Hydrogeology Advisor
Job Description
General Information
Position Title: Hydrogeology Advisor
Duty Station: Home‑based – Ethiopia
Seniority Level: Senior Level
Contract Type: One‑year contract, renewable subject to performance and budget availability
Job Highlight
This role offers a rare opportunity to apply advanced hydrogeological expertise to critical water and sanitation infrastructure initiatives across the Horn of Africa. The Advisor will independently lead significant technical components, provide authoritative guidance, and strengthen sustainable groundwater and environmental resource management. The position directly contributes to community well‑being, climate resilience, and regional development within a leading UN organization.
Role Purpose
The Hydrogeology Advisor serves as a senior technical specialist responsible for managing a defined portfolio of hydrogeology‑related projects and programmes. Working under the supervision of the Senior Project Manager, the Advisor provides authoritative technical guidance, adapts existing policies and methodologies to emerging water resource challenges, and ensures high‑quality design and implementation support. The role includes supervising junior professionals, resolving complex technical issues using established best practices, and contributing to sustainable water management strategies and reliable service delivery.
Functions / Key Results Expected
- Technical Expertise
- Provide specialist technical advice and design support in hydrogeology and applied geology.
- Guide project teams in addressing geological, hydrogeological, and geomorphological challenges.
- Support sustainable environmental resource management, with a focus on groundwater systems.
- Contribute to decision‑support systems that enable optimal allocation and conservation of natural resources.
- Monitoring and Reporting
- Collaborate closely with the WASH team and relevant stakeholders on data collection, modelling, and analysis.
- Ensure timely and accurate reporting on implementation progress.
- Prepare and submit progress summaries, risk updates, issue logs, and other relevant reports to the Senior Project Manager as required.
- Work with the Senior Project Manager to respond to emerging project needs and priorities.
- Knowledge Sharing and Capacity Building
- Coach and train project personnel on modelling dominant hydrogeological processes for design, planning, and monitoring.
- Maintain high standards of knowledge management, including quality assurance and comprehensive archiving.
- Support project implementation by identifying challenges and providing feedback for continuous improvement.
- Deliver training and facilitate knowledge transfer to UNOPS personnel and stakeholders.
- Contribute to the dissemination of best practices and lessons learned to strengthen organizational knowledge and development planning.
- Personnel Management
- Provide technical support to the Senior Project Manager in delivering projects with hydrogeological components.
- Assist the Project Executive in coordinating technical work, offering supervision and coaching throughout implementation.
- Support the recruitment, development, and retention of personnel with the required skills and competencies, ensuring responsible and effective performance.
- Integrate principles of human rights, gender equity, peace, accountability, “do no harm,” and aid effectiveness into all activities.
- Foster and model a culture of respect and zero tolerance for discrimination, abuse of authority, harassment, sexual harassment, and sexual exploitation and abuse.
- Ensure accountability and adherence to UNOPS protection mechanisms, policies, standards, and commitments.
Education Requirements
Required:
- Master’s degree or equivalent, with a minimum of 7 years of relevant experience.
Desired:
- Ph.D./Doctorate/Post‑Doctorate with at least 7 years of relevant experience.
Experience Requirements
Required:
- Minimum 7 years of experience in groundwater modelling within the engineering sector, including statistical and numerical methods, GIS and related geoservices, environmental engineering statistics, contaminant modelling, and remediation methods.
Desired:
- Experience in water system risk assessment.
- Experience in teaching, applied research, or capacity building in hydrogeology or applied geology.
- Authorship or co‑authorship of publications in international journals or conference proceedings in hydrogeology or applied geology.
Language Requirements
- Fluent in English.
Offer
This position provides a unique opportunity to apply advanced hydrogeological expertise to essential water and sanitation infrastructure projects across the Horn of Africa. The Advisor will independently lead major technical components, offer authoritative guidance, and contribute to sustainable environmental resource management—directly improving community resilience and regional development within a leading UN organization.
