Position Description - Engineers Without Borders Asia
Transcription
Position Description - Engineers Without Borders Asia
Position Description Placement Title Partner Organisation Location Duration of placement Expected placement dates Application deadline Design team placement Proximity Designs Yangon, Myanmar 6 months 1 September – 28 February 2015 8th May 2015 About EWB-Asia Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-based non-profit organisation that empowers disadvantaged communities by improving their quality of life through sustainable engineering solutions. Working in partnership with community-based organisations locally and in the region, we provide opportunities for engineers to contribute their expertise to address community needs through skilled volunteerism. International programmes: EWB-Asia supports the work of local community-based organisations working in areas of humanitarian engineering and appropriate technology, by facilitating and supporting their technical development through capacity building projects. We provide this support through the long-term placements of volunteer engineers. Over the duration of 6-12 months, our volunteers will provide relevant engineering support and expertise to our partner on a specific program or project, as well as carry out technical capacity building within our partner organisation and with the local communities that they work with. These placements offer the volunteers the opportunity to work hands-on in the field, gain better understanding of social, economic and cultural contexts in bringing technology to people and communities, and insights into delivering engineering aid that is appropriate and sustainable. About the Partner Organisation Partner Proximity Designs Organisation Mission Proximity began life in 2004 as a country office of iDE. Eight years on, they are statement and accessible to nearly 80% of the rural population, employing a nationwide staff of organisation over 450, and offering a complete range of services that address many of the background most pressing needs of rural families. Proximity initially focused on creating affordable irrigation products tailored to the Myanmar farmer. They work on building a distribution network through teams of field staff across their project regions. To make these technologies accessible to thousands more rural families, they developed a product financing service, such as a crop loan service that provides credit for critical inputs, to help farmers set themselves up for a successful season. They have since launched a successful range of solar lighting, and are beginning to spin off their crop loans into a larger entity called Proximity Finance. Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg Page 1 of 5 Position Description Activities Proximity has several business units focusing on irrigation, energy, farm advisory, product financing, crop financing infrastructure and research. Together they address many of the most pressing needs of Myanmar rural families. Irrigation Products: The Proximity irrigation products are designed with quality and almost next-tocost affordability. These products include four foot-powered water pumps, a complete drip irrigation system and two portable water storage tanks. They replace the back-breaking and time-consuming work of hauling water from the well to the field in heavy sprinkler cans. Energy: Proximity’s energy business unit currently focuses on solar lanterns but are exploring the potential for larger solar options such as solar home systems and micro-grids. Their solar lanterns tap into a real need for cheap, sustainable lighting and mobile phone charging options in rural areas. They currently offer solar lights designed in the U.S. by d.light Designs. Farm Advisory Service: The Farm Advisory Service organises teams of skilled agronomists to be on call throughout the Ayeyarwady delta region and they can deploy to a farm and begin assessment within hours of being notified. Once there, they help farmers come up with the perfect, affordable solution to their problem. More than over 35,000 farmers have also been trained in a bundle of techniques that increase yields and improve crop health. Size and structure of organisation EWB-Asia’s history with organisation Financing: Proximity has innovative financial solutions for rural smallholders. They range from credit to purchase one of our solar home systems to an affordable crop loan that will make a prosperous harvest possible. Proximity has two lending operations: Yetagon Credit is an in-house small-asset financing arm for our irrigation and energy products while Proximity Finance provides growers with ongoing access to credit. Proximity has a total staff count of 460, mostly comprising of field staff The Yangon office has about 60-70 staff, of which 10-15 are international staff This will be the pioneer EWB-Asia placement with Proximity design About the position Placement The overarching objective of the placement is to: objectives To work with the Design team in the development of affordable irrigation products tailored to the Myanmar farmer Key tasks and To achieve these objectives, the EWB-Asia field volunteer will: responsibilities Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg Page 2 of 5 Position Description Working relationships: immediate supervisor & counterpart(s)/te am Office/field location Working hours Annual leave Work language Communications Access to IT, computers etc. Access to transport Accommodation Support the product development process in his/her area of expertise e.g. industrial, electrical, or mechanical design Make trips to rural communities to carry out empathy studies and needs assessments Work in close collaboration with the Design team and contribute to building up the capacity of the team through advice, support and knowledge sharing This position will be: Supervised by the Design team lead, Mr. Taiei Harimoto Working in close collaboration with the Design team, particularly Mr. Aung Ko Ko (Design team co-leader) The volunteer will mainly be working at the Design workshop in Yangon, with frequent visits to the Yangon head office and occasional travels to rural communities 8:30am – 5:15pm from Monday to Friday with 45 min lunch break 20 days per year, with 10 days additional medical leave allowance, pro-rated to the placement duration Leave to be agreed upon with your supervisor and EWB-Asia project coordinator The main language in Myanmar is Burmese but some members in the design team are able to speak English. It’s is highly recommended you allocate time and energy to learning Burmese so as to get the most out of your experience and integrate better in the team. Mobile phone and internet coverage is sufficient for most places and are improving Basic IT needs will be met by the partner organisation WiFi is available in the office and workshop The volunteer can bring and use his/her personal laptop if he/she prefers to Motorbikes are illegal in Yangon. Most people travel by car or public transport (bus and taxi). A company vehicle will available for work related activities, with a company driver - the volunteer is not allowed to drive the company car Proximity will be able to help source for accommodation close to the route of the company’s pickup vehicle Selection criteria Essential Citizenship Knowledge Technical skills, qualifications and Experience Singaporean or PR preferred Understanding of community development, capacity development and current development issues Understanding of EWB-Asia’s mission, vision and values Understanding of user centered design Degree or experience in Industrial design and/or Degree or experience in Mechanical Engineering and/or Degree or experience in Electrical Engineering Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg Page 3 of 5 Position Description Desirable Knowledge Skills Experience Knowledge, skills and experiences relating to quality control and quality assurance Experience working in dynamic and flexible cross cultural environments Qualification in community development or international studies An understanding of rural community development in Myanmar Understanding of frugal innovation Leadership and teamwork in an international setting Experience working in a developing country, and/or community-based NGOs Patient (in daily living and communication) Strong technical knowledge allowing quick grasp of concepts and ideas Team player who is also excited to contribute to the team Enthusiasm and passion for the cause Flexibility Good learning attitude Adaptable and resilient Willingness to travel to rural areas People oriented Strong communication skills Personal attributes EWB-Asia financial and other support Living allowance The volunteer will be provided an allowance for living and basic accommodation while overseas Travel Airfares to host country at commencement and completion of placement Other Pre-departure training and briefing including first aid training Work visa expenses Travel and emergency evacuation insurance Technical support from EWB-Asia mentors Timing The role consists of three important phases beginning in May 2015, including a 6-month field placement commencing at the beginning of July 2015. Phase 1: Pre Pre-departure preparation (pre-departure training, medical clearances, departure – May administrative) to June 2015 Language and cultural immersion Identifying additional resources and support for the project Communicating with the Partner Organisation to discuss and clarify the project and role requirements Phase 2: Field Departure to host country and partner organisation operations – 1 Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg Page 4 of 5 Position Description July to 31 December 2015 Phase 3: Post field alumni Working alongside counterparts within the partner organisation to meet your position objections and build organisational and technical capacity Submission of quarterly monitoring and evaluation reports Return to Singapore to join the EWB-Asia Alumni. Activities expected include: Submission of final monitoring and evaluation report Actively participate in a local project team for a minimum of 6 months, on a volunteer basis Participate and share experiences in various EWB-Asia events including Meet and Greet sessions and other outreach media Mentor future field volunteers preparing to work with the partner organisation How to apply Please complete the volunteer application form (download from EWB-Asia website) and submit with your CV (maximum 2 page). We cannot assess applications that do not address the selection criteria. Applications close on FRIDAY 8TH MAY 2015 (applications will be assessed as they are received) Please complete and return applications to [email protected] with “Application – Proximity (Design team)” as the subject title. For more information contact us at [email protected] What happens if I am successful? Candidates who pass the application stage will be asked to attend a face-to-face interview, and reference checks. Should these stages be cleared, a formal offer for the placement will be made. Confirmation of placement is also subject to: Formal approval from the overseas partner organisation Procurement of visa and work permits Satisfactory completion of a first aid certificate Satisfactory participation in pre-departure training run by EWB-Asia A satisfactory medical examination of the applicant Engineers Without Borders Asia is a Singapore-registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee UEN: 201408320W | TripleOne Somerset #12-05, 111 Somerset Road, Singapore 238164 | ewb-asia.sg Page 5 of 5