Senior Infrastructure Engineer – Improving Access Activity

About the role

FikaFika is seeking an experienced Senior Infrastructure Engineer to lead the physical infrastructure component of the Improving Access Activity, a donor‑funded transport program in Zambia. The role will turn a community‑validated pipeline of sites into designed, procured, constructed, and delivered Rural Networked Transport Infrastructure (RNTI) assets while building design‑and‑build capacity of local partners.

Key responsibilities

• Lead preliminary and detailed engineering design for trails, cable bridges, stone arches, short‑span crossings, feeder roads, drainage, culverts, and access approaches to NCC and RDA standards.
• Support technical prioritisation, costing, and sequencing of the works pipeline.
• Assess technical feasibility of candidate sites, process survey data, evaluate aerial imagery, and propose design alternatives.
• Calculate material quantities, prepare specifications, and coordinate procurement of local materials.
• Apply Fika design methodologies, sign off design modifications, and ensure compliance during construction.
• Build design and construction capacity of government engineers and Zambian contractors through accredited training‑of‑trainers.
• Lead construction teams, manage procurement, maintain multi‑year construction plans, and oversee quality assurance, HSE, and asset handover to district councils and RDA.

Required profile

• Proven senior‑level experience in civil or transport infrastructure engineering, preferably in rural settings.
• Demonstrated ability to manage complex design‑to‑construction projects from inception to delivery.
• Strong communication skills for capacity‑building and stakeholder coordination.
• Willingness to work on‑site in Zambia and adapt to program funding contingencies.

Required skills

• Preliminary and detailed engineering design
• Material quantity estimation and specification
• Procurement coordination
• Construction management and quality assurance
• Survey data analysis and aerial imagery evaluation
• Knowledge of NCC and RDA standards
• Capacity‑building and training‑of‑trainers methodology
• HSE compliance and ZEMA‑aligned site screening