Job Description

Landscape Engineer

Who we are

We are a business development and investment advisory firm operating in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Our mission is to drive impact through private sector development in the Agrifood, Renewable Energy and Circular Economy sectors.

We have been active in the private sector development space since 1999, and work across 60 countries in Africa, Asia, and the Middle East. Our clients include SMEs, Impact Investors, NGOs, Donors and Governments. Our offering includes:

• Development: We support SMEs and NGOs to develop and strengthen their value propositions, project designs and business cases.
• Fundraising: We assist SMEs to access impact finance – grants, debt, and equity – intended to create positive change besides and beyond financial return.
• Implementation: We initiate and implement private sector development programmes at the request of Donors and NGOs to deliver on their Sustainable Development Goals, with a focus on value chain development, job creation and climate resilience. We offer business coaching, financial training, matchmaking and technical advice to SMEs.
• Intelligence: We support our clients with performing actionable research, market sector studies, impact measurement and feasibility assessments.

We are a team of 50+ dedicated professionals that work from our offices in the Netherlands, Kenya, Senegal, Burkina Faso and Jordan (Amman). Since establishing our presence in Jordan in 2019, Advance Consulting has been actively contributing to the development of a sustainable and competitive agriculture and water sector. Our Jordan office, with over 13 professionals, currently manages around 20 projects benefiting farmers, youth, women, and local communities through strong partnerships with public, private, and academic institutions.

About the Project

Advance Consulting is implementing the four-year “Namaa” project in Jordan, supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The project aims to improve river basin management for the people of Northern Jordan Valley through infrastructural works on subsurface drainage and landscaping, enhanced agricultural water-efficiency, improved regulatory frameworks, strengthened capacity of relevant stakeholders in the water sector and advanced public dialogue. Advance Consulting seeks a qualified Landscape Engineer to support implementation of this project.

The Position

Advance Consulting is seeking a qualified Landscape Engineer to lead the implementation of the Landscape Restoration Work Package of the Namaa project. Under this work package, Namaa will restore and protect 500 - 900 hectares of degraded slopes on two flanks of the Highlands bordering the Northern Jordan Valley (near the Wadi Al Arab and Ziqlab dams) through nature-based solutions.

The Landscape Engineer will be the technical lead for WP2 and the day-to-day counterpart for WUAs, CBOs and contractors on all landscape and nature-based interventions. The position requires deep and regular presence in the project area: at least two days per week of fieldwork in the Northern Jordan Valley during design and inception, rising to three to four days per week during the main construction and cash-for-work periods (expected years 2–3). The remainder of the week is office-based in Amman.

The Landscape Engineer will report to the Project Director in Amman, and will work in close cooperation with the team in Jordan, in the Netherlands, and external technical consultants engaged for specialist biophysical, hydrological and design support.

Key Responsibilities

• Technical leadership of the Landscape Restoration Work Package. Lead the design, implementation and quality assurance of the nature-based landscape restoration interventions, including small dams and ponds for rainwater harvesting, planting of native drought-resistant trees, soil and water conservation structures, channel stabilisation works, buffer-zone restoration, stormwater drainage improvements and rooftop water harvesting.
• Site selection and design. Lead the biophysical assessment, suitability mapping and intervention mapping for WP2 during the inception phase, in coordination with external consultants where specialist input is required. Prepare and/or review engineering drawings, bills of quantities and Standard Operating Procedures for each intervention type.
• Stakeholder coordination. Serve as the day-to-day technical counterpart to the three targeted Water User Associations, the two partner CBOs, participating farmers, municipalities, as well as support the Project Director in communication with JVA, MoA and MoEn.
• Procurement and contractor management. Prepare technical specifications and tender documents for subcontracted works, evaluate bids in line with procurement rules, supervise contractors on site and certify works for payment.
• Cash-for-Work management. Co-design and oversee the CfW programme together with the Project Director.
• Monitoring, evaluation and learning. Lead field-based M&E, populate the landscape restoration monitoring dashboard with data, and contribute to project reports, seminars and publications.
• Fieldwork. Conduct frequent field visits, as as specified under 'The Position', and enforce health-and-safety standards on all sites.
• Perform any other tasks assigned by the Project Director.

Your Profile

As we strive to deliver excellence to our clients and projects, we are on the lookout for an outstanding candidate who combines deep technical expertise in landscape restoration and nature-based solutions with field presence, stakeholder sensitivity and delivery discipline needed to lead infrastructural and community-based works in the Northern Jordan Valley. You may be the perfect match if you share our passion for landscape restoration, water resources management and sustainable rural development.

Qualifications and Required Experience:

• Bachelor's degree in Landscape Engineering, Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, Water Resources Engineering, Natural Resource Management and/or a related field; Master's degree is an asset.
• Minimum 8 years of relevant professional experience, of which at least 5 years leading landscape restoration, watershed management and/or nature-based solutions programmes in semi-arid landscapes; experience on donor-funded projects is preferred.
• Proven technical track record in designing and supervising nature-based solutions in semi-arid landscapes, including small dams and ponds for rainwater harvesting, planting of native drought-resistant trees, soil and water conservation structures, channel stabilisation works, buffer-zone restoration, stormwater drainage improvements and rooftop water harvesting
• Experience with preparing engineering drawings, bills of quantities, technical specifications and SOPs for NbS interventions, as well as supervising subcontracted works to completion.
• Experience with establishing and managing Cash-for-Work programmes in rural settings.
• Demonstrated experience working with rural and vulnerable communities in semi-arid landscapes in Jordan.
• Working knowledge of GIS, remote sensing and/or drone-based tools is strongly preferred.

Skills and Competencies:

• Strong stakeholder engagement skills, with a proven ability to coordinate with public-sector institutions, Water User Associations, CBOs, private contractors and rural communities.
• Strong contract- and site-management skills: reading and enforcing technical specifications, certifying works, managing variations and applying health-and-safety standards on construction sites.
• Ability to translate expert input from external consultants into practical, locally appropriate designs and SOPs.
• Team player with a proactive, results-oriented and adaptive-management mindset; comfortable operating in multidisciplinary and international teams.
• Willingness and physical ability to travel frequently within the project area as outlined under the section “The Position”.
• Excellent command of Arabic and English, spoken and written.
• Strong computer skills, including Microsoft Office, working knowledge of GIS, remote sensing and/or drone-based tools is strongly preferred.

What we offer:

As a Landscape Engineer, you will become part of a dynamic and unique international team. We offer you a competitive salary and a variety of additional benefits. We also offer opportunities to learn and develop on the job, and we pride ourselves in offering a healthy work-life balance.

How to apply

If you meet the above qualifications and are interested in this opportunity, please submit your CV and motivation letter to [Click to show email], indicating “Namaa Landscape Engineer” in the subject line of the email.