Senior Civil Engineer / Dam Safety Expert

SMEC • SMEC International Pty Ltd. – Samoa Branch, AS

6d

About The Position

The expert shall act as the Engineer under the FIDIC Yellow Book for the dam construction component. This senior role requires deep technical expertise in dam engineering and safety, strong leadership in international infrastructure delivery, and the ability to support executing agencies with limited institutional experience.

Requirements

• A Master’s degree or higher in civil engineering, geotechnical engineering, water resources engineering, or a closely related discipline from a recognised institution.
• Registration as a Chartered or Professional Engineer by internationally recognised institution or association.
• By law of Samoa, staff shall be chartered member of the local IPES.
• At least 20 years of progressively responsible experience in the planning, design, and construction supervision of large-scale dam and hydraulic infrastructure projects.
• A minimum of 10 years in senior leadership roles, including experience acting as the Engineer or leading the Engineer’s Representative team under FIDIC contracts (preferably Yellow Book).
• Proven experience in managing the implementation of high-value infrastructure projects (USD 50 million and above), ideally in developing or remote island contexts.
• Demonstrated experience in the design and construction of complex dam types, such as RCC, embankment, or concrete gravity dams.
• Successful management of multidisciplinary consultant teams and coordination with international contractors.
• Substantial experience in the Pacific region is essential, particularly in small island developing states or other contexts with constrained institutional and technical capacity.
• Demonstrated ability to support less experienced government executing agencies, including mentoring, capacity building, and institutional strengthening.
• Familiarity with international dam safety standards (e.g., ICOLD) and safeguards integration during design and implementation.
• Excellent leadership and coordination skills.
• Strong interpersonal and cross-cultural communication abilities.

Nice To Haves

• Experience working on projects funded by international financial institutions such as the Asian Development Bank (ADB), World Bank, or equivalent is highly desirable.

Responsibilities

• Act as the Engineer under the FIDIC Yellow Book for the dam construction component.
• Provide deep technical expertise in dam engineering and safety.
• Provide strong leadership in international infrastructure delivery.
• Support executing agencies with limited institutional experience.
• Review and validate engineering designs, specifications, cost estimates, construction schedules, and quality assurance plans.
• Manage claims, variations, and risk mitigation under FIDIC-based contracts, particularly the Yellow Book.
• Manage complex, multi-stakeholder teams.
• Support institutional development through on-the-job training and knowledge transfer to project counterparts.

What This Job Offers

• Job Type: Full-time
• Career Level: Senior