) where relevant.
- Build and sustain strong, proactive relationships with existing and prospective donors; represent SCI Sudan in donor technical discussions, programme reviews, and bilateral engagement meetings.
- Develop compelling programme showcases — including case studies, before/after documentation, impact evidence, and cost-effectiveness analyses — to demonstrate SCI's technical quality and value proposition to current and potential donors.
- Liaise proactively with the Shelter Cluster, IOM, UNHCR, and other pipeline partners to leverage in-kind contributions, joint programming opportunities, and emerging funding windows.
- Coordinate with SCI Awards and Partnerships teams to ensure proposals are compliant with donor rules, SCI procedures, and strategic priorities.
Stakeholder Engagement, Partnership & Representation
- Position SCI as the leading technical actor in shelter and construction in Sudan:
- Represent SCI at the Sudan Shelter/NFI Cluster, technical working groups, WASH and Education clusters (construction working groups), inter-agency coordination forums, and government technical bodies — ensuring SCI's technical voice is heard and children's needs are centred.
- Build and maintain strong strategic partnerships with government line ministries (infrastructure, SWF, MoH), UN agencies, INGOs, local NGOs, and the private sector relevant to shelter and infrastructure programming.
- Engage with donors during field visits, programme reviews, and technical showcases; lead donor field visits to construction and shelter sites, presenting programme evidence effectively.
- Proactively contribute to inter-agency technical guidance, cluster tools, and standards development relevant to shelter and construction in Sudan.
- Influence broader sector strategies through active leadership and contribution to inter-agency technical bodies, ensuring children's specific shelter and construction needs are addressed.
- Identify and document opportunities for advocacy, influencing, and policy change linked to shelter, housing rights, and safe construction for displaced populations.
- Needs Analysis, Assessments & Evidence Generation
- Lead or support technical shelter and construction needs assessments across SCI operational areas, including multi-sector construction needs.
- Define appropriate construction modalities (emergency repair, rehabilitation, new construction, cash-based interventions) based on assessment findings, context analysis, and cost-efficiency reviews.
- Work with MEAL and programme teams to design robust monitoring frameworks for shelter and construction projects, ensuring output quality, beneficiary satisfaction, and technical compliance are tracked throughout.
- Produce and contribute to high-quality programme progress reports, donor reports, technical completion certificates, and cluster reporting — meeting agreed deadlines and quality standards.
- In coordination with Sr Learning and Evidence specialist document and disseminate lessons learned, best practices, and technical case studies to improve SCI's construction and shelter programming and contribute to the broader humanitarian knowledge base.
- Capacity Building & Knowledge Management
- Lead the design and delivery of technical training programmes for SCI construction engineers, shelter coordinators, and programme officers — covering technical standards, design processes, quality assurance, and safeguarding in construction.
- Coach and mentor SCI construction and shelter staff, providing technical guidance, on-the-job support during field visits, and structured development plans.
- Support the capacity development of local partners, contractors, and government counterparts engaged in SCI construction activities to ensure sustainable technical quality.
- Develop and maintain a library of SCI Sudan construction standards, technical, QBMs SOPs, design templates, quality checklists, and training materials.
- Promote and embed Sphere standards and national building codes within SCI's shelter and construction programming.
- General Responsibilities
- Champion SCI's child safeguarding policies, code of conduct, PSEA commitments, and health and safety standards within shelter and construction activities.
- Demonstrate SCI values in practice — accountability, ambition, collaboration, creativity, and integrity — in all aspects of this role.
- Undertake regular and frequent field visits to programme sites across Sudan to provide hands-on technical oversight and maintain field presence.
- Support emergency rapid response programming as required, deploying to new or escalating crisis areas to provide immediate shelter and construction technical support.
- Perform other responsibilities as agreed with line management.
- QUALIFICATIONS, SKILLS & EXPERIENCE
- Essential
- Degree in Civil Engineering, Architecture, Structural Engineering, or a closely related built environment discipline; postgraduate qualification preferred.
- Minimum 6 years of progressive experience in humanitarian and/or development shelter and construction programming, including at least 3 years in a technical or advisory role.
- Demonstrated experience leading technical quality of multi-sector construction projects (at least two of: Education, Health, WASH, FSL) in emergency or fragile-state contexts.
- Proven track record in proposal writing, donor engagement, and resource mobilisation for shelter and/or infrastructure programmes; experience with SHF, ECHO, FCDO, KFW, or bilateral donors.
- Deep knowledge of Sphere standards, Cluster coordination mechanisms, and relevant international humanitarian standards for construction.
- Strong experience with construction design processes: reviewing drawings, BoQs, technical specifications, and engineering plans; ability to identify non-compliance and prescribe remedies.
- Experience with DRR and climate-adaptive design principles in emergency and transitional shelter contexts.
- Demonstrated ability to produce high-quality technical reports, concept notes, proposals, and donor-facing programme showcases.
- Excellent interpersonal and representational skills; comfortable engaging with donors, government, UN agencies, and cluster partners at senior level.
- Fluency in English (written and spoken); Arabic is a significant advantage.
- Willingness and ability to travel frequently to field locations across Sudan, including insecure and hard-to-reach areas.
- Desirable
- Direct experience in Sudan or other complex emergency settings.
- Experience with shelter interventions and market-based programming.
- Experience with GIS, AutoCAD, or construction project management software.
- Knowledge of financing mechanisms for infrastructure
- Community lead participation in construction will be preferred
- Experience in SCI or comparable INGO programme development and award management systems.
- KEY COMPETENCIES
- Technical competencies:
- Promotes optimum levels of child development
- Works to strengthen the components and linkages within the child protection system
- Prevents violence abuse exploitation and neglect of children
- Responds effectively and appropriately to violence, abuse, exploitation and neglect of children
- Generic Competencies
- Being the Voice of Children: Promotes evidence-based policy and public engagement that includes the voices of children and their communities
- Advancing Equality & Inclusion: Displays a commitment to ensuring everything we do considers the most deprived and marginalised children
- Building & Strengthening Partnerships: Promotes working with diverse partners as critical to delivery
- Child Rights: Promotes the rights of children in own work and in work with colleagues and peers
