Agricultural Engineer

Under the overall supervision of the Procurement Specialist, the Agricultural Engineer will be responsible for the following substantive tasks. The tasks would involve the following but not limited to:

• Develop technical specifications, support the preparation and issuance of various EOIs, RFPs and RFQs and formulate minimum quality standards compliant with national and international requirements and best practices and with UNOPS quality assurance policy.

• Provide necessary technical support for various bid evaluations as Technical Expert to the bid evaluation team, to ensure technical compliance with UNOPS/Ministry of Agriculture and Ethiopian Institute of Agricultural Research (EIAR) needs and cost effective purchase of goods and services

• Assist in developing standard operating procedures to ensure best practices for procurement of agricultural machineries and related inputs;

• Assist in the coordination of timely readiness of goods for the pickup and pre-delivery inspection (If required) with the supplier to initiate the timely delivery as per the delivery schedule mentioned in the contract;

• Provide, and oversee, inspection activity for the procured machineries and related accessories.

• Prepare and conduct training for the client personne when required

Technical tasks:

• Review specifications for the procurement of Agricultural Machinery and related accessories and services.

• Assist in preparation of cost estimate and conduct market research

• Review health and safety requirements of the Products to be procured.

• Provide support during the tender processing time, including clarification responses to bidders' queries

• Take part in the technical evaluation of the tender as technical expertise

• Conduct inspection of the products (as and when required) before handing over to the partner in line with the contract agreement made with the supplier

• Ensure that all the products meet the agreed quality standards as per the specification and requirement of the tender.

• Provide technical direction and support to end users on how to use and operate the products received including training (if needed)

Education:

• Bachelor Degree in Agricultural Science, Mechanical Engineering, Agriculture, or related fields is required.

• A Professional Diploma in relevant discipline with relevant combination of academic credentials and/or industry certifications and qualifying experience of 4 years may be accepted in lieu of the university education.

Experience:

• At least two (2) years of relevant working experience in agriculture development environment is required.

• A minimum of one (1) year experience developing technical specifications for agricultural machineries is required.

• Experience in providing technical assistance to institutions in the area of agricultural mechanization is highly desirable.

• Experience working with and training end users in machinery operation for agricultural productivity or a related field is an advantage.

• Field experience is an asset.

Language:

• Fluency in spoken, reading and written English is required.

• Knowledge of another UN Official Language is an asset.