Rural Engineer at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale

ByMuhuddin Samaila

COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale is an Italian humanitarian non-governmental organization founded in Milan in 1965. COOPI aims to help the world’s poorest to improve their access to healthcare, food, and financial security, and to overcome their special vulnerability to wars, civil conflicts and natural disasters. For 50 years of long-term support and constant presence in the field, COOPI has been engaged in breaking the cycle of poverty and responding to specific emergencies in numerous sectors, including Food Security, Humanitarian Aid, Health, Socio-Economical Services, Water and Sanitation, Disaster Risk Reduction, Human Rights, Education and Training, Migrations and Sustainable Energy.

COOPI started its operations in North-East Nigeria in July 2014 to carry out a rapid evaluation of the most relevant constraints suffered by the Internally Displaced People (IDPs) displaced by the food crisis and the Boko Haram insurgency in the Lake Chad Basin. The COOPI Nigeria Field Office is located in Sokoto State, in order to cover intervention LGAs in Sokoto State and to provide direct assistance to the IDPs and their hosting communities, through a multi-sectorial program covering Food Security, Disaster Risk Reduction, Social protection, Early Recovery, and Livelihoods, Nutrition and Child Protection interventions. COOPI’s capacity to respond to the humanitarian situation in the country is confirmed by its experience in providing humanitarian aid in more than 27 other Countries around the World, in over 50 years of operations.

We are recruiting to fill the position below:

Job Title: Rural Engineer

Location: Potiskum, Yobe

Job Summary

  • The Rural Engineer will be responsible for designing and implementing infrastructure projects that support agricultural development, design and supervising the construction of macro-water harvesting and micro-water harvesting structures, market stalls, and for improving rural livelihoods.
  • The ideal candidate will have a strong engineering background, with experience in rural development projects.
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Overall Responsibilities

  • Design, supervise, and maintain rural infrastructure (water systems, irrigation, catch dams, feeder roads, soil conservation structures, market stalls) to boost resilience.
  • Improve water access and management to mitigate conflicts over scarce resources.
  • Promote climate-resilient engineering solutions for agriculture and disaster risk reduction.
  • Strengthen community participation in infrastructure projects to foster ownership and social cohesion.
  • Ensure technical solutions align with conflict-sensitive and gender-inclusive approaches.

Main Duties and Tasks

  • Assess and rehabilitate boreholes, wells, and small-scale irrigation systems to support farming and livestock.
  • Design low-cost water harvesting systems (e.g., sand dams, check dams) to combat drought.
  • Train Water User Committees (WUCs) on maintenance and equitable water distribution.
  • Mitigate water-related conflicts by improving fair access for farmers, herders, and households.
  • Construct soil erosion control structures (terraces, gabions, windbreaks) to restore degraded farmlands.
  • Support climate-smart irrigation (flood/drip/sprinkler systems) for dry-season farming.
  • Design post-harvest storage facilities (grain silos, solar dryers) to reduce losses.
  • Implement community-based watershed management plans to prevent flooding/desertification.
  • Supervise construction of multi-purpose community assets (e.g., grinding mills, storage hubs).
  • Rehabilitate feeder roads and bridges to improve market access and reduce isolation of conflict-prone areas.
  • Develop BOQs (Bills of Quantities), designs, and tender documents for rural infrastructure projects.
  • Monitor contractor compliance with quality/safety standards in construction.
  • Document lessons learned and success stories for scaling up interventions.
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Key Deliverables

  • Functional water points (boreholes, irrigation schemes) with trained maintenance committees.
  • Erosion control and land restoration structures to improve farm productivity.
  • Rehabilitated rural infrastructure (roads, bridges, storage facilities) enhancing market access.
  • Reduced resource-based conflicts through equitable infrastructure planning.
  • Technical reports, maps, and monitoring data on project impacts.

Capacity Building:
Monitoring and Evaluation:

  • Support in Development and implementation of robust M&E frameworks to measure program impact.
  • Analyze data to inform program adaptations and report on progress against indicators

Proposal Development:

  • Contribute to the development of proposals for funding, ensuring the inclusion of cash-based interventions and livelihood components.
  • Collaborate with the program development team to align proposals with donor priorities.

Coordination and Collaboration:

  • Coordinate with government (Ministry of Water Resources, Agriculture), NGOs, and UN agencies (e.g., FAO, IOM).
  • Engage with humanitarian actors, government agencies, and local authorities for coordinated response.

Gender and Inclusion:

  • Ensure that project activities are gender-sensitive and inclusive, addressing the needs of all beneficiary groups.
  • Integrate gender and inclusion strategies into program planning and implementation.

Reporting:

  • Prepare timely and accurate reports on civil work activities for COOPI, WFP, and other stakeholders.
  • Document lessons learned and best practices for organizational knowledge.

Networking and Partnerships:

  • Establish and maintain strategic partnerships with NGOs, UN agencies, and other relevant stakeholders.
  • Leverage partnerships to enhance program reach and impact.

Knowledge Sharing:

  • Facilitate the dissemination of knowledge and learning within COOPI and the broader humanitarian community.
  • Organize workshops and learning events to share insights from the program.

Additional Responsibilities:

  • Stay abreast of developments in cash programming and humanitarian response.
  • Perform other duties as necessary, commensurate with professional background and experience, as deemed by the supervisor.
  • This Terms of Reference outlines the key responsibilities and expectations for the Rural Engineer under the WFP/BMZ-funded project.
  • The role is pivotal in ensuring that COOPI delivers high-quality cash assistance to support the resilience and recovery of displaced populations in Northeast Nigeria.
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Qualifications

  • Bachelor’s Degree in Civil Engineering, Agricultural Engineering, or a related field with a minimum of 3 years of experience in rural engineering or infrastructure development.
  • Strong knowledge of engineering principles, project management, and construction practices.
  • Excellent problem-solving skills and attention to detail.
  • Ability to work collaboratively with diverse teams and stakeholders.
  • Proficiency in engineering software and Microsoft Office Suite.

Application Closing Date
16th March, 2026.

How to Apply
Interested and qualified candidates should:

Go to Rural Engineer at COOPI – Cooperazione Internazionale to apply

Note

  • Female candidates are encouraged to apply. Applications will be reviewed on a rolling basis
  • Cooperazione Internazionale is an equal opportunity employer. We celebrate diversity and are committed to creating an inclusive environment for all employees.

Sama’ila Muhuddin is a dedicated Registered Nurse and humanitarian professional with over seven years of frontline experience. Since May 2018, he has served with prominent international non-governmental organizations, including Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) Holland, Spain, France projects and ALIMA, responding to emergencies and providing critical care in some of the most challenging humanitarian settings.

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