WORK FOR AN AWARD-WINNING NON-PROFIT SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN COLOMBIA
 
POSITION OPENING: Lead Engineer - Colombia  
Industry:           Non-profit/International Development
Function:          Design, Management and Oversight of Technical Staff
Employer:          Build Change
Job Title:          Lead Engineer
Job Location:     Bogota, Colombia, with possible traveling to Latin American & Caribbean countries
Start Date:       Immediate 
Term:              12 months with possibility of extension
Salary:             Competitive with insurance and housing in Colombia
  
Organization Description
Founded in 2004, Build Change is a non‐profit social enterprise whose mission is to save lives in earthquakes and hurricanes. Build Change designs safe buildings, trains homeowners, builders, engineers and government officials to build them, works with governments to develop and implement building standards, partners with the private sector to improve building materials quality and create jobs, and facilitates access to incentive-based capital for reconstruction and retrofitting by partnering with financing institutions and government subsidy programs. Build Change started its work in Aceh, Indonesia, after the 2004 earthquake and tsunami, and since has expanded to include programs in China, Haiti, Colombia and the Philippines. Build Change has trained more than 20,000 people on earthquake-resistant design and construction techniques, and has provided technical assistance for more than 40,000 safer homes, impacting an estimated 200,000 people.
 
Build Change and its Founder and CEO, Dr. Elizabeth Hausler Strand, have received numerous awards including most recently the 2013 Structural Engineer’s Association of California Award of Excellence in the Research/Guidelines category, 2011 Schwab Foundation US Social Entrepreneur of the Year, and 2011 Lemelson-MIT Award for Sustainability. Build Change has won grants from Echoing Green, Draper Richards Foundation, Mulago Foundation and Ashoka-Lemelson. and was named a 2008 Laureate in the Equality Category for Technology Benefiting Humanity by the San Jose Tech Museum of Innovation Tech Awards.  Build Change has been published or featured in numerous media outlets and journals including Rappler, The New York Times, Huffington Post, NPR, BBC, ABCNews, Fast Company and Innovations journal. Upon request from USAID, Build Change has written three primers, on post-disaster housing new construction, retrofitting and site hazard mitigation.  

  
Position Description
For the position of Lead Engineer, Build Change is seeking an exceptionally talented structural engineer with a minimum of three years professional experience as a design engineer at a consulting structural engineering firm in a country with well-established building code adoption and enforcement and engineering professional practice.  Additional experience designing and building earthquake-resistant low-rise buildings in developing countries is a major plus.  The successful applicant will have a proven management track record, history of building relationships with partners and clients, and demonstrated ability to communicate technical terms and concepts to non-technical persons. This position reports to the Build Change Colombia Project Manager and to the Build Change Director of Engineering.
 

• Develop thorough, comprehensive understanding of the structural engineering design resources developed by Build Change for confined masonry, reinforced masonry, multi-story reinforced concrete frame, timber frame, and retrofitting solutions
• Be willing and confident to apply engineering judgment in the absence of code-based guidance
• Responsible for controlling the quality of design information & implementation for projects in Colombia and other locations in Latin American & the Caribbean
• Oversee the revision or development of new structural and architectural calculations and drawings, bills of quantity, construction checklists, and training materials as necessary for partners and clients.
• Ensure technologies and solutions are consistent with Build Changes philosophy of earthquake-resistance, sustainability, and cultural appropriateness
• Mentor and oversee junior engineers, architects, drafters, and other staff.
• Solve problems and generate solutions in the field for special cases, especially for retrofits and additions to existing buildings
• Prepare monthly, project, and final reports.

 Qualifications:

• Complete university degree in an engineering discipline from an accredited college or university
• Minimum 3 years professional experience in structural engineering with demonstrated experience managing a team of engineering staff and delivering outcomes on time
• Understanding of earthquake-resistant design and construction of confined masonry, reinforced masonry, RC frame, and timber buildings
• Professional or Structural Engineering license (or equivalent) in civil (structural) engineering
• Project management skillset that includes, managing work teams, ownership over milestones, work plans, reporting, and using computer tools such as Excel and PowerPoint
• Familiar with international building codes and guidelines, including the IBC or other ASCE 7-based (or similar) code
• AutoCAD and structural design software proficiency
• Ability to develop structural engineering calculation spreadsheets in Excel
• Cost estimating software literacy desirable
• GIS knowledge a plus
• Basic understanding of Salesforce beneficial but not required
• Top-performing educational background in structural engineering, with strong earthquake-resistant analysis and design orientation
• Hands-on construction experience in masonry, reinforced concrete, and/or carpentry is desirable
• No ego, drama, or pessimism; the successful candidate will be flexible, humble, patient, and have a good sense of humor 
• Fluent English and Spanish
• Haitian Creole and/or French are strong pluses
• Valid passport and willingness to work throughout Latin American and the Caribbean

 
To Apply
Go to http://www.buildchange.org/jobs.html and click on "Lead Engineer - Colombia."  Applications will be accepted until filled.  Qualified women, citizens of Latin American and Caribbean countries are strongly encouraged to apply.  Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted.  No calls please.